The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-12

tnen three-ply white yarn-and the
balls are dipped again in the strong
cement, and, after a second drying,
they are ready to be covered.
Covers Are Expensive.
Their covers are made Of an alum
tanned horsehide that is as soft and
white as the glovet men wear at night
nearly one-eighth Of an inch thick. One
morse supplies only eighteen ball cOT-
rs. LOT only the strongest and best por-
IONS OF eaeh hide are used. As the hide
comes 10 the factory from the tanners
IL Is knee-staked. To knee-stake a hide
IS 10 get all the stretch, all the elasticity
Gut OF It A robust young man lays
It across an upright plank or stake. that
Is Knee high and he draws IL back and
forth; he stretches 1t to its utmost limit
Were hides not knee-staked in this way,
Ine covers made from them would become
loose and wrlnkled after they were sewed
upon the balls.
The machines that cut out the covers are
huge Ihey are ten feet in height and
the massive looking iron work in them
weighs many tons. Each machine has a
man seated before it and each, with two
strokes, cuts out the two covers of a
o odIl ana az the same time perforates the
cover edges. Each cover is in the shape
OF inquire g. The machines cut out
these ngureS as woman with tumbIer
OF with any sharp edged circular instru-
nent cuts cookies out Of sheets OF dough
sharp S-shaped iron punch descends
upon the horsehide and bites out of it
the naf covers. The edges Of the punch
nave little needles set close together in
o ottULI. u Is tnese needles piercing the
cover that make the perforations for the
stitches. The balls are stitched by men.
5or women ,zT are not strong enough for this
WORK The thread used Is cotton, for
neither SILK nor linen thread will serve
Ior baseball sewing. This IS because the
alum used IN the tanning OF the covers
would rot silk. and because batting would
preak the hbers Of linen Thus balls
sewed With silk or linen would be ripped
apart ere three or four Innings were
PL5yed- Inc men sit on saddles, astride,
ana TWO wooden arms hold the balls firm
oerore them They fit on q pair OF COW
ers' pun them tight with tweezers clamp
tnem together with staples and then sew
SI'7a win very strong. thread Of red or
thelr edges by the machines. After the
sewing balls seams are rough There
1ore II Is rolled first by hand and after
ward WARD oy machinery. Dhe hand rolling
the ball and round ana round II rolls
In circle five feet in diameter till II
mas uaVersed six or seven miles. It
energies thence quite smooth perfect
pan now, ready to be stamped. packed
and put upon the market
1t takes, in the factory, thirty minutes
20 make one $50 baseball from Its wind
ing Cream through to its packing. Each
pan IS nve ounces in weight, nine inches
IN circumference and three inches IN d.
aHeter The various machines keep
tnese dimensions regular and an addf-
tlonai preca ution towards regularity lies
IN the many sets OF scales that stand In
every room Of the big factory. Each ball
r. r. e SaGn Stage OF Its making Is weighed.
E-ac1 DaH goes through no less than FIVE
Wefsnlngs before it is done. The average
professional team puts from four to six
ne" paseDaIls IN play IN the course OF