Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-06-29
MATCHES IN TINS OF OLD!
Securing Light with n Flint Was
Tedious Process.

! Securing Light With n Flint Was
"a Tedious Process.
Few persons living today remember
/ when the finder box was necessity.
| But these few are the only ones who
l., thoroughly appreciate the convenience
of matches. With the aid Of finder
, box one sometimes obtained light in
= less than two minutes, but if the con-
| ditions were unfavorable one might
| spend half hour or more before get
| ting from the reluctant finder box the
| spark which would kindle the fire.
The process sounds simple. The lid
! of the box was removed and Il bit of
| candle stuck in 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 between the
| thumb and forefinger of the right hand
I Nine inches was considered the proper
! distance between the steel and the tin
der This was measured roughly in the
| dark by placing the tip of the little
| finger on the rim of the box, spreading
| the hand upward and placing the bot
| tom of the steel on the tip OF the
| thumb. The flint was then struck
| sharply with the steel several times,
Obliquely and downward
The impact caused the steel to give
off sparks. really minute globules of
molten steel, at 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 smolder-
ing finder to glow more brightly. and
TO this glow the point of q sulphur
match was quickly applied. The flame
of the burning sulphur quickly kindled
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 in less time.
The flint commonly used in the tin
der box was such as might be picked
up In any flint district All that was
necessary was that it should be so
shaped that 1t could be held easily be-
tween the fingers and should have
sharp, clear edges. These We're COM
monty sold in the streets of London for
a penny aud are still manufactured in
Brandon. England, for export to Spain.
Italy and the east. The matches then
ignite spontaneously when struck.
Originally Il match was any sub
stance which burned readily and slow
ly The bit of slow burning hempen
rope stepped in a solution of saltpeter.
which the ancient gunner carried in
order to discharge his arquebus, was
match" 1t burned at the rate of
about three feet in an hour. The old
sulphur match was intended not to
produce but to convey fire. In London
matches We're commonly sold by the
poorest and r1ggedest class of street
merchants. who lived in dirty lodgings
in the poorest districts, where they
made the matches, carrying them
about in basket for sale. Few houses
with any pretension escaped without
at least one call day from these vend-
ers 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 obtain
ing Il light in the morning was great.
To avoid this trouble the finder box
was usually kept in Il specially dry
place. Often there was small niche
made on purpose in the brickwork at
the back of the large opsn hearth
place. Often the box was placed in
the evening on the hearth close to the
fire and at bedtime was carried up
stairs warm and dry and placed be
meath the pillow.