The Caucasian., 1907-01-17
NEED OF NEEDLES.
The Daily Output Wouidr', lie Los;
Even In In ,Stnrk

The Daily Output Wouidr-, lie Los;
Even In IA Un.Stnrk
One needle is pretty sI!a.. Item. bur
the daily consumption Uf SOInethin-
like 5000, 900 needles al uy-. the Worlt
makes a pretty big t"tI. Every yem
the women of the United States break
lose and use about 30O,0OO,UOO of thes.
little instruments.
Our needles are the finished product
of American ingenuity, skill and work
manship, and yet how many people
threading needle or taking stitch
have ever given thought to the vari
GUS processes through which the wire
must pass ere it comes out q needle:
The manufacture of a single needle in
cludes some twenty or twenty two
different processes, as follows: Cuttin"
the wire into lengths, Strengthening by
rubbing while heated, pointing the
ends on grindstones, stamping impres
sion for the eyes, growing eying, tht
eye being pierced by screw presses
splitting, threading the double needle
by the eyes on short ler>sths of fine
wire; filing, removing the cheek lefi
On each side of the eye by stamping
breaking, separating the two needles
On the one length of wire; heading
heads filed and smoothed to remove the
bur left by stamping and breaking:
hardening in oil, the needle being thus
made brittle; tempering; picking, sepa
rating those crooked in hardening
Strengthening the crooked ones. scour
ing and polishing; bluing, softenine
the eyes by heat; drilling or cleaning
out the sides of the eye; head grinding
point setting. or the final sharpening:
f1nal polishing, then papering and final
ly labelling. For wrapping purple pa
per is used because it prevents ruSting
Here are many sorts and kinds of
needles. First, there is the surgeons
grewsome outft-the probing needle
made for tracking bullets or hidden
cavities of pus; the harelip needle
the long pins for pinning open wounds
the poStmortem needle Of curious pat
tern. Some of these little instruments
are thin, some are thick Others are
once, twice or three times. The vet
Urinary surgeon has his special cuff
also. The cooks needles are wonder
fully, fearfully made. His lardin
needle is used to sew large pieces o
meat together. The trussing needle is
made on purpose to insert melted but
ter or sauce right into the vitals of Il
Christmas turkey. 1t is hollow and has
a large opening, into which the sauce
is poured. Nor less Interesting are the
needles which the upholsterer uses.
Some are half curved and some hav,
round points. He has needles wit.
curious eyes-long round, egg an,
countersunk eyes. The same kind o:
needles are used by collar makers
Then there are the delicate needles
used by wigmakers. glovemakers an,
weavers. These are often as fine as Il
hair. The glove needles are spleni!i
specimens of skillful workmanship
The finest of them have three cornsrel
points. The great sail needle, which
has to be pushed with steel palm
would puzzle most people So, too, the
broommaker's needle, which must also
be pushed with steel palm; the curl
GUS knitting machine needle, with its
latchet; the arrasene and crewel nee
dies and the needle for shirring ma
chimes, the weaver's pin for picking up
broken threads, with an open eye in the
hook. The long instrument used by
milliners, the needle of the rag baler,
the knife point ham needle used in
the stockyards, the astrakhan needle
these and other varieties do not call for
special notice.
The needle as we see it today is the
evolved product of centuries of inyen.
ton. In its primitive form it was made
Of bone, ivory or wood The making
of Spanish needles was introduced
into England during the seign of Queen
Elizabeth. Point by point the manu-
facture has improved until the little in
strument Is one Of the highly finished
products of nineteenth century ma
chinery and skill-Scientifie American