The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-01-09

subjected to straight grinding and cross
grinding, between the centre pierce and
the point, the cross grinding being neces-
sary to prevent the ink from dropping
from the point. One important operation
remains, that of Sitting. 1t is very de-
licate operation, for the point has already
been formed and the slit must be made in
the exact centre from the point to the
pierce. Pen makers do not care to make
public the process except in a general way.
Tne slit is made with cutters in a press,
the pen being really split. Nothing re-
mains after the Sitting except to polish and
finish the pens, usually with lacquer, and
and pack them for the market. More than
a million gross of steel pens are made an
nually in the three factories reported in the
census returns of 1900, their valae being
1924, $40, but it is estimated that the
whole number of steel pens produced in
1900 in the United States was / 764, 079
gross, and their value Sill, ,S72.
Although the product of steel pens is
relatively unimportant the United States
produced in 1900 stylographie and foun-
tain pens valued at more than 5000, 600
and gold pens valued at $500, 600 Penn
syiyania does not figure conspieuously in
either branch Of industry.
LEAD PENCILS
As New York has large deposits Of the
finest graphite in the world for making so
called lead pencils it Is quite natural that
tha, State should be the chief seat of the
lead pencil industry of the United States.
The Fabers, of Germany, after establish
ing a high reputation for their pencils. or
ganized branch factory in New York in
1861, and thus established the industry in
this country. Joseph Dixon made lead
pencils at Salem, Mass. as early as 1880,
but as he could not sell them without put
ting upon them foreign label which he
refused to do. he formed the Joseph Dixon
Crucible Company. Years afterwards, in
1872, the Cueible Company began the
manufacture Of lead pencils and met with
great success. Its manager at that time,
CRATIC Cleveland, was Commissioner from
New jersey to the Centennial Exposition
of 1876, and at one of the early meetings
Of the Commission be brought to the notice
Of It's members the lead pencils and sam
pies Of the graphite from which they were
made. Since the Centennial Exhibition
American pencils have led the markets of
the world
The raw material is graphite, mined at
TiconderOsa, y \. 1t is almost pure
carbon, containing only l-l0th of / per
cent, Of impurities After being ground
the particles Of graphite are further sepa-
rated By floating through a series Of tubs,
30 that the coarser grades may be deposit
ed in the FIRST tub and finer aud finer grades
in successive tubs until the last Is reached
Lead pencils Of various grades ale made
from these deposits, The graphite Is mix
ed with blush clay il. such proportions as
will produce hard or soft pencils, the great
er the quantity Of clay the harder the
pencil Clay and graphite are ground to-
gether in mills and reduced TO the consist.
ency Of thick dough By hydraulic pressure.
The mass is then put through forming
press, which squeezes out a ribbon the
shape aud size of the lead required The
ribbon Is Strengthened cut into lengths and
kiln dried, after which il Is ready to be put
in is wooden case. Six pencils are made
together and afterwards cut apart aud fin
ished in ans desired style. Machines are
used At every step Of the process, Even
the vanishing is done by machines at the
rate Of 100 pencils minute Red cedar
is usually used for the pencil case. The
number Ct lead pencils made in the United
States in 1900 was l 653, 973 gross, val
ued at 81, 26l, ISL, New York producing
nearly two-thirds Of the entire product.
COLLARS AND CUFFS.
One of the most interesting Of the minor
industries Is that of the manufacture of
collars and cuffs, which presents a remark
able ease o. Capitalization. All of the mi
nor industries tend toward Capitalization
for two reasons; first, that in the neighbor.
hood where ,hey happen 10 arise special
skill is developed that helps to couine the
industry to the one place, and, second, be-
cause the minor industries do not tempt
competition. Seventy five or more years
ago shirts were made with collars and cuffs
attached The thrifty wife Of a black
smith in Troy, \. Y, annoyed by the
soiling Of his collar while the shirt remain
ed clean. conceived the idea of making the
collar separate from the shirt The inno-
walton attracted the attention of Ebenezer
Brown. retired Methodist minister, who
was at the time the proprietor of small
dry goods store He undertook the man
ufacture of collarless shirts ana separate
collars, and met with such success in what
was at first a household industry that he
employed his neighbors in the business.
In the beginning the merchant cut out the
collars and hired women to put them to-
gether and wash, starch and iron them.
Payment was made in merchandise
Detachable cuffs are also made in great
variety. Connected with the manufacture
of collars is that of laundering the product,
which is largely done by machinery invent
ed in Troy, the home of the industry,
hence the existence of Troy laundries in all
the large cities of the country. More than
5000 patents have been issued by the Uni