The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1890-12-31
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 81. 1890.
EYES MADE OF GLASS.
THEY ARE GOOD, BUT BETTER
ONES ARE MADE OF STONE.

In Germany and France Artificial Eye
OF Skill Required in Finishing Eyes
Price of Eyes In This Country.
married and the father of family, who
has worn an artificial eye for many
years without the knowledge of anJ
member of his family. There are many
men and women in public life who wear
artificial eyes undiscovered To do this
of course requires not only wonderful
perfection in the manufacture of the eye
itself, but also great circumspection on
the part of the wearer, whose vision is
necessarily limited, and who is liable to
exposure from the occurrences of every
day life. There was, until recently, in
New York city, lady, the wife of a
very well known man, who was in the
habit of meeting constantly very many
persons, and who went out much in So
ciety, who wore an artificial eye without
detection.
Many artificial eyes are imported from
Germany and France, where they are
made almost as cheaply as buttons. In
the district of Thuringia, in Germany,
entire villages of men, women and chill
dren assist in the manufacture. The
process is analogous to glass blowing.
Indeed, it is sort of glass blowing.
The workman sits at a table with a gas
jet flame from blowpipe in front of
him, which gives an intense heat, capable
of melting the CLASSY substance which
forms the eye. He molds the substance
as easily as the potter would mold clay.
Then the pupil is put ON by the same
process and the colors traced with small
needles of colored substance, so as to
initiate the delicate tracery of the eye
ball and pupil
THE BEST EYES ARE MADE HERE.
When eyes are made at wholesale the
workman makes haphazard vast guam
tity of sizes, shapes and colors. and it is
presumed that a dealer can, by keeping a
large assortment of these artificial eyes,
manage to match the eyes of any GUS
toner. But in practice this proves to be
an exceedingly difficult matter. The
colors and shapes of eyes vary in num-
are fastidious and with keen vision for
shades of color it is seldom possible to
suit them with these ready made eyes,
and they are little used in first class es-
Establishments, where perfect work is
sought regardless of price.
The expression "a bully boy with a
glass eye" denotes a popular error that
n ,oHa Nf rel, r1.a 60
Is that the substance is more like china
About forty years ago an Englishman
named 7. j. Davis began to make artifi-
cial eyes in New York by new pro-
cess. He found spar in Connecticut
which which was peculiarly adapted for
the making of artificial eyes, and he
maintained that, after great research in
other parts of the world, no stone could
be found capable of yielding the same
results. This spar, to become ductile,
has to be subjected to an intense heat
for from thirty-six to forty-eight hours.
When thus treated it is ready for
shaping and coloring, and requires
no metallic oxides to work it, and
Is, therefore, not liable to injury
from the saline secretions and more
durable and artistic than eyes made in
the old way, which was to mix common
glass with the metallic oxides, produc-
ing material easily fusible by heat and
very brittle. The eyes produced by the
Connecticut spar are tougher. Mr.. Da-
Wis kept his secret for many years, and
before his death bequeathed it TO his
sons, and they have made many eyes
successfully for wealthy people who have
tried in vain the best eye makers of Eu-
rope.
CHEAP EYES USEFUL