The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-27
PINS AND NEEDLES.
Impressive Figures for Readers En-
amOred of Statistics.
New York Commercial,

New York Commercial.
While nobody knows where all the pins
and needles so to, the statistics prove
plainly enough that the great bulk of them
that we use here in the United States comes
from Connecticut. Mr.. karch, of the CEN
suS bureau, has prepared an elaborate bull
letin on the manufacture of these most
useful little articles in which il is shown
that in the year 1900 there were forty-three
establishments engaged in their manufac-
ture, OF which thirteen were in Connecticut,
SIX In Massachusetts,, five in New Hamp-
shire, eight in New York, four in Pennsyl-
vania, two in Missouri and one each in Illi-
nois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and
Vermont. The capital invested was So 235 =
l5S; the value of the products is returned
at 81, 4S9, the production Of which in
VolVed an outlay Of $l26, I54 for salaries of
officials, clerks and so forth; $3.50. $40 for
wages, S2l5,S22 for miscellaneous expenses.
including rent, taxes, and so on, and 1912 $40
TOR materials used, mill supplies, freight
and fuel
The Land of Steady Habits" is an easv
leader In this matter Of pins and needles.
OF the entire capital investments hers is
over two-th.rds-$2. 100000 While some
states make only pins or only needles and
others only one kind OF either product Con-
necticut runs the whole gamut Of the in
dustry-both products and all varieties of
each. OF the ordinary, everyday pins, that
cause the schoolmaster TO jump with pain
from his chair or the incautious lover TO
withdraw his hand incontinently from
DorothyS belt, the industrious Nutmeggers
wear
nearly 80 per cent. Of the entire output of
the country. They were worth SS2S 216.
As 10 hairpins, our Eastern neighbors nut
1,l83, l04 gross on to the market~and thew
would have monopolzed the thing If New
York hadn't braced up and made 5000 gross
herself. In safety-pins, too Connecticut
came mighty near 10 being the whole
thing-134S,907 gross, with New York her
only competitor, and showing UP with only
ZI2,56S gross. COnnencticut's hairpins were
worth $75,455, her safety pins $297. 1874 While
aFrV~ 1fsn #fsafsa
interesting historical matter on the ordi-
nary toilet pin-shOwing that it's use dates
back Of the building Of the Egyptian and
Scandinavian tOmbs-he somehow was nor
moved to go into the personal history of
either the hairpin or the safety-pin Pre-
sumably they are both Of comparatively
modern origin, more especially the safety.
But what mine or information he has left
unWOrked! Contemplate the wealth of ro-
nance that breathes all about the hairpin
its countless domestic virtuesl And think
of the millions OF babies that have ESCAPED
pricking through the protection held out by
the safety-pin. An, Compiler Karch We
fear you have little sentiment in you!
Reyerting now 10 the general industry,
we find one peculiarly attaching to the
making of pins and needles OF all the for
ty-three establishments engaged in the
business only fifteen are corporations: there
are nine firms and nineteen individuals
Obviously the disposition of the pin and
needle makers is not 10 incorporate-not TO
follow this latter-day trend TO consolida-
uons and combinations. And, come TO
think OF Ii. we never heard of a pin trust
or needle trust even in its Indicative
stages. If ii is really easier for a camel TO
go through the eye OF needle than for a
rich man TO enter the kingdom of heaven IL
may be that the needle-makers have chosen
in the main 70 ccnfine themselves to indi-
vidual effort-for might IL not be easier to
squeeze into heaven that way than IL they
were known 10 be the bloated holders Of
United Needles debentures or OF Consoli
dated Pins preferred?