Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-08-31
NOISY LITTLE FIRECRACKERs.

So far as the manufacture and use
OF fre-crackers are concerned, all the
world seems to be divided into two
parts China and the United States.
attend to the other end OF the BUSH
ness. They do the work and we have
the fun, mostly. No other nation,
outside of China itself, seems to have
walked up yet TO the possibilities OF the
JOY and bloodshed that is in these lit
tle-red-coated terrors from the Celes-
tial kingdom. According to a recent
report from Consul General Goodnow,
of Shanghai, out of 26,705,733 pounds
of fre-crackers exported from China
during 1897, over 20,000,0O0 pounds
came to the United States. A small
quantity went to England. Other coun-
tries took only infniteslmal amounts.
The value of our patriotism thus ex-
ported in the concrete was over 81, 000,-
600 in gold as valued in China. How
much more money was involved in 1t
by the time it got down to the small
boy and its final destiny, deponent
saith not. In making crackers only
the cheapest kind of straw paper which
can be produced in the immediate To-
cality where the crackers are made is
used for the body of the cracker. A
little finer paper is used for the wrap
per. A piece of straw paper 8 by 80
inches will make p crackers, one and
one-half inches long and one-fourth
Of an inch in diameter. The powder Is
also Of the cheapest grade, and is
made in the locality where used. It
costs $f50 to $1.75 per catty, or six to
seven cents gold per pound For the
fuse, a paper (called leather" in
Shanghai is used, which is imported
from Japan. and Is made from the In
ner lining of the bamboo In other
places a fine rice paper Is used, gem
orally stiffened slightly with buck
wheat -four paste which the Chinese
say adds 10 its infammability.
strip Of this paper one-third of an
inch wide by II inches ca Chinese
FOOT long is laid on the table, and
very little powder put down the mid
die OF it with a hollow bamboo stick,
quick twist of the paper makes the
fuse ready for use Considering the
distance they come and all things con
nected with the trade the fire-crackers
with us are remarkably cheap. What
ever the American small boy may
think about it, this cheapness is hard
fNF az L hos
an American citizen almost ashamed
Of himself when he learns Of the hours
OF labor and miserable wages paid the
fire-craeker makers. The hours OF
labor are from a. m. to II p. m, and
there are seven working days in
each week OF the paid work, a very
large proportion is done by women
and children, who are paid by the
piece, 1t is estimated that 30 women
and ten men can make 100000 crack
ers per day. for which work the women
receive five cents each and the men
about seven cents each An appren-
| tice Is bound for four years and dur
i ing that time receives only his board.
4 At the end of that period he will re-
ceiye, if he is a fairly good workman
/ $50 cash" per day or seven cents ~
i United States money. An expert at
/ the trade receives 200 "eash" per day
or ten cents gold But the worst Of {
/ is that the pay Is not only meagre bug
the business is unhealthy and danger
Gus 70 a high degree. The fumes q
I the powder and other things used ~
tine makeup OF the cracker bring Pr
dread diseases. which soon end the e2-
reer Of the poor creatures engaged "
the work -Leslie's Weekly.