Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-10
How Fire-Crackers Are Made.
(Chicago Times-Herald.)

(ChiCagO IlmeS-hetdlu.J
The fire-cracker so extensively used by
Americans in celebrating Independence
Day is a Chinese invention, and is sup
posed TO have been used in China In pre-
historic times as universally as it is now
used in the flowery kingdom upon nearly
all ceremonious occasions. Its original
use is supposed to have been TO brighten
away evil spirits, and in some parts of
the celestial empire it IS still regarded as
an effective weapon against ghosts and
hobgobins.
The average patriot has little knowl-
edge of how these implements or patriot
ism are made, the amount of labor eX-
pended on them and the cost Of the same,
and 1t is Of only recent date that any
one outside Of China has known the eX-
act methods employed. for the Chinese
are secretive about their modes OF manu-
facture.
An American consul in China, who has
seen the native manufacturers 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 cracker to be
made. To complete the rolling rude
machine is used. This consists of two up
rights supporting an axis, from which Is
suspended by two arms a heavy piece OF
wood, slightly convex on the lower side.
There Is just 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, in
stead of the machine, a heavy piece Of
wood. fitted with handle like that Of
carpenters plane. In filling crackers two
hundred or three hundred are tied to-
gether tightly in a bunch. Red clay is
spread over the end OF the bunch and
forced into the end Of each cracker with
a 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 anvil 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 az a cost Of 62 cents for TO-
OGO. 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 fine crackers are made by
women and children at their homes. and
rapid workers are able 70 earn from to
cents per day. An expert can earn 10
cents. while a novice receives only his
board for the first four years. The wages
paid in this trade are about the same az
those paid the common laborer.
Besides being unhealthy the work OF
making fire-crackers is more or less dan
gerous, yet the hours of labor are from 6
A. NJ until II Z. M, seven days In the
week.
The United States is. of course. the best
customer China has in her fre-cracker
trade, although England purchases a
small amount. For the year ending June
30. 1897, China exported 26 705.7S3 pounds OF
crackers, valued al 81 5Si15l.