Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-19
WATCHES AND WATCH MAKING
Ten Million Dolla1' Worth Annually Con
sumsd in This Country.
TWO THIRDS OF The AMOUNT WASTED



Cheap as matches have now become they
ere still, from one point Of view, the best
example Of modern waste The industry
OF making them has been 20 perfected that
their cost has been reduced TO next TO
nothing, and no one now thinks Of figuring
! the sum he pays out for matches into his
expense account. yet large proportion
OF the cost is In the box and in the stick
which is thrown away. All users OF
matches waste them extravagantly too.
The man who has pocket full strikes
them recklessly and never thinks of shield
ing the little flame from the wind untfl
he gets down toward his last match and
realizes that he is not in easy reach OF
fresh supply. II II estimated by a maker
that one-third Of the cost Of matches is
in the box. and fully another third in the
stick, 30 that. In the s10.oooooo worth Of
matches produced in this country annually.
at least seess,eo6 IL wasted product. Moth
ing can be done with the burnt match
sticik-it isn't even very servlceable as a
toothpick-while the match box. unlike
many other packing boxes. Is never subse-
ouently used.
Philadelphia has the largest independent
match factory in the country. and the
city's output in excess of Is per cent OF
the entire Independent product. and greater
than that OF any other one place. The
factory referred TO has a capacity of two
and half carloads day, and makes not
only the matches themselves but the
sanded boxes into which they go. 1t turns
out 5000 gross OF boxes a day-each box
averaging 100 natches-or $4,000 boxes or
&C. 10000 matches. which In at least one a
day for every man, woman and child in
the country. When It is considered that
these matches are as various in style of
make as the fancies of the purchasers
including even the old style sulphur"
match--and are put up in boxes OF many
different sizes, the magnitude Of the oper-
atoms OF such factory may be realised.
Labor-saving Devices.
The making of the match itself is in one
sense wonderful process. but just because
Of the marvellous perfection of the machine
which does the work II Is a short and sim
pie And Inexpensive In detail compared to
the other operations of box making, print
ing and packing The history of matches
from tho time when man secured fire by
striking flint or rubbing dry sticks together
is now well known even to the readers Of
Juvenile literature. Yet the literature of the
subject would I'LL columns and could hardly
be covered adequately in all It's details by
any one writer. Few people realize. for In
stance. that the introduction of the modern
friction match was as late as 1893 or that
the safety match" which can be struck
only on the box, and which is popularity
supposed to be the very latest, was invented
as early as ls45. The most perfect match
making machine now used Is known as the
continuous. 1t takes the block OF wood into
It and turns out the finished match ready
for packing. in one operation-almost in one
motion.
But the continuous machine is so new as
to be still Comparatively rare in the indus
try. Its best type may be seen in the city
where Il was invented. This machine con-
sistsf Of an endless chain or belt of metal,
$50 feet IN length. which moves continuously
in one direction. Beneath II at certain
point the wood TO form the stick is put in
and after the splints are automatically cut
one end OF each Is automatically inserted
In the belt in such a way that 1t will stand
erect, or at right angles TO the belt. close
to but separate from It's fellows. The wood
Tor the sticks is generally white pine
though other kinds are used II comes in
planks two or three inches thick and IA
sawed. across the grain. into blocks which
are Just the length of the desired match
stick. These blocks are kept on hand in
quantity ready for the machines. For this
which are steam pipes that are used TO dry
the blocks out whenever they are damp
either from having been received in thai
condition OF from subsequent weather con
ditions. The weather, indeed. Is something
OF a factor in the match Industry because Il
affects the rapidity with which the chem
icals, put on the end of the match In liquid
form. may be drieI Excessive humidity
for instance. cause the drying 20 proceed
slowly and consequently reduces the outpu
of the machine.
WONDERFUL Machines.
The knives which cut the block into
sticks are of such construction that nj
wood 10 wasted. Being inserted in the
moving belt in rows by the same strok,
which cuts them. the sticks are carried
over a bath of melted paraffin in sucf
a way that the end of each one passes
through It, and then they take JOURNEY
UP and down over rollers just Ions
enough to allow the paraffin to soak ir
and dry OF harden. when they come Il
another hath containing the chemicals
which form the head. This stun. known
as the composition" Is in liquid form
and the end OF the stick dips into II jus
far enough to form the head. II tn
match be OF the new double dip" styl,
a second dipping in 9 second composition
is given. From this point TO the poin
where the matches are elected into tn
trays in which they are carried to tn
packers. the trip Is just as long enough Z
dry the composition. Such a maehin
Is run by two operators, one of whom
feeds 1t with blocks and sees that IN
paraffin and composition are In prope
condition while the entire time of tn
other 10 taken up with receiving tn
elected matches and hurrvinK than int,
long narrow metal boxes of trays whicl
are placed in racks called bureaus. an,
wheeled away TO the packers.
Such machine. as before Indicated. ha
an output which varies somewhat witt
the weather. Its normal capacity q
100000 matches day. which for
day of ten hours hEures out at 1900
matches q minute These are delivers
IN good order with all the heads the sam
way.
The small boxes Of retail slze int