The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-05-18
HOW MATCHES ARE MADE.
A PRETTY AND A MOST INTEREST
ING CEREMONY.
Preparing the Pine splints-Dipping
in the Phosphorus Paste Won
derfuI Quickness of Workers.

| AICH-MAhlN9 is one OF the
| MI prettiest and most interesting
| vi of industries imaginable.
The following is a birds eye
view of it, as carried on in the leading
factory in London-which is to say, in
the world.
To begin with wooden matches. They
are of two kinds-''lucifers" ard 'safe-
ties;" but as the process of manufacture
is almost identical, we will confne our
selves to the lucifers. The wood, Ca.
madam pine, comes to the factory ready
split up into little sticks-or splints, as
they are called--of the same size as
match, but double the length. The first
process consists in preparing these splints
for dipping in the phosphorus paste.
Imagine very large, airy room, with
| several rows of stands or tables running
from end to end. On each stand is
small machine driven by steam-say 25O
machines in all-and to every two ma.
chimes a match girl. All she has to do
is to feed the two machines alternately,
first one and then the other. She takes
a handful of splints and puts them into
the feeder, exactly as you put coffee into
coffee mill. They pass through and
are bound together in most ingenious
way by a strap, so as to form sort of
wheel or drum about the size and shape
of large fiat cheese. The splints, il
must be understood, lie across, so that
their projecting ends represent the sides
of the drum, and each one is separate.
1t takes only few minutes to put to.
gether 5000 or 5000 in this way, and as
soon as they are ready the machine stops
automatically. The whole bundle is then
removed and carried to the dipping
place. Here the phosphorus composition
is ladled out of vessel and spread on
slab. By simply laying the wheel down
fiat on the slab every single splint OF
which it is made up receives dab OF
phosphorus at one end, and by turning
it over the other end is similarly treated.
This work is done entirely by men, and
takes place in a shed with an open roof,
so as to allow very free ventilation,
Eacn splint has now been converted into
a double match with a head at both
ends; we have, in fact, got a bundle
containing 10, 900 matches. For clear
ness sake some details have been
omitted; but it will be seen that the
preparation of 10, 900 matches only takes
a few minutes all told.
After dipping, the bundle is dried in
hot chamber and then unrolled, which
is done very prettily by another machine.
The end of the strap binding the lot to.
gether is caught and drawn between two
rollers, and as it goes the wheel un.
winds and the matches come off in
perfect shower. 1t is all done in
moment. One more operation remains,
! and it is the uost interesting of all. The
matches, as has been said, are SO far
double. They have to be cut in half and
packed in boxes. This is done by the
girls with astounding rapidity. Each
one stands at table; on her,left are a
lot OF empty boxes half open, on her
right pile of double matches, and be.
tween the two lever knife like those
used for cutting tobacco. She takes a
handful of matches in her right hand,
and the extraordinary thing is that she
always pick up exactly the right number
to fill box, never varying by more than
one or two. She puts them under the
knife, cuts the bundle into two, and fills
two boxes with them in the twinkling of
an eye; the swiftness and accuracy of her
motions are indescribable. The whole
performance does not take more than five
or six seconds. And it is not one woman
only. Here are rows upon rows of them
throughout vast building, all doing the
same thing with equal or almost equal
proficiency. In another department an
instance of still greater dexterity may be
observed. Every one knows the wrap
pers of transparent paper in which the
safety match boxes are commonly en-
veloped, and look at them will show
that they are folded several times in diff
ferent dire This folding is done |
by women like flash of lightning or a
conjuror's card trick. The eye fails to /
follow the movement of their hands.
There is only one thing more nimble than
a woman's hand, and that is her tongue.
st. James's Budget.