Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-25
cAvrcHCs.


They Are Made o..
Nearly all the crutches made IN
this country, for use here and for
export to foreign countries, princi.
pa!ly to the West Indies, to Mexico,
Central America and South America,
are made in four or five factories in
New England, and two or three fac
tories in other parts of the country.
Perhaps three.fourths or more Of
them are made in New England, Q
great number being produced by q
single factory in New Hampshire. A
few crutches are made to order out.
side of the factories, but they are
very few. Almost without exception,
and including those made to order,
crutches are made In the factories.
Most of the factories are located
where they are so rs to be as near rs
possible to forests OF suitable timber,
and because Of the greater chcapness
OF labor. Practically no crutches
are imported.
Rock maple il the wood most used
in the manufacture Of crutches they
are mado also OF Lakewood, rose
wood, hickory and other woods, and
OF bamboo. The great majority Of
crutches are now made OF tho mod
ern style, the spread or double
Tar crutch 80 familiar to the eye;
but the old style crutch has by
no means gone entirely out Of
use. Perhaps ton per cent.
Of our crutches are still made
OF the old fashioned style, II single
straight bar, with on arm piece
across at the top. Clutches Of this
kind are sometimes made OF ash or
oak; they are moro commonly sold
where but single crutch 10 desired,
and where, therefore, q greater
strength and stiffness are needed.
1t Is not unusual for women who
use crutches to have two pairs, one
for ordinary use and tho other for
more formal occasions; tho pair
more commonly used might become
more or less scratched or married.
Some women have two pairs, one pair
OF q light colored wood, the other OF
dark, the better to match the gowns
they might wear. Men arc not 50
particular as this, but many Of them
buy crutches OF fine materl ais, finely
made and finished. In Spanish.
American countries men like crutchs
% handsomely and more deliberately
mounted.
Clutches may be bought Mt almost
any price; o pair OF modern double
bar crutches with rubber tips can be
bought for ~, perhaps for less. From
that they run upward according to
material and finish. Clutches are
often made with solid silver trim.
mings, apd not inirequently with
gold trimmings and with ivory ham
dies and with ivory armpieces.
Probably $40 TO *25 q pair would cover
the cost Of most OF the finer crutches;
some, however, cost $50. $50 md
more.
Crutch armpleces are finished In
various ways; many are covered with
leather, many are finished In polished
wood; ono OF tho newest styles 10 .
polished wood top finished In the
shape Of o cows horn and SO called.
There are patents on crutches. prin-
cipally on one end or the other. the
top or tho tip. Rubber tips have
been used for many years, but there
have been various Improvements In
them. Formerly piece OF rubber
was simply tackled onto the end Of
the crutch. An improvement OH this
was q ferrule on the end OF tho crutch
and projecting beyond tho end OF IL,
forming socket into which the rub.
Der could be inserted. There 10 o
clamp tip which car be opened and
closed, so that the worn rubber con
be taken out and renewed, Most Of
the rubber tips have openings into
which Ice spikes can be inserted In
icy weather. A recent device COM
bines ice spike, rubber and ferrulo In
such a manner that tho leo spike can.
be used or not, as desired. ',
Dealers say that tho demand for
crutches increases more rapidly pro-
p0rtionately than the increase OF tho
population. This Is accounted for by
the increasing accidents attending
the extended modern use OF machin-
cry In one form and another, and in
some measure 1t IL attributed Incl.
dentally to improved methods OF
surgical practice and tho better man
ner In which fractured limbs are now
supported, so that patients are not
only permitted to 60 out on crutches,
but are urged to 60 rs soon as they
can safely do 80.
While there IRE many regular users
OF crutches, still there IRE thousands
who use crutches only temporarily,
perhaps In getting over broken leg
or . sprain. and who never have oc.
casion to uso them again. Some PEG.
pie keep their crutches for tho rocol.
lections that attach to them; some
hang them on wall like trophy
thousands give them to institutions
where crutches are needed. A largo
dealer said that the annual produc.
ton of crutches In this country
IL