The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-10
In O E &c NOR RIS On.

which varies In size according to the size
of cracker to be made. To complete the
rolling, a rude machine is used; this con-
sists 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 just room between this
swinging block and the top of the table
to place the cracker. AS each layor Of pa
per is put on by hand the cracker is placed
on the table and the suspended weight Is
drawn over the roll, thus Tightening II un-
I'll no more can be passed under the weight.
For the smallest whip crackers, the
workman uses for compression, instead Of
this machine, a heavy piece of wood, fitted
with a handle like that of a carpenters
plane. In filing crackers, 200 to 300 are
tied together tightly in bunch. Red clay
is spread over the end of the bunch, and
forced into the end of each cracker 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 long ends of the fuses are braided
together in such way that the crackers
lie in two parallel rows. The braid is dou-
bled on itself, and a large, quick-frng
fuse inserted and the whole bound with a
fine thread. The bundle is wrapped in
paper and in this. shape sent to the sea
coast,
A variety of cracker do not remember
TO have seen In the United States, con-
tinues Mr.. Goodnow, but which is popular
here, is the twice sounding" 1t has two
chambers, separated by a plug of clay
through which runs d connecting fuse.
There is also a fuse extending from the
powder in the lower chamber through the
side of the cracker. When the cracker is
to be fired il is set on end and fire set to
the fuse. The powder exploding in the
chamber throws the cracker high in the
air, Where the second charge Is exploded by
fire from the fuse extending through the
plug between the two chambers. In the
manufacture Of these the clay is first
stamped in with q punch, to form the sep
arating plug. The lower chamber is then
loaded with powder and closed by turning
over the paper at the end. The upper
chamber is loaded and closed with clay. A
hole is punched in the side of the lower
chamber with an anvil and the fuse inserted
through this opening.
At Canton the ordinary size cracker az
inches long by quarter of an inch in di-
ameteO costs one tael (62 cents for 10000
for export. At HankOW the best quality
of this size cost one tae for 5000; while Of
the second quality 10000 can be bought for
one tael AT Chung-king 1900 of the ordi-
nary crackers can be bought for one tael.
Al Shanghai one tael will purchase 1000 Of
the ordinary size, while the largest sell
for IS per thousand These prices are
probably only a shade above the actual
cost Of manufacture. The small manufac-
turers sell to Chinese compradores, who
buy agents OF foreign firms and ship
the crackers in bundles to the sea coast
where they are packed in boxes which
cost about four taeis $3.50 per hundred,
and hold 20, 900 firecrackers.
Aside from the fact that all the mate
rial used Is native and produced where The
crackers are manufactured and that trans
portation does not enter into cost, the won
derfu cheapness of manufacture is ac-
counted for by the kind Of labor used and
the wages paid The items of cost Of plant
and interest on Il are eliminated by the
fact that the crackers are made in the
homes of the workmen and in the shops
where they are sold The hours of labor
are from a. m. TO II p. M, and there
are seven working days in each week
Four-ffths Of the crackers consumed in
China are made by the families of those
who sell them, these people of course re-
ceiving no wages. OF the paid work, a
very large proportion is done by women
and children who are paid by the piece.