Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-07-14
How Frecrackers Are Made.

by Americans in celebrating indie
pendence day is Chinese invention,
and is supposed to have been used in
China in prehistoric times as univer-
sally as it is now used in the Flowery
Kingdom upon nearly all ceremonial
occasions. It's original use is supposed
to have been to brighten away evil
spirits, and in some parts of the Celes-
tial Empire it is still regarded as an
effective weapon against ghosts and
hobgoblins.
The average patriot has little knowl-
edge of how these implements of pa
triotism are made, the amount Of labor
expended on them and the cost Of the
same, and it is only Of recent date
that anyone outside of China has
known the exact methods employed,
for the Chinese are secretive about
their modes Of manufacture.
An American consul in China, who
has seen the native manufacturer at
work, thus describes the process:
"The straw paper is first rolled by
hand around an iron rod, which varies
in size according to the size of the
cracker to be made. To complete the
rolling rude machine is used. This
consists of two uprights supporting an
axis, from which is suspended by two
arms heavy piece of wood, slightly
convex on the lower side. There Is
lust room between this swinging block
and the top of the table to place the
cracker. As each layer Of paper is
put on by hand, the cracker is placed
upon the table and the suspended
weight is drawn over the roll, thus
tightening it until no more can be
passed under the weight For the
smallest whip cracker, the workman
uses for compression, instead of this
machine, a heavy piece Of wood, fitted
with handle like that ola carpenters
plane. In filling crackers two hun
dred or three hundred are tied to-
gether tightly in bunch. Red clay
is spread over the end of the bunch
and forced into the end of each crack
er with punch. While the clay is
being tamped in a little water IS
sprayed on it, which makes it pack
closer The powder is poured in at
the other end of the cracker, with the
aid of an awl, the edge Of the paper Is
turned in at the upper end Of the
cracker, and the fuse is inserted
through this.
The ordinary size cracker is one and
one-half inches in length and one
fourth Of an inch in diameter. In
China they can be purchased at a cost
of 60 cents for 10000, although the
best quality commands twice this
price. This is but little more than
the actual cost of manufacture. The
straw paper used is of the cheapest
grade. The powder is also Of cheap
and inferior quality, which probably
accounts for SO many "sizzers' in every
pack.
For the fuse and outside wrapper a
fine quality of paper is used, but even
this is inexpensive.
Most of the frecrackers are made
by women and children at THEN homes,
and rapid workers are able to earn
from 5 to 7 cents per day. An expert
can earn 10 cents, while novice re-
ceives only his board for the first four
years. The wages paid in this trade
are about the same as those paid the
common laborer.
Besides being unhealthy, the work
of making frecrackers is more or less
dangerous, yet the hours Of labor are
from 6 a. m. to II p, M, seven days
in the week.
The United States is, Of course, the
best customer China has in her fire
cracker trade, although England pur-
chases a small amount. For the year
ended June 80, 1897, China exported
26, 7O5, 1873 pounds of crackers, valued
at $l,5S4,151.-Czicago Times-Hr-
aid.