The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-29

Thirty Million Pencils Made in One
Year I'm One Factory.

New York Tribune.
An industry for girls that is seldom
people are daily testing, is, the putting OF
leads into pencils. Although no implement
is more familiar than the pencil, few people
hp% IS from or the I'M
teresting facts given yesterday by John
Walker Of the Joseph Dixon Crucible Conn
make one feel that in the manufacture Of
even so small an object big field geograph-
ically, historically and geologically has to
be covered.
1.-THE pine or cedar, the former for cheap
pencils, the latter for more expensive ones,
said Mr.. Walker, arrives at the factory In
a pencil, little wider than six pencils. and
of proper thickness. If they are to be col
ored they are first dyed. All are treated to
a process which removes the essential oil
and which seasons them perfectly
THE source Of supply for the cedar Is
Florida, and so great inroads have been
of pencils that the wood is becoming ex-
hausted. The name lead pencil Is mis-
homer, and halls from the sticks of lead
which were the primitive pencils The lead
Is graphite or plumbago, and comes from
the province Of Quebec or from Ticonderoga,
the latter having the largest mines OF the
Zone factory turns out 5000 900 pencils a
year. The graphite Is first reduced TO an
impalpable powder by grinding. Water Is
then added, and the substance is run
through mixers in fluid state, in order to
combine with II whatever quantity Of clay
may. be necessary to give It the grade de-
and vice versa. After this mixing has been
DONE which is performed entirely by ma
chinery, the mass is taken from the mixers
and run through filter presses In a way TO
exclude the water and reduce it to doughty
consistency. In order to make the mixing
stu more thorough this h d0E Sn !, mass =,
plates with numerous small perforations;
under great pressure, from which the lead
AS shall call It, In DIFFERENCE r d 70 &C common nes
in general appearance not unlike the lead
that is put into the pencils but, instead or
being dry and brittle. being still In a moist
or soft condition.
1.-THE material receives this treatment re-
peatedly through dies with apertures of diff
mixing has been satisfactorily completed.
and the mass is in proper condition, II Is
passed through set Of dies of the exact
diameter of the lead that Is to go into the
pencil. Deft fingers take the product In
this condition. straighten out the leads and
cut them to lengths Of about three feet. At
pliable. After being cut the leads are al
lowed to dry, and are then cut to the re-
Quired pencil lengths and packed In crucibles
and burned for several hours in order to ex-
mains. and TO bring the lead TO Its final
condition. The leads are now ready for in
to the girls room. The slabs of wood are
put through a machine giving each six
grooves. square or round. and at the same
time smoothing the face of the wood.
1.-The girls are seated in groups of three,
with slabs, leads and glue pot before them.
The first girl takes grooved stick in her
right hand. and six leads spread fan shape
in her left, and with one motion fills the
six grooves. The next girl coats grooved
strip with hot glue and hands it to No. 3.
who takes the filled strip from her other
neighbor and lays the one upon the other.
The filed and glued strips are piled together
and left in a press to dry. After that they
are evened off under a sandpaper wheel. an:
cut into single pencils. when they are
shaped and vanished, ready for the mar
ket"