The Russellville Democrat., 1891-07-09
WHERE JEwsaAaPs ARg MADE.


A Family OF Smiths no All Che Manu-
facturing Outside Of Now York.
The village of Bath-on- the-H Hudson,
though its manufacturing interests are
few. can boast Of possessing the only
jewsharp factory In the United States
outside Of New York city. Simple a.
the jewsharp is. it requires. nevertheless,
no little skin III construction.
The proprietor Of the factory in Bath
is John Smith, and he has perfected HIM
self to such an extent that his work Is
recognized as among the best in the
world. The factory is q small building
situated a short distance Off Third street,
and although unpretentious contains
every facility for the manufacture OF
jewsharps-
Twenty years ago, in England, Mr..
Smith began his apprenticeship at the
trade. Hearing from friends in this
country that here would be found q
better market for the sale Of his spe-
cialty, he determined to emigrate Ar
irving in New York he failed to secure
employment, and deciGing to start in
business for himself he went to Troy
and opened factory there. He was
but moderately successful in Troy, and
after short time moved to Bath, built
factory and is perfectly satisfied with
the location. The Smith jewsharp is
sold principally to firms in New York,
Boston and Chicago. These firms sell
the goods to retailers throughout the
United States.
When the factory is running at its
fullest capacity over two gross a day are
turned out. The busiest time of the
year is that just preceding the holidays.
During this season the factory employs
five people-the proprietor, his two SONS
and two other Englishmen, who live
near the factory.
The manufacture of the s.harps" is an
interesting process, and but few people
are aware of the large amount of work
expended in makinga jewsharpof good
tone The frames Of the instrument are
not made by Mr.. Smith. He buys them
from foundry. Upon these frames is
bestowed the least work; it is in setting
the steel tongue in the frame and filing
the lower portion of the frame to fit the
tongue that the most care and skill are
required.
The first work done on jewsharp is
to place the frame in wise, file off the
roughness and taper down the points, so
that each side presents sharp edge, be-
tween which the tongue is to vibrate.
The mos. delicate work then begins. A
piece of steel wire is cut from coil,
hammered fiat at oneend and left round
at the other, and tempered with the
greatest care. The fiat end is then set
in the arc of the frame, and then the two
ends are carefully pressed and ham
mered until they come as close as pos
sible to the tongue without touching it.
The round end of the tongue is then
bent in the form of a right angle, the
point is turned over, and the "harp" is
ready to be placed in the hands Of a
finisher There are seven sizes and four
kinds of tinishing-the common, gold
bronze, lacquered and tin plated. The
harp can be toned to any pitch. To make
the tone high the tongue is made small
and pressed back toward the frame; to
make the tone lower it is bent forward.
Mr.. Smith is not only good maker Of
the harp, but can extract quite little
music from the little instrument. He
can also play two at once, which he
tunes so that they are in harmony, by
filing the frames.
When business is rushing Mr.. Smiths
whole family is pressed into service, and
each member excels i'll his or her particu-
lar work. Mr.. Smith prophesies that
within few years the instruments he
makes will be in more general use than
now. He has once enlarged his factory,
and expects to do SO again. Albany
Journal