Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-11-30
THE MAINE 'TooIHPICK.
PICTURESQUE HISTORY OF THE
INDUSTRY-ITs GROWTH.
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INVESTED IN
THE BUsINEss--wHERE SOME OF
THE FACTORIES ARE LOCATED.

Toothpicks, while they may be cen
sured by the ultra fastidious, have be
come positive necessity to mankind
The manufacture OF the little wooden
picks has become almost fine art, and
the fame OF American made picks is
world wide. Maine exceis in the manu-
iacture of toothpicks, for with her great
forests It IL possible to furnish an uulim-
tied supply.
The woods most desired for toothpicks
are the " bite birch and poplar, the for
mer on account OF its piiabiiity and fra
grant forest odor, which practically
gives monopoly tothe forests OF Maine.
the fancy toothpicks made of orange
wood are manufactured in the country
districts OF Spain and Portugal and could
not be duplicated Ia this country for four
times the price.
The foreign made picks are all turned
out by hand, the work being Isboriously
done by young girls who receive little or
nothing for their labor. The same is true
OF Japan and Austria, In which countries
many elaborate styles are contriyed. solely
for the use of royalty and as souvenirs for
wealthy tourists. The Japanese toothpick
Is probably The best and is made OF reed,
delicate, while yet stron and pliable.
One OF the largest toothpick factories
In the world and one which is equipped
with all that is new and modern in the
way Of machinery is located at Strong.
This with other factories Is controlled by
the Charles Forster estate.
The Japanese are especially prolific In
the conception OF queer picks, but Ger
many and Austria produce many which
are veritable combinations for. teeth, fin
gernsils, ears, etc. They are made In the
form of knives. miniature figures OF the
human form and other strange devices.
THE QUILL PICK.
For hundreds OF years the only pick
used was a gull referred to ia various
writings, Pepy's Diary, for instance, treat
ing the subject In masterfui style. 1t Is
considered vulgar by many to use tooth
picks, especially Ia public, and the habit
OF chew log them is certainly In decseence.
In the sos the first wooden toothpicS was
a1aN Ah AoAthButs UVOa bSAHE
used, which was grown in nurseries, the
seeds being planted In rows around hills
In the mountainous parts.
The trees we're not used until they had
reached q dismeter of from four to six
inches. The trees were cut down by the
peasantry, ana cut intoblocks, when the
women would take hold and with sharp
knives fashion them into picks. Their
met bod Ia the tame TO. day, and 1t was
left for an American to invent machine
to suppiant the haDdi~ork OF the Euro
pean peasantry. The women received
twelve cents per day in our money, and
the same wage holds good to-day. The
channel Of trade was towards Brazil and
especially towards Rio Janeiro.
FoRsTER's START.
In 1858, Charles Forster as a young man
and office boy went to Rio Jsneiro with
banking house. Young Forster was am
bitious and bank life did not suit him.
Iu seeing an orangewood loothpick he
conceived the idea that machine could
be made to cut picks from the forests of
New England. Relying solely upon his
own judgment he bought seventy five
cases Of orangewood toothpicks and
shipped them to Boston.
He returned home to carry his ideas into
effect, II possible. The seventy. five cases
OF orangewood toothpicks were the first
to be shipped to the United States. They
were very expensive, costing sonnet hing
like $50 per case. He thought it possible
to introduce this PICK into hotels and
restaurants and other public places,
knowing II he could create demand for
them the rest would be easy.
He was doomed to disappointment,
however, but with true Yankee ingenuity
he hit upon novel plan at that time to
inaugurate this demand. He had dis
posed OF but ten cases OF the lot when he
conceived plan to work them off.
He hired a man who was working for
b. F. Sturtevant, "the peg man." and
dressing him up in faultless style with
tall hat and cane he would 90 to cafe
for a meal Of vitnaIs, after which be
would enquire for an orangewood tooth
pick, which OF course the proprietor did
not have. The gentleman would next
inform thsmthat no well regulated hotel
or restaurant would be without them.
In the course of an hour or two another
man in the employ of Mr.. Forster would
come along with samples OF orangewood
toothpicks and in many cases would sue
coed In selling a bill of them. He thus
created the demand " hicb has mazda than
necessity ever since. MIR. Forster inn
mediately negotiated with Mr.. Sturte-
want for man to design and make q
machine for cutting toothpicks from our
own forests. Charles G. Freeman was the
man selected.
Mr.. Freeman with Mr.. Forster spent
years OF time and quite large amount Of
capital In perfecting machine which
would cut only about 800 toothpicks to