The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-01-03
THREE MILLION
4. MATCHES A MINUTE
Estimated This Number Is Re
quired Every Sixty Seconds
Of the Day.

The civilized nations OF the world
Strike 100000 matches every minute
of the tw~enty-four hours. Nearly one
half Of these are ignited in this
try. Americans use up the enormous
total of 700, 900. coo, 900 a year and have
n larger match bill than any other ma
ition III the world.
Hundreds Of factories over the
fry are engaged in this industry. Some
'of the plants are very large. one on
the Pacific coast covering 240 acres,
with thirty-two miles of railroad which
supply the match machines With 200,-
600 feet OF sugar pine and yellow pine
logs a day.
A statement of the number of cubic
feet OF wood which actually Is con-
verified into matches each year would
convey only an Inadequate idea of the
number OF trees required for the in
dustry. For The manufacture Of the
match the best grade OF wood is ne
cessary. Sapwood. knotty or cross
grained timber will not do. This makes
1T necessary to search the best forests
and pick out the choice trees only. and
nothing but the choice portions Of the
choice trees go to the match machines.
1t may be seen that the lumberman
sweeps over a wide area in search OF
suitable timber to feed into the match
machines. '
Seldom is the little splinter tipped
with sulphur, or some other substance
TO be tgnited by friction, given even
scant mention fin the consideration Of
the depletion Of the worlds finest for
ests. vet the manufacturers of these
little fire sticks are as much concerned
over the timber supply question as any
other class of men engaged In an In
dustry whose welfare depends on the
use or forest products. i,
Best Materials Used.
1t might be %supposed that because
Ohio $500 49,
would utilize scraps and leftovers. This
Is never the case; matches are no by
products. h match machine takes
the finest timber and what it rejects
goes to the ~by-product yard, and tho
by-product end Of the match business
becomes the largest end so far as
bulk is concerned. Among the by-pro-
ducts turned out by the large Pacific
coast factory just mentioned are 1000
doors and 500 sashes daily.
AS 4 matter of fact, it would he Inn
possible to carry OF the match bust
ness ut all. at present prices, IL the re-
1ected lumber were not worked into
something else. h room where
matches are made is frequently the
smallest department Of a match fac
tory. The larger portions contain tho
saw mills.
Matches are manufactured in many
ways and with numerous kinds of ma
chimes. and for that reason a descrip-
tion Of an operation in one factory
would not apply to another. Nearly
every manufacturing company has ma
chlnery made especially for its use.
and covered by patents, and it also
employs processes discovered or de-
Nlsed by its own chemist and me
chanics. and kept secret to prevent RI
walls from obtaining and proatins by
them. A single machine has been
known 10 turn out III. 1926. 400 matches
In one d~ay-boxed and labeled ready
for shipment.
Some matches are shaved with tho
grain from sawed blocks. some are cut
both ways by saws. In some factories
the blocks are boiled to make them
cut easily. BY some machines a boiled
or steamed log is revolved on its own
axis and a shaving-the thickness or
a match-is cut round and round. Thi,
shaving is at the same time cut into
lengths and split into match sticks,
There is hardly a limit to the yarIties
OF methods employed. Round matches
are made by forcing them through
dies. The Japanese make pane.
matches. Which are wood after ali