Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-02-06
POINTS ABOUT NEEDLES.
Something Like Three Million
Them Consumed Every Day.

Something Like Three Million OF
Them Consumed Every Day.
Scientific American.-One needle is
pretty small item but the daily
consumption of something like 3,O0O.-
900 neeu4es all over the world makes
pretty big total. Every year the
women of the United States break.
lose, and use about 1000 600 OF
these little instruments
Our needles are the finished pro
ducts of American ingenuity, skill
and workmanship, and yet now D.anv
people threading needle or taxing a
stitch, have ever given a thought to
the various processes through which
the wire must pass ere 4C comes out
a needle? The manufacture of
single needle includes twenty-one or
twenty-five different processes. as
follows: Cutting the wire into lengths
Strengthening, by rubbing wnne heated
pointing the ends on grindstones;
stamping impression of eyes: groov-
ing; eyeing, the eye being Pierced by
presses; splitting, threading the
double needle by the eyes on short
lengths of fine wire; filing: removing
the cheek" left on each side of the
eye by stamping; breaking, separat-
ing the two needles on the one length
of wire; heading, heaos filed ana
smoothed to remove the burr le1t 5y
stamping and breaking; hardening in
oil, the needle is thus made brittle;
Itempering; picking; separating
those crooked in hardening, straight
ening the crooked ones; securing and
polishing; bluing, softening the eyes
by heat; drilling or cleaning out the
sides of the eye; head-grinulrg; point
ing. For wrapping. purple paper is
used because it prevents rt~stlns.
There are many sorts and kinds OF
needles: First, there is the surgeon
grewsome outfit-the probing needle,
made for tracking bullets or hidden
cavities of pus; the nairllp needle.
needle, the long pins for pinning open
wounds, The post-mortem needle of
curious pattern. Some of these lit
tie instruments are thin, some are
thick; others are long and straight:
others, again, curve once, twice or
three times. The veterinary surgeon
has his special outfit also. The cooks
needles are wonderfully, fearfully
made. His Harding needle is made.
on purpose to insert melted butter or
sauce right into the vitals OF Christ
mas turkey. 1t is hollow, and has q
large opening into which the sauce is
poured. Nor less interesting are the.
needles which the upholsterer uses.
Some are half curved, and some nave
round points. He has needles with
curious eyes-long, round, egg ana
countersunk eyes; the same kinds of
needles are used by coIias makers.
Then there are the delicate needles
used by wig makers, glove makers
and weavers; these are often as fine
as hair The glove needles are
splendid specimens Of skilful work
manship; the finest of the have
three-cornered points. The great
sail needle, which has to be pushed
with steel palm, would puzzle most
people; so too, the broom makers
needle, which must also be pushed
with steel palm. The curios knit
ting-machine needle, with its latchet
the arrasene and crewel neeGles, ana
the needle for shirring machines; the
weavers pin for picking up broken
threads, with an open eye in the hook.
The long instrument used by the mil
liners, the needle of the rag baler,
the knife-poInt ham neeale used In
the stockyards, the astrakhan needle
these and otner varieties do nor
call for special notice.
The needle as we see it today, is
the evolved product of centuries of
invention. In It's primitive form II
was made of bone, ivory or woou. me
making of Spanish needles was in
troduced into England during the
reign of Queen Elizabeth. POINT by
point the manufacture has improved.
until the httle instrument is one OF
the highly finished products of nine
~ Y.,,, n. 4,