Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-05-21
THE. MATCH.
a History of Invention and
Evolution.
EARLY METHODS TO MAKE FIRE
The Revolution Resulting from the Us. Of
Phospherus-The Latest Ingenious
Dsvice-El.ottie Lighters OF
the Future.
EARLY METHODS TO MAKE FIRE



Matches are made in Heaven" is an
Old wiie's proverb. and il is curious that
the hrst record Of ARTIFICIAL light NAY be
traced back to the ''tlaming sword OF the
angel at the gate, In the days of Adam
and Eve; which phenomena is explained
by modern scientists as being produced
by the steel striking against the rocks.
Even the ancient Greeks had To be- CON
tent with the fable that Prometheus stole
the first fire from the chariot of the
sun, and 50 highly did they esteem the
boon, that they created goddess as
patroness Of the flame, and built tom
PIE to her glory; this was the goddess
Nest0. and when A mau trikes a match
against the wall to light his cigar. he is
simply perpetuaung the ancient rite of
worship to the Greciau altar.
A late theory is that prometheus OBJ,
tanned his first Idea from the accidental
striking of his spear against stone forti-
tication, and The method Of obtaining
FIRE from stones goes back 10 the time df
the book of Maccabees. chapter K, 3,
and Virgil also alludes to il IN his de-
scription Of the landing of Eneas; this
was the ancient type Of Hint and steel
arrangement, which many OF the present
generation will remember. This, how
ever, is not the only primitive way of oh
tanning fire; before the day Of matches
the native South African, the Borncan,
and Australian in their oldest records,
all understood how 10 Obtain Ere from
two pieces Of wood, one hard the other
soft and these were rubbed together I'M
III finder formed. and the heat Of the
twirling stick caused il 10 shoulder, and
the breath famed il to flame with the
touch Of lcnf or blade NJ grass. The
Dynk Of Bornro improved on This with
the idea of adding ready prepared tin.
Jsr and 90 S"yi1g m leasi half he
eyartinn Of tbn friction. while oue of
mo Nninvau tribss mnile a further i'm
proyemcnt by cutting "A draft channel
In the lower niece of wood so that the
punk or finder READILY glowed Mt the air
rs,,gaJ Lv tbo rovcrnent az the tNyirlmr
HE 1, ;ha zone shannd bolo with which
tbe draft channel communicated.
win mo Hint and steel MI very
o,ri, doc cnur In the Snanish "slow
match " which was known many years
hefnrc amnng lie AsiHtic. and which
consisted of n four inch tube of gold
silver ar base metal. through which
PASSED n cord of loosely twisted hemp
strands stained red with wine lees, aud
cnvered win bcantiful lnre work
which In ,bns, DAYS filled the pince' of
fancy ne,Jiey,ori, Win th. ladies A
ANAL Mace ~ steel was attached by a
iigbt chain In The tube. and n niece of
AZ, haim, bold close IN th. match a
marx was cnsilv precinitated ON H.
when II immcdiately liz the dry hcmp.
md co,omrnced In smonlder: from this a
aar,a ,,,as aasilv nrnJured and This was
, ,,,,, Nv tho syst Jeyire ~ make 6re
which conIJ be and was uniyersally
corr;ed In The pocket These were The
Grst ii,bts Introduced into South Ameri-
cn and won the Standards many blood
Las yictnriea
Win Tie flint. steel and finder box,
rame The Introduction of sulphur matches,
which wore simply splints of wood dip
ned in a little sulphur which had been
pp,oitad in a am. those were npplied to
tbs smoldering tinJer and irnited the
s,,lntnr vhirb coon III the splint.
irhasa n,oro stiu in usa In outlying dis
80 tLirty ,nors 400 The next
,,ntri, nrGhaiiv mo Amadou match,
tba ,rincin,n az which was brought from
,he trnnirs nv n sailor. aud Which was
made ~ snecies of fungus, the first
n,nuv VI p,S,,,,r. az tbnm taking
ciNIil@e" 'i'', ',.,,,,', ,,herc tho funri
p,a pa en-, ;,,tn Inn,, strins and TIMED
VIE uut NJ "a hn Ill ipstead of n sul.
WIN Sulphu' W ~ ,i,,i,. airt aud
phui NUN NHu ,,i,n,., ami 6sier.
steei' ~" rar,n v and Austria TO mis-
n n ~ drind nicces az fnngus 10 light
NJ M IN, IN y storm, "A tiny niece Is
lheir pipcs ~ ~ +,h,,,a, NM no
wedged IN h,holes' Wy ~ .,,,,,,,i,, AZ
Dneiest 'ouch VI u" ~, dr,s, ,brnn,,h
nfe tne Ahauuu; ~" ~. ~ -, XII
Tue stem SOU @ ~ .,n,.,,, no hot.
Iouyi' nuu iial, In ibe carly mart of
Ter II WIZ hgnl' IN ,nI e", 80 IN ~ rol
ieoo tneSe hinu'iou n''',n -, % ,bc,
duced INTO ms county do1 AN " r,atcb
IN srlp hhg Vonlp' anu sa,isfact,,.,,
was uppeu WIN NY ny s"'ii,"' l., 4
ignition paste one OF Nv n,tl't w. LILY
TO be torn on whFl el'hrtu iul " M
rubbed gently against sonle Iouin ~
stnnce, WIEN u 'SI match v,as mira.
other, variety OF ms matei was n, thor
duced later ana was o rouhI' OF FNluV
cylindrical fotm, having q ring OF lsl,i
ton paste in the center ugll, was o'i.
famed by quickly Dragging tIe inl,vn
through a hole IN the cover OF me metal
box. which ,rubbing, tue cnlargeu put
FORMED by me lghllion phse P'o'u''u
suiiicie II friction To llEnt u, -.
Some time ago one pl our vifar ll'', !,
nfaciurers introduced q cigar h1'inE
match stuck IN inc "hl' lllenu'Nl W =.
| lit, and tins was thought 70 pe s'eu "a,
innovation. 1t was, however, ohN w w
adaptation OF Herphn lue9 Ntnen
! noutshed forty years pfiore' ~, VIZ =
sulphur match inserted IN similar W.,
| and for the same purposy' Vn,i i h.
| glowing tinder was teluiItu 4" III ii., :,
the ignition paste nor nyits .nen ,'i,.,l
cred. Another ldea Willcn VIZ 'i iN,i' Z,
| three years ago was tlePl'u'iiln
| phosphorus, when was sou ~ sN' \
bottles; piece NhN ,'i,a ~ Nj
a ftaHa