The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-17
MATCHES OF OLDEN TIMES
Securing a Light With Flint and
Steel a Tedious Process.
Chicago Chronicle.)

Few persons living today remember
when the finder box was a necessity.
But these few are the only ones who
thoroughly appreciate the convenience
of matches. With the aid of finder
box one sometimes obtained light III
less than two minutes but If the con-
ditions were unfavorable one might
spend a half hour or more before get
ting from the reluctant finder box the
spark which would kindle the ire.
The process sounds simple. The lid
OF the box was removed and bit or
candle stuck i'm the socket. Next the
flint. steel, matches and damper We're
taken from the box. one match being
drawn from the bundle and laid ready
for immediate use. The handle OF the
steel was grasped firmly in the left
hand and the flint held in between the
thumb and foreiinger of the right
hand. Nine inches was considered the
proper distance between the steel and
the finder This was measured rough
ly in the dark by placing the tip OF
the little finger on the rim of the box.
spreading the hand upward and plac-
ing the bottom OF the steel on the tip
Of the thumb The flint was then
struck sharply with the steel several
times. UDilQuc4A anu uuN INV al "a.
The impact caused the steel TO give
off sparks, really minute globules Of
molten metal. at q temperature of sew
eral thousand degrees. and these. fall
ing upon the finder, soon set it alight.
The box was then taken in the hands
and gently blown TO cause the
smoldering finder to glow more
brightly and 10 this glow the point Of
a sulphur match was quickly applied.
The flame Of the burning sulphur
quickly kindIed the wood of the match
and it was then easy TO light the
candle or morning fire.
Although the process was not diff
cult for an expert under favorable cir
cumstances, it WAS at best slow and
tedious. One might strike 100 modern
matches. one by one, la less time.
The flint commonly used in the tim
der box was such as might be picked
up in any flint district. All that was
necessary was that il should Doe 50
shaped that it could be held easily be
tween the fingers and should have
sharp. clear edges. These were com
/ monty sold In the streets Of London
, for a penny and are stiN manufac-
tured in Brandon. England, for export
TO Spain. Italy and the East. The
match then used was not like those
of today. which ignite spontaneously
when struck,
Originally Il match" was any sub
stance which burned readily and
slowly. The bit of slow-burnmg
hempen rope stepped in a solution OF
saltpeter. which the ancient gunner
! carried in order to discharge his ar
! quebus. was 4 match" Ii burned
at the rate Of about three feet in an
hour. The old sulphur match was in
tended not to produce but to convey
! fire. In London matches We're COM
| monty sold by the poorest and ragged
/ est class of street merchants. who
/ lived in dirty lodgings in the poorest
| districts. where they made the
/ matches, carrying them about in a
| basket for sale. Few houses with any
( pretension escaped without n least
/ one call a day from these vendors as
/ long as the trade lasted.
/ The great difficulty was to find dry
| finder. Naturally it was very ready
/ to absorb moisture and when allowed
| to become damp the difficulty of OBJ
! tanning a light i'm the morning was
! great. To avoid this trouble the tim
| der box was usually kept in a special
/ ly dry place. Often there was q small
/ niche made on purpose i'm the brick
/ work at the back of the large open
( hearth place. Often the box was
placed in the evening on the hearth
/ close to the fire and at bedtime was
| carried upstairs warm and dry and
| placed beneath the pillow.