The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-11-17
Mark Twain win be 10 years old on
the S0th Of this month.
A SCRUBBlNG BRUSH.


Ths Way u Is Made and the Ressea
| IL Costs so Little.
Two things have made II possible for
the modern lady OF the house" TO buy
for 3 or ~ cents scrubbing brush
which would have cost her mother half
dollar. One Il the invention OF the
brush filling machine. the other the
tiscoyery OF the Possibilities os fiber"
This is a comprehensive word. II
embraces all SORTS Of vegetable sub
stances which. from their stiffness
when wet. their ienacity and their II
vhibIlity, can be made to take the
place Of bristles. One OF the common
est h that known as bass" or "bast."
II u the leaf fiber o' the piassava tree
and Is imported from Africa, Ceylon
and South America. The factories re.
csivs II in the form of large bales, each
uSas up Of separate hanks or pig.
taiAs." which must first be hacked or
ssmsed, much as wool or nax Is card.
ed.
WAen the fibers have thus been laid
parallel the bunch or pigtail is passed
to tae guilotine. cutter In which the
material is steadily fed forward, while
blade like that of the French instru.
msat of execution cuts II into the de-.
sired lengths.
Meanwhile the back Of the future
srssh has been prepared. II may be
nHaAs from any kind OF hardwood, but
ssssh, birch and maple are the faysr-
lbs& The blasks are sawed 10 size
and are finished on the edges by re-
vsiving cutters, like those OF ar ordl.
AsE m0lding machine or Of the lathe
for turning lasts. They are then ready
to be bored.
This was formerly done by a drill
which made each hole separately. The
modern machine contains as many
drills as there are holes to be bored.
They may be arranged In any desired
pattern. and at single thrust will
bore all the holes and bore them 10 a
uniform depth. The back and the I'LL
ing now come together. The fiber, cut
to twice the length Of each tuft, Is
placed In the trough OF the filling ma.
chine, from which toothed rack picks
up exactly the same quantity each
time-enough for one knot or tuft. As
this little bunch Of fiber advances on
one side Of the machine a strip Of iron
feeds forward on the other. The two
will meet above the holes In the back
Of the brush, which the operator is
holding in place, but Just before that
happens q die descends and punches
from the strip Of metal a small piece
shaped somewhat like an inverted pair
Of trousers.
This bit Of iron u known as the ian.
Choir" II is deposited, waistband down,
upon the center Of the tuft Of fiber.
That is simultaneously folded upon II.
self. thrust inte the waiting hole in the
brush back end driven home By a
plunger.
The blow serves not merely to force
the knot or tuft Of tiber to the bottom
OF the hole, but, striking between the
two shanks Of iron which represent
the legs Of the trousers, II spreads them
apart and so drives the sharp outer and
upper corners into the wood at the
sides Of the hole. A pull on the tuft |
Of hbeT merely presses these corners
deeper into The Heod and locks the tuft |
more securely.
Two brushes , nipute is the average |
rate at whlck all this Is done. The
operators only duties are to see that
the machine has a sufficient supply Of |
nber and Of metal tape and that the |
brush back is 50 placed that the plum |
ger hits the hole accurately Youths |
Companion.