The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-06-27
Matches.

We are going to talk about some of
the little things thai fill great needs
in the world, and the first of these
little things will be Matches" |
wonder if grandmother can remember
the funny days when she was little
girl and there were no matches. ]
should like to know how grandfather
used to light his pipe, shouldn't you?
But suppose he did as all the other
old gentlemen, carried around little
box in his pocket called tinder box.
l can assure you it must have taken a
great deal of time and patience to get
a light" After awhile the chemists
manufactured something they were
very proud of. They had little metal
bottles made containing phosphorus,
fine cork and petroleum wax, which
they stirred about with red-ho5 wire.
These much-talked of little "Briquets
Phosphorques" were sold with one
doxen little splints tipped with phos-
phorus, and cost seven and SIX pence
each, and when these were gone you
boug more in little penny bundles.
The splint was dipped into the little
bottles and withdrawn, and the chem
ical action of the air ignited or set it
on fire. Many different inventions
followed this, and it was not till 1876
that matches to light themselves were
manufactured, and it was still ten
wears after this before the horrible
lucifer matches were manufactured.
Sweden manufactured safety match,
and for many years supplied nearly
all Europe and England, but now it is
different. I wish / could show you
through one of the matchmaking es.
tablishment in England. You would
find it very large and great many
people working there; whole ship
loads Of the very best Quebec pine
are constatly imported for this one
firm, to be made up into tiny little
matches that we use every day with
scarcely thought as to how they are
made or where they come from. They
use a wonderful machine for making
matches called the "block" ma
chine.
After the wood has been cut into
nice little blocks and splints just twice
the length Of match, row of blocks
is placed in the machine and passed
swiftly across row of sharp knives
which cut way into the block; then
when they return they pass another
set of knives that cuts them across in
the opposite direction and the block
falls to pieces in a shower OF little
sticks. A girl or boy quickly gathers
them out of the way and passes them
into another, who gathers them into
bnndles.
They hold them endwise for just an
instant on hot iron plate to slightly
scorch the ends and make them very
hot.
Now the mix boy takes them and
dips them into a flat pan of melted
paraftin, which the hot wood quickly
absorbs.
The bundles are next put into large
circular frame and cut into halves by a
fine circular saw, then they are ready
for the hopper, which keeps them con-
stantly hopping, and sooa jumps them
out where they are pushed forward
into frame, long piece of wood like
a lath is placed between each row Of
splints, and when about 6,0O0 are in
place they are screwed tightly in and
sent to the dipping room. Here is an
other funny sight: Lots and lots of
girls stand before stone slabs spread
like butter with with different colored
paste, red, blue, yellow, ETC.. and dips
the ends of the frame full of splints in
to the paste. The frames are then
then carried off to the dryingrooms,
with the dipped ends hanging down; !;
when they are dry they are
taken to the packing-rooms and
emptied into great slate compartments,
where children are employed packing
them into the little boxes where YOU
first see them.
Now, boys and girls, shall you take
any more interest in the next match
you light Aunt Catherine, in Chris
tian at Work