The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-12
VIM. P. BAILEY,
Clerk of Council
FACTS ABOUT PINS.
Their Use in Different Countries in
Different Ages.

Their Use In Dtherent Countries In
Different Ages.
From the Boston Commercial Bulletin
As a requisite of the toilet, etc, pins
were first used in Britain in the latter
part of the Fifteenth century. They were
first made of iron wire, but in $40 brass
ones were imported from France by Cath
crime Howard, Queen OF Henry VIII. The
prehistoric pin, however, was a thorn or a
hshbone. and had no experience with or
relation to the dry goods or notion BUSH
ness until Eve improved upon the fig leaf
toilet necessities. The natural thorn is
still in use in some of the Upper Egypt
districts. where the Birmingham or the
Connecticut article is a prime curiosity
and an unpopular innovation.
In the ruins of Pompeii Roman pins OF
bronze and hairpins of bone or ivory have
been disinterred. while ancient Egypt has
disclosed the Indispensable article having
heads of gold Bronze pins were known
to the lake jewellers of Europe, some be-
ing artistically ornamented and elaborated
with exquisite skill. Some that have come
to light were of the duplex type, having
double stems, and others the same in form
as the safety pins in use at the present
time. At first pins were made by fitting
a point TO a proper length of wire, and
then twisting a piece of fine wire around
the other extremity or fastening IL after
twisting in order to form a knob or head
Ultimately these operations were so skill
fully conducted that a completely round
head was made of a very small size and
scarcely showing the nature of its con-
struction.
Previous to the introduction of machin-
cry the pin was, of course, entirely hand
made and required passage through no
| less than fourteen different manipuiations
before finding its way as a finished pro-
duct into market The brass pin which
we see to-day in its perfect form and al
most needle pointed is turned out at an
almost incredible speed by special machln-
cry, the daily product of Birmingham alone
being placed at about 100000.
The solid-headed pin, as differing from
that just described. was devised by an in
genious yankee and came into use in 1910.
! The domestic pin was of sufficient import
| ance in 1913 TO warrant an act providing
| that mo person shall put to sale any pins
| but such as shall be double-headed and
have heads soldered fast to the pin, well
smoothed the shanks we'll shapen, the
! point we'll rounded, filed, canted and sharp
| ened." About 100 the manufacture of pins
/ became quite a business in Bristol and
! Birmingham, employing a large number
| of persons.
The pin industry in the United States
was begun by colonists of the Carolinas
but Il was not until the year 1896 that Il
reached any considerable proportions, the
pins used coming from England. although
the black pins used in black goods came
from France. The industry Is now large
~ conferred in Connecticut. although there
are factories in Detroit. Cincinnati and va
| rious points in the eastern states.
As an article of domestic use the modern
pin Is lohw practically ubiquitous and in
dispensable The tonnage of metals an
nua,ly used In its manufacture would as.
found any who have had no interest in
looking into the subject. while the number
OF thousands OF operatives employed IN
the manufacture in this special industry
Is surprising,