Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-06-07
pa,nrr,y. nsYnees


DEsvER, June 6.-The general suppo-
sftion is that before the era Of matches all
fires were kindled by obtaining . spark
from the conclusion Of pieces II mint
and iron, but such was not the case.
Centuries ago-before the white men had
penetrated into the lands of the klamath,
Pueblo and other Indian tribes-wood
friction was the method employed by the
North American Indians Thesauie man
ner Of kiniling fires can be observed
among many Of them today, No Other
method is employed by the Eskimos and
other northern uncivilized peoples. and
no later than 1885 wood friction was used
to kindle the fire at the white dog feast
by the New York Iroquois Indians and
the Onondaga Iroquois of Canada.
The operation Of igniting finder by
wood friction is varied, but in every lu-
stance il is peculiar and shows consid-
cradle amount of patience and ingenuity.
The most primitive form of apparatus
consists of Two pieces Of wood, one OF
some dry. loose grained timber, which is
the piece to be operated upon. and the
other. or spindle, INNS, be of hard wood,
which must Ike perfectly dry. The hrst
piece is laid fiat on the ground close to
the finder which is to be iguited. and a
small hole is cut in the floor to receive
the wood powder as it is ground from
the Loose grained wood. The hard wood
spindle is then taken between the palms
of the hands. and having first presset.
the point against the other piece OF
wood it is twirled rapidly. causing a
gradually increasing friction and grind
ing ont a little heap of wood powder,
which fails into the hole referred to.
This gcu,rates a great deal of heat. and
finally tile little heap of wood dust be-
gins to 4molder, and in little time
enough beat l., evolved TO produce igni-
ton by spontaneous combustion.
Flame Is never produced by this Oper-
alton. The wood or coal must be brought
into contact with the finder and can
tiously famed into a blaze.
Another form is called the pump or
weighted drill and Mr.. Hough, in the
report of the National museum, says
that this apparatus is used in only two
localities In the world for making fires
viz. among the Chukchis of Siberia ard
the Iroqubis Indians of New York and
Can&da. This apparatus is very ingeai-
ously constructed. 1t consists of a piece
of soft or loose grained wood, as in the
first case, and the pump" or spindle.
The spindle is made of well seasoned
elm or other hard wood 1t is usually
about two feet long and has kind of
hywheel about three inches from the
bottom. A crosspiece of wood with q
hole i'll the center large enough for the
spindle to pass through easily is then ad-
justed as the pump" handle. Attached
to each end of this handle are cords,
which are fastened to the top of the
spindle and twisted around it in such a
manner that moving the handle up and
down will cause it to revolve rapidly in
alternate directions, thus creating a
maximum amount of friction at the
point of contact with the loose grained
wood. This was the kind of apparatus
used by the Iroquois Indians at the
white dog feast in 1888.
The natives of the East Indies and of
Australia use another method for OBJ
tanning ignition by means of wood fric
ton. Their method is by saving" A
V shaped notch is first cut lengthwise
in piece of bamboo-almost penetrat-
ing it. Then another piece of bamboo or
other hard wood is shaped like the blade
Of a knife, and this is drawn backward
and forward, after the manner of saw
ing, until the lower piece is pierced and
the heated wood powder falls through.
DR.. r. NJ. Luther tells the following
incident of lighting n fire by this proc
ess: "a Burmese found branch of the
oil tree hewctl in it V shaped cavity,
cut knife Of uwood, sawed with it
across the bran and in less than three
minutes had coal Of fire underneath
This was taken in some dry leaves,
wrapped i'll IA bunch of grass and whirled
around the head. giving Il flame i'll a 'jif
fy.'" This method. however. does not
seem to have been ever used by the North
American Indians.
Flint, compressed air and various 9th
er materials were used to produce fire
until finally in 1925 chemical matches
were invented. These were generally
made of strips Of shaving or thin pieces
Of wood dipped in sulphur, but they had
10 be plunged into bottle of phospho--
Gus mastic mixed with oxide of ph>,s-
phorus to create II fame. Various 9th
tr chemical appliances had already been
'ried. In 1914 a patent was granted for
me of them in the United States. but in
1895 the patent Office at Washington is
,ned a patent for friction match, and
since that time everybody who uses light
IN any shape is aware of the perfection
to which the Manufacture of matches
md t'~' lighting apparatus has been
broug
There is. however, considerable con-
roversy as to the first inventor Of fric-
ion matches. 1t is claimed for an
American i'll 1886. by the English in
1929 and by the Germans before 1880.
Whichever of the three countries was
the one in which friction match was
first made it is at all events certain that
the first patent was granted in the
United States.