The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-05-29
BRISTLE BRUSHES.
CRUDE AFFAIRS UNTIL AAIIERI-
CANS HEUAME INTERESTED.
The Great Bristie Market OF tho
World is st. Petersburg, Rus
sia-Squirrel Tails Sup
ply Cancels Hair.
TO a very limited extent brissles
from INC hmorlCTu uOg aE0
utilized in the manufacture

utilized in the manufacture
of brushes, yet most of this
product of the swine IS unsuitable
and must go to other uses. Because
American pork is superior, American
bristles are inferior. Improving the
quality of pork diminishes the quanti-
ty of good bristles and slaughtering
The hogs while young prevents long
heavy bristlss from being produced
in this country. The quality of do
nestle bristles is not SO we'll adapted
for general purposes as those from
Russia and China, and this accounts
for the fact that every year million
pounds and upward of foreign bristles
are imported, worth that many dol
lars.
The bristles obtained from Ameri-
can hogs ore used only in cheap, poor
brushes. The great bristle market OF
the world is st. Petersburg, and Rus
STA is the largest bristle-producing
country. Leipsic is second in impor-
tance as q bristle market, although
many of the bristles sold there are
actually produced in Russia, and are
made ready for sale In Germany.
From Russia and Germany the brush
manufacturer obtains all his supply of
long heavy bristles in the different
colors-white, bronze, gray and
black. France produces in quantity
next to Germany, but only white and
yellow colors, and those kinds only in
short and medium lengths, nearly all
of which are classed as soft stock,
being fine fiber. Within few years
China and India have marketed in
considerable quantities black bristles
which formerly were known only in
an incidental way.
Brush making was crude affair un-
til American ingenuity became inter-
ested ia it. The first great inventor
of methods used in brush making in
this country was Seth Whiting, who
in 1897 was q brush manufacturer in
Medfeld, Mass, and as early as dur
| ing the War of 1872 obtained such q
foothold with dealers in Boston that
it has been impossible for English
| manufacturers to ever regain their
hold Cd the American market. Since
his day, many other improvements
have been made, bnt methods invented
by him are still at the foundation OF
the business.
To one who uses n paint brush it
may appear an easy thing to make
only O bunch of bristles held with a
ferrule and handle attached. The
first process in making q brush is to
wash the bristles with soap and water.
next they are tied in small bundles to
keep straight while being dried. When
fully dry, the different colors and
shades are separated and they are
ready to have the different lengths
dragged" so that they may be mixed
together again in the right proportion
for brushes. The proper kinds of
bristles to nse in different kinds Of
brushes is the most important feature
of the brush making, and various for
mulas must be followed faithfully, mix
ing the right kinds together.
No great change can be expected in
the cost of brushes for the reason that
prices OF staple bristles do not change
much and SO long as the demand for
bristles is about the same as produc-
tion, they will remain nearly station
airy, hence great decline in prices of
bristle brushes must mean changes in
] quality. There is no substitute for
bristles which does not in some way
impair the quality of the brush, the
nearest imitation being horse hair,
which has no. elasticity. A substance
which in appearance is very much like
bristles is tampico. It is the fiber of
the Mexican century plant leaf and is
easily made to appear like bristles; the
harsh ends made by cutting it into
lengths can be made as soft as the ends
of bristles, and by dyeing it can be
made the same colors. The simple
test of burning little of the end of o
brush will discover it, if present, for
it burns like wood, while bristles do
not. Tampico costs very little and
wears out quickly. It is useful in
scrub and cheap whitewash brushes,
but worthless in brushes intended to
be used by skilled workmen. Large
/ quantities OF brushes are made of it,
| and perhaps some consumers buy them
thinking they are pure bristles, so
noarly do they appear like bristle
brushes.
In addition to bristle brushes, the
great friends OF varnishers are camel,
fitch and badger hair brushes. OF
these three kinds, badger hair is the
only one which has the same name in
brush that it has on the animal
which grows it. Camel hair grows
on the tails of Siberian squirrels, and
commercial fitch hair grows on the
tails of American skunks. All three
kinds OF hair make excellent brushes,
and are subject to adulteration, pro-
baby more than bristle brushes are ;
with them. as with high grade bristle
brushes, the only safety to the con-
sumner is to buy those made by reputa.
BILE makers and plainly branded with
the makers name. Ok hair, goat hair,
sable hair, etc., are used to some ex-
tent. but by far the greater part OF
the brushes used in the world are
made of bristles, and as they are per
fectly adapted to SO many purposes, 4
is fortunate they are plentiful and In
great variety. New England Home.
stead.
| A Hundred Miles Of Shelving.
THE 6nisbad porf,an IF thu non