Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-02

THE number of playing cards used In the
United States is something wonderfui, there
being as many as 12OD,Ooo packs sou
throughout the country last year. re-
marked A large manufacturer of the goods
in New York to the writer yesterday.
These cards were made in some thirty-five
factories fourteen of which are located IN
New York The latter city is the second
if not the greatest, card center in the world
The rivalry between it and London is very
close London produces about 1000 0U
hacks and New York about $3.50, 900 packs
annually.
THE cards made in the United States.
especially in New York, are the handsomest,
the most durable and convenient known in
the trade. The European makers are salts
fed with old styles and methods. The aver
age pack of cards in London, Paris Madrid,
Vienna and Berlin is very much the same
today as it was in the beginning of the last
century Those made in this country show
slight Improvement from year to year
American manufacturers were the hrst 10
introduce the rounded corners and the
squeezer. and also the elabOratey designed
card backs and the elastic satin glaze finish
which makes new cards so handsome and
incl eases their durability.
The material used for making the best
cards is the finest linen paper, while for the
cheapest grades wood pulp is used. All the
cards are printed and cut on rapd-running
machines and costly printing ink, dye and
gold and silver leaf are used to color and
decorate the faces ard backs of the goods.
Playing cards range in price from 10 cents
to 81 and more per pack. The American
market is a curious one. Very few people
care to buy the cheapest kinds of cards.
1t is the % and Jo-cent qualities which sell
the best. There is a limited but constant
demand FOR very handsome cards. especially
when they are intended as a present or a
holiday gift. There is a heavy tax or tariff
on cards in every European country, which
prevents our invading their markets Other
wise | think we could undersell them at
least 30 per cent In this country the prod
net is a large source of revenue to the gov
eminent, there is a tax of cents collect
ed on every pack sold here
"A few days ago." said merchant to the
writer yesterday, Il met a sailor friend
and while chatting with him l expressed a
desire to know which was the north. He
at once pulled out his watch. looked at it
and pointed to the north. l asked him
whether he had a compass attached to his
watch.
"'All watches, he replied are COM
passes
Then he explained to me how this was.
Point the hour hand to the sun, and the
south Is exactly half way between the
hour and the figure MI on the watch dial.
N,
point the hand indicating to the sun and
the figure on the watch is due south.
My nautical friend was quite surprised
b that / did not know this Thinking that |
Z very possibly. ignorant about a sub
ject that every one else knew, and hap
pening to meet a man who is a perfect
walking encyclopedia. 1 asked him if ne
was aware of this simple mode of discern
ing the points of the compass. He said he
had never heard of It. l presume, there
fore that the majority of people are in the
same state Of ignorance"
= x X
The trade in looking glasses in the
United States last year was % per cent bet
ter than during the preceding year." said
leading manufacturer of mirrors in New
York TO the writer yesterday Another
favorable feature Of the trade for 1900 Is
the fact that imports of plate glass used
for making the best looking glasses fell off
fully 90 per cent. and the American manu-
facturers able to boast of having
finally trumphed over foreign competition
by producing plate glass as good, if not
better. than the old country produces The
sales OF looking glasses throughout the
United States last year amounted to about
@."0"ro and the industry gave employ
ment to more than 1900 persons, about
one-half of whom We're engaged in the
twenty-six factories located in the state of
New York.
The very general introduction OF patent
back mirrors in place of the mercury back
is one Of the remarkable industrial facts
To be noted, the advantages of this substi-
tute being that the first named article can
be produced in one-tenth of the time for
One-fOurth of the labor and at about the
same expense of raw material The pro-
cess Of manufacture, as now simplified and
improved, consists in placing the glass. Of
absolute clearness. on a table heated 10 a
temperature of 100 degrees; a chemical So
luton. composed of four ounces of nitrate
of silver dissolved in nineteen ounces of
water, two ounces Of tartaric acid and
three ounces Of strong water of ammonia
which forms clear, transparent fluids
then poured on the surface Of the glass and
allowed 10 remain there for about an hour
the glass being at this stage tilted and the
surplus solution drained off. The surface
Is now washed with distilled water and
placed in a rack in drying room at a tenn
perature OF about 80 degrees. being left
siiere for half an hour. after which the sill
Ver!ng is coated with shellac varnish to
which is added little later heavy coat
OF paint This IS allowed to dry, when the
mirror is ready for framing"
4 y.
There has been unusual amount of
Inquiry in regard to the weather for in.
auguration day" replied a weather bureau
prognosticator to Star reporter, but the
office has steadily declined to venture any
advance prediction. and will not issue any
authorized prediction until Saturday even
iEg People seem to be terribly worked up
when declination is made, scarcely real.
izing the Importance OF their question AL
kinds and classes of people have beer
among callers, though the great ma.
jority OF them called for business reasons
One OF our callers was the representative
OF a syndicate of small capitalists who
thinking of investing quite heavily IL
umbrellas. gum coats and gum shoes. They
remembered how scarce articles in tina
line were during previous Inauguration
days in consequence of the extraordinary
demand for them. and were inclined to be
leve that IL would be safer to play 1t WEI
rather than dry. Others expect to have
visitors and want to arrange to provide fol
them, but did not care TO invest in a win
dow or room along the line as long as there
was any chance the seats on the stand.
would serve them. Some OF the caller:
were willing to pay fee for an advanc,
prediction. little knowing that such Trims
was not possible. They will all be informed
Saturday evening what TO expect. They
will know what will happen after 1t ha.
happened. The weather bureau has NJ
sure thing to dispense and has neve
claimed TO have"
X x