The morning news., 1897-03-18
COUNTLESS USES OF FELT.
Many of Them the Devices of Inven-
tive CranISs.
From the New York- Sun.

i
Felts are remarkable substances. The
great variety of felts manufactured and
the vast range of qualities have given rise
to a curious custom in one of the biggest
felt stores in this city.
1.-THE most curious customers we have
said the head of this house recently, 'are
the crank inventors. When these men
get to work upon an invention. it seems
to me, no matter what the machine is to
do. they conceive that some part of the
device could best be made of felt. Now,
If the inventors would only tell US enough
about what they want the felt for to en-
able us to exercise some judgment for
them, we could put our wide knowledge
of the many kinds of felt to work and
probably suggest pretty nearly the right
kind for the purpose. But these men are
very secretive, and, as a rule, they will
not tell us anything, except that they
want to get just a little piece of felt. Now,
when you consider all the kinds of felt
with which our big store Is filled and the
many other kinds which we either do not
make except to order or do not keep in
stock, this is funny.
Years ago when the cranks came in
we used to do our best to help them out,
and spent hours showing them all the
felts in the place, and this ended fire.
uu6lltly III our giving TO lnem Tree the
little pieces. which they thought would,
answer their purpose. We would feel
happy then for a time, thinking that we
had done good act at least in aiding a
fellow creature, when 10, there would be
the same crank again looking for piece
of felt that was just little thicker or
thinner than the one he had or a piece
which was harder or softer, more sprlngy
or less springy, more absorbent or less
so. Then we would mortify the flesh and
the spirit, too, and show him all over
the store again, and probably again and
again. Now we have a better plan. You
see that big box down at the end of the
room? Into that we throw all the clip
pings from every kind of felt which are
too small to be sure of q commercial
value. We make a. great many of these
every year. for felt is sold in all sorts
of odd forms and for an almost infinite
variety of purposes, We make presents
of these clippings 70 the head Office boy,
and whenever crank comes in and we
discover him we turn him over to the Of
tice boy. we can't sell anything to you,'
our men declare; here is a lad, however,
that we think has got what you want,
but you must make your own bargain
with him.
"Thereupon the crank and the office boy
go off together and the crank begins with
out fail to tell in a guarded way how he
wants just little piece of felt to fit into
some sort of new invention. All right
sir says the office boy, but there is only
one way you can do any business with me.
1t will cost you s. cash down to look at
the box of clippings If you pay me that,
you can come and look through the box
as often as you wish, and you can have
anything which you find there that you
think win answer your purpose.
" Five dollars, cash down. usually
scares off the fellow, who has only an
fsaI arnFN t1aa r.F unaN ~ l.t,k
cry little while a man pays the money
and begins his hunt. Some of the men
get what they want the first time and
never come back, except perhaps to order
felt from our regular stock, but others
haunt the place. There is hardly day
when you cannot see some of them over
the box of clippings. A few of them have
been here every week or two for three
years, and have not found what they
want. although at every visit they get
fresh samples"
In the box in question there Is a be-
wildering display of fclts. The first thing
the eye notices Is the chrOmatic display.
Every brilliant dye in the scale Of color
seems TO have been used, and the samples
are jumbled all together in a delightful
Kaleidoscope tangle Some look like
broadcloth. so thin and fine and smooth
are they while the next bit perhaps, is
two inches thick. and as soft, porous, and
sprngy as a Turkish sponge. Here again
are pieces so hard that you couldn't drive
a nail into them, nor would they take up
as much water as a piece OF hard wood.
Some are soft and silky IN texture; others
are coarse and hairy. and between these
extremes Is every grade that one could
think Of. Some trades depend absolutely
upon it. No man would know what to
use in place OF felt for some Of the most
important parts Of the piano. Those all
important parts, the hammers are OF
solid felt, with only enough OF stick
glued into them 20 hold them in the plano
These hammer felts are among the most
difficult and expensive TO make for the
whole Is made in one piece. graduated
in thickness from the size of the smallest
hammer in the treble 20 the biggest IN
the bass. Every pinhole In the Joints OF
the key action has lining of thin, hard
felt, to keep Il tight and free from rattle.
and under the ends and centers OF the
keys are more strips or washers OF felt.
/ and the wear Of She piano depends r.ery
largely upoF tho quality Of the felt bsed