The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-09
WHERE JEWsHARPs Aee MADE.
A Family OF Smiths Do All the Mani
featuring Outside of New York.

Family OF Smiths Do All the Manu-
featuring Outside OF New York.
The village of Bath-on-the-Hudson
| though its manufacturing interests art
few, can boast Of possessing the only
| jewsharp factory - the United State:
outside Of New York city. Simple az
the jewsharp is, it requires, nevertheless
no little skill dn construction.
The proprietor of the factory in Bath
is John Smith, and he has perfected him
self to such an eN@lt that his work is
recognized as among the best in the
world The factory is small building
situated short di.tance off Third street
and although unprstentious 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 a
better market for the sale of his spe-
cialty, he determined to emigrate Ar
| irving in New York he failed to secure
employment, and deciding to start in
business for himself he went to Troy
nd opened factory there. He was
but moderately successful in Troy, and
afte a short time moved to Bath, built
a fac tory and is perfectly satisfied with
the location. The Smith jewsharp is
sold pl incipally to firms in New York,
Boston and Chicago. These firms sell
the goot1s to retailers throughout the
United States.
When The factory is running at its
fullest cap; ,city over two gross day are
turned out. The busiest time of the
year is that just preceding the holidays.
During this season the factory employs
five people-tle proprietor, his two sons
and two other Englishmen, who live
near the factoryr
The manufact ure of the "harps" is an
interesting proct IS. and but few people
are aware Of the large amount of work
expended in maxi ug a jewsharp of good
tone. The frames of the instrument are
not made by Mr.. S NTH. He buys them
from a. foundry. Upon these frames is
bestowed the least work: it is in setting
the steel tongue in the frame and fling
the lower portion of the frame to fit the
tongue that the most care and skill are
required.
The first work done on a jewsharp is
to place the frame in a vi Sc, file off the
roughness and taper down the points, 80
that each side presents a sharp edge, be-
tween which the tongue IS to vibrate.
The MOI delicate work the n begins. A
piece of steel wire is cut from a coil,
hammered fiat at one end az I'd left round
at the other, and t,unpere with the
greatest care. The fat end is then set
in the arc of the frame, and t hen the two
ends are carefully pressed and ham,
mered until they come as ch ose as pos
sible to the tongue without to, lching it.
The round end of the tongue Is then
bent in the form Of right angle, the
point is turned over, and the "'harp" is
ready to be placed in the han DIS OF a |
inisher. There are seven SIZES al Id four |
kinds of fnishing-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 81 nall
and pressed back toward the frame: to
make the tone lower it is bent forward
Mr.. Smith is not only good m aker of
.he harp, but can extract quite a little
music from the little instrument. He
AN also play two at once, which he
;unes so that they are in harmony, by
ling the frames. |:
When business is .rushing Mr.. Smiths
whole family is pressed into service, and
ZACH member excels in his or her particu-
ar work. Mr.. Smith prophesies that
within few years the instruments he !
makes will be in more general use than
low. He has once enlarged his factory, !,
nd expects to do SO aga7n.-Abany
Journal