The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-04

To open the glass for the master
blower by sending the first puGs through
the tube into the solid lumD Of moltep
glass at the end. This requires some
knack and a great deal of care. as one
inhalation from the white-hot lump At
the other end OF the bIow-pipe would
probably put a period tn the earthly
career Of the youthful glassbower. The
next step makes him ''knocker.' and
his duty is To separte the glass from the
blow-pipe. with light rap from an in
strument of cold iron. If his shop
uses moulds. he holds the mould while the
glass is blown into il; F&e takes IL Also
of from the finished article. The next
grade is sticking up. when the appren-
tice learns TO shape and heat 10 the re-
duired temperature the little cup OF glass
that sticks to the article being made and
serves TO hold IL the rod OF iron that
takes the place OF the blow-pipe. after
the latter is served from the globe or
bottle or whatever IL may be- In this stage
of his development he also reheats the
glass as IL coels under the manipulations
of the blower and finsher.
After he has Thoroughly learned the
business of gathering glass on the blow
pipe the apprentice is put 20 the real work
o. giassblowing. first into the mouIds and
then off-hand. mis- is the acme OF the
craft. for the last touch Of skill which
makes man 'gaffer or fiBisher -
acquired almost al the same time and the
master workman uses both the blow-plpe
and the shears and paddles.
From this time until his working days
are over IL is only matterA OF acquiring
more and more skill and experience II
a man goes into a bottle factory. where
swiftness and quantity are the first things
10 be considered. his years Of service are
fewer. Tor young and brisk men are al
ways preferred as being presumably able
TO turn out more work than. their elders
Z his work - done entirely by the piece
and a mans daily wage depends not only
upon his speed. but upon the size ~ the
articles made. With small bottles. ia h
difficult to make more chan s. a day. but
with larger ware Il Is quite possible 20
double that amount. IN finer Work it -
customary 70 paw q SALARY and older men
are in demand. on account Of they great
er experience. u j. ALWAYS neceesdry 20
ork swiftly with glass. bus such great
speed is not demss nded ia a place whsca
A glass factory II divided into shops
a. many a. ;he output denaEcs Earh
shop has pot in the great melting fuf-
nace-the -giory hole and ln The ieer
or annealing owen. The men that make
up the shop are the gafer. the blower,
the zatherer. ,hs sticker-ap. the Ences er
and the carrying boy other Norsfnen
there ara whose business IL f. 20 make the
metal This r. made largely ~ "cuint
or pieces 81 waste ard broken glass which
D. bought by the ton for rernelting ard
G. mblnation with fresh materials. Each
towering crucibie holds circle - melting
pots constructed ~ carefully prepared
Ere ciay The rav material = sboveiief
into these melting pots and the opening
sealed with clay n stays fhere thirty
hours or more and then r. Skinned. p-iri-
fed and made ready fOr use The furnaces
never sc ont The factory runs aay ard
night shifts IN order that theys fray d
10 waste q Datesis5 81 hsaf and any
necessary retairs 20 IRE fUsnare ~ melt
tax pots arr made rs bteoking oui The
part 70 De Repaired.