The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-13
POINTS IBQDI needles
Every Year We Use, Lose and.
Break 3oo,oOo,ooO
TINENTY-oNE PROCESSES
These Little instruments Are the
Finished Product of American In
genuity, Skill and Workmanship
Process Through Which Wire
Must Pass to Become Needle.

Must Pass to Become q Needle.
One needle is pretty small item.
but the daily consumption of some
thing like 100000 needles all over
the world makes a pretty big total,
Every year the women of the United
States break, lose, and use about
30O,0O0,Q0O Of these little instru-
ments.
Our needles are the finished prod
ucts of American ingenuity, skill and
workmanship, and yet how many
people threading a. needle or taking
q stitch, have ever given a thought
TO the. various processes through
which the wire must pass ere it
comes out needle? The manufac-
eure Of q single needle includes some
.twenty-one or twenty-five different
processes, as. follows: Cutting the
wire into lengths; Strengthening by
rubbing while heated; pointing the
ends on grind stones; stamping i'm
preston. for the eyes; growing; eye
ing, the eye being pierced by screw
presses; splitting, threading the dou-
BILE needle by the eyes on short
lengths of fine wire; fling, removing
the '.cheek" left on each side of, the
eye by stamping; breaking, separat-
1ng the two needles on the, one length
Of wire; heading, heads filed and
:. Bmoothed to remove burr left by
stamping and breaking; hardening in
. oil, the needle Is thus made brittle;
tempering; picking, separating those
crooked in hardening; Strengthening
the crooked ones; securing and poll
: isning; bluing, softening the eyes by
heat; drilling or cleaning out the
sides Of the eye; head-grinding;
point-setting, CT the final sharpen
ing; final polishing; then papering,
and finally labelling. For wrapping,
purple paper is used. because it pre-
vents rusting.
There are many sorts an kinds OF
needles: First, there is the surgeon s
grewsorne outft--the probing needle,
made for tracking bullets or hidoe;l
cavities of pus; the hairlip 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 sur
geon has his special outfit also. The
cook'sfneedlrs are wonderfully, fear
fully made. His Harding needle Is
used to sew large pieces Of meat to-
gether. The trusting needle is made
on purpose to insert melted butter or
sauce, right into the vitals Of q
Christmas turkey. 1t Is hollow, and
has a large opening into which the
sauce is poured. Nor less interest
ing are needles which the upholster-
er uses. Some are. half curved, and
some have round points. He has
needles with curious eyes-long,
round, egg. and counter-sunk eyes;
the same kinds of needles are used
by collar-makers. Then there are the
delicate needles used by wig makers,
glove makers and weavers; these are
often as fine as a hair. The glove
needles are splendid specimens Of
skillful workmanship; the finest OF
them. have three-cornered points.
The great sail needle which has to
be pushed with a steel palm. would
puzzle most people,; so, too, the
broom-maker's needle, which must
also be pushed with steel palm.
The curious knitting-machine needle,
with it's latchet; the arrasene and
crewel needles, and the needle for
shirring machines: 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 stock
Yards, the astrakhan medicines
and other varieties do not call for
special notice.
The needle as we see it to-day Is
the evolved product Of centuries OF
invention. In its primitive form 1t
was made Of bone, ivory or wool
The making Of Spanish needles was
introduced into England during the
reign of Queen Elizabeth. Point by
point the manufacture has improv-
ed, until the little instrum snt is one
of the highly finished products Of
nineteenth century machinery ami
skill.