New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-14
GETTING Il LIGHT.
EdUance from Days of Rubbing to
Days of Striking.
by j. L. Harbour.

We hold many Of the conveniences of life 50
eheaply that we give little thought to what it
would be TO go back to the primitive customs Of
our forebears in their everyday life. When we
take a match and with a single scratch strike
light we do not put any particular value on
anything so common as a match. Not even the
OdOrless little spitfire Of 4 'parlor match COM
mands appreciation 10 any great extent
The fire on the hearthstones of our forebears
was guarded with as much jealous care as the
vestal virgins guarded it on the ancient altar Of
the temple OF Vesta- The fire was never allowed
20 die out entirely on the hearthstOnes in the
days before matches invented The red
Goals were buried under the ashes so that they
could be uncovered and famed into a flame
when more fire was needed.
The process of rubbing two sticks OF wood to-
gether until they produced a flame is very
ancient one. II is one Of the most primitive
ways of obtaining fire. II is said that this proc
cess obtained in the days OF ancient Greece and
Rome, when the priests Of Jupiter had to kindle
a fire, and all the American Indian tribes used
Il when they wanted fire. The inventive mind
of man began TO improve on this method long
before the idea of such thing as match was
ever conceived. One writer who has written
exhaustively 4 the subject Of fire says: Labor
was saved. as well greater rapidity obtained.
Icy using a bow. with one turn Of its string
twisted around the vertical stick, which we may
call the drill that by moving it back and
forth the drill revolved with great rapidity in
the lower piece of wood, which is technically
called the hearth further advance was
made Man has only two hands, and he found
that a third point of resistance would be an ad-
vantage This he could get when he had com
panion, but not when lie was alone. So he be-
gan to use his mouth 10 steady the drill, while
one hand impaired the motion with the bow and
the other held the hearth Hence Ge get the
mouth drill. the additional part Of the apparatus
being a mouthpiece Of hard wood, bone OF stone,
with hole in it to receive the head Of the drill
soon il was discovered that weight tells, and a
weight was therefore added TO the drill. giving
greater impetus. greater speed and greater fric-
ton and, consequently. greater heat. In this
way The IrOquois pump drill was developed"
one OF the first matches was made by cutting
very thin strips Of highly resinous or dry pine
wood. about six inches long, with pointed ends
dipped in melted sulphur; thus prepared. the
sulphur points easily ignited when applied to a
spark obtained by striking fire into finder from
3 flint and steel These matches were in COM
mon use for many years. Then some one in
vented the instantaneous light box" This con-
sisted OF a small tin box containing a bottle In
which was placed some sulphuric acid. with
enough 6brous asbestos 20 soak il up and pre-
vent its splitting out OF the bottle. and a supply
Of properly prepared matches. These primitive
matches consisted OF small splints OF wood about
two inches long. one end OF which was coated
with a chemical mixture. prepared by mixing
chlorate OF potash six parts; powdered loaf
sugar. two parts; powdered gum arabic. one
part: the whole colOred with little Vermilion
and mixed with water until it became thin
paste The splints were first dipped into melted
auao hav
we're really made 20 burn by dipping the pre-
pared ends into suIphuric acid. We would surely
regard this as a pretty bothersome kind OF a
match, and one with which il would not be easy
20 strike a light IL one wanted 10 light the gas
IA ones house in the dark One would need a
light in order 20 strike light with matches Of
this kind common name for matches Of
this Kind was @spunks."
u was not until about tho year 1888 that the