St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-05
THE BRASS PIN.
1t Has Many Uses and 1t Has Fig
ured in Great Events.

This Often-put question, "Where do
all the pins go?" is no less interesting
than the other, "Whence come al the
pins?" says Table Talk. One has t,
rake very deep into the dead ashes" to
discover a time when women-more
strictly speaking, mankind generally
did not recognize the essential qualities
Of the humble little pin. True, there
are records of days when pins were
made of brass, bronze. wood, bone and
ivory Necessarily these were cumber-
some implements, wholly unlike the
slender little spikes in use to-day, while
they were both scarce and costly.
Bronze pins, with handles of ivory,
have been found in ancient British
barrowS. among the treasures buried
| centuries ago, sufficiently we'll pre-
served to attest the use that had been
made of them, which was, beyond
doubt, that of fastening the rude cloth
ing of those times.
The date of the first manufacture of
pins In England is shrOuded Ill uncer-
tainty, but it is automatically recorded
that as early as 1864, when money was
tight" extensive cloth-wOrkers COM
PEELED their laborerS to accept IN pay
ment for their work ''pins, girdles and
other Improbable wares instead of
money" The march of improvement
had begun and kept OH steadily until
the middle of the sixteenth century pins
began to win appreciation so high that
statutes were enacted protecting their
manufacture, and rigid laws were
passed prohibiting the importation OF
numerous minor articles, including
pins, gloves, knives, tailorS' shears,
scissors and irons. up tOlthiS period
female dress was fastened with ribbons,
laces, clasps, hooks and eyes and
skewers of brass, silver and gold; the
latter were, in fact, pins without heads"
During the reign of Henry Will, due
probably TO the influence of that kings
numerous wives, pins were in great de-
mand, and an ACT, was passed cautioning
manufacturers to- 'avoid the slight and
false making of, pins; only
such are to be sold as are double-headed
and have the heads fast soldered so the
shank of the pin, we'll smethed, the
shank well Shaven, the point well and
round filed. canted, and sharped." 1t is
flattering to our patriotism to learn that
the first solid-head pin, although made
in England and It's manufacture de-
layed until 1924, was the invention of an
American, Lemuel w. Wright by name;
and it was another ingenious American,
DIR. John L. Howe, of Connecticut, who,
some eight years later, invented the
first successful machine for completing
SOlid-headed pins by single proc
eSS. Marvellous, indeed, does this seem
when we pause to consider that prior to
the invention of this machine it re-
CURED from twelve to fourteen men to
complete pin; there are as many differ
ent processes in its manufacture, each
requiring to be performed separately
and by a different hand. a single ma
chino ont q constant
of pins, averaging 200 minute, all
ready to be transferred into revolving
barrels, where they are turned until
sc Oured sufficiently to be plunged into
the acid bath, from which they emerge
bearing out the old saying, clean as
new pin. One machine performs the
several duties of holding and crimping
the aper sheets and sticking the pins
into them, In even rows, with remark
able deXterity.
When pins were scarce and dear they
formed very acceptable gifts to the fair
sex, and as now and then money was be-
slowed to the value of pins in lieu there
Of not few phrase-hunters believe
that the term pin-money originated from
that practice. Was it not Addison who
took exception 10 what he called 1.-THE
doctrine of pln-money," proposing that
it be changed to "needle-money," as
more expressive or THRIFT and economy?
Nor has the pin been neglected in ro-
nance. Which of US has not felt
sympathy for the imprisoned man who
saved himself from madness by each
day casting from him three or four pins
and breaking the despairing monotony
by seeking for them III the cells dark
ness? When at the expiration Of six
years freedom papers were brought to
him the messenger found him on the
floor of his cell in earnest search for one
! pin that had been two days missing
The sequel runs that the prisoners wife
testified her gratitude by having the
four bent and rusted pins set in a
brooch, which she wore and valued
more than jewels.
Superstition, also, has special claims
upon the pm; it should, we are told.
''be lent, not given" There is a by no
means small class of sensitive-minded
folks who regard the exchange OF pin
a sure and sharp prick to friendship:
and there is another go6dly number that
put themselves to all manner of incon-
vepience to stoop and pick Up every pin
that lies in their pathway.
Another curious tact in the early his
tory of pins is that when they were first
sold in open shop there was such a
| great demand for them that code was