The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-17
Making and Selling Hardl0are
By Frederic ,. Haakin.

The meeting of the National Hard ward Association and of the American Hardware Manufacturers' Association in Memphis tomorrow promises 10 De the banner event in American hard ware history. The Northern hardware nien declare that Southern hospitality can nowhere be outdone, and that Mem phis is getting ready to set new mark in entertainment It is expected that thousands of hardware men from all parts of the country will attend the sessions of the two organizations, and millions of dollars worth or busi- ness will be written there. ..
 Tn no other line of manufactu @f has there been greater progress SAaH. m the making of hardware. MeRa lilvri ing today who saw nails ynadeSRy hand one at a time. Think hpE the conn -i try would get along today iA3tF nails, had to be fashioned thaE. vayF Me' have heard much ahouf Nss futl dtn.l ner pail, but the hardwaEs ruefEhant has something new to offeg-tne sfre I: less dinner pail The woEaSmap 6k to-, day is no longer forced to eat a cold meal when he cannot gst home Tor dinner He gets q breless dkuner paihs his wife puts piping hot 9tpner into if. which Is still hot when he sits down to eat 1t six hours later.
 Who has not had trying experiences
  come all difficulties the hardware man has produced an electric washing machine, which he declares will per- form every laundry operation save hanging out the clothes. The picture in his advertisement shows dainty housemaid sitting by a washing ma chine which is propelled by electricity. She has some fancy work in hand, and the machine is doing the washing unassisted. 1t even is provided with an attachment which keeps the water in the machine hot while the process of washing = goes on. An eieetric wringer is a part of the mechanism.
 A new invention which the hardware dealer is now offering is ah alarm which tells the housewife when the refrigerator drip pan is full. She who has seen her rooms flooded by forget ting to empty the drip pan can appre- ciate the advantage of this contriv- ance. As soon as the pan gets full it starts a little bell to ringing, and that bell w.N not lot up until someone has acted on Its suggestion to empty the pan. Anoher thing the up-to-date hardware man Is carrying is the time Sortrolled valve. Suppose you are so In your house. factory or place of bus ines put out at a given time: Attach these time controlled valves to the lights, and they will do the work while you sleep. Or suppose you like to save pennies which go to the furnace ten- der. Attach this mechanism to your furnace and 1t will start your fire at any hour in the morning you may des- fgnate. insuring you a warm room when you are ready to rise from your slumbers.
 The mouse trap is often an essential factor in the domestic economy. But many of them are 80 constructed that fnh hn In nF the women who try to set them. and the men folks are not always around at trap setting time So the up-to- date hardware merchant is n5w able to offer a trap which sets itself, there by offering no terrors to the fingers of squeamish ladies.
 Stealing a red hot stove has always been regarded as the most difficult of thefts. but even that has been made easy by a new stove moving device1 on sale in many hardware stores It. is a patent cart for moving stoves without the use of the hands. Speak ing of stoves. the hardware dealers of the country are much exercised at the way the department storFs and fur niture establishments are taking the stove business out of their hands. That will be one of the subjects considered at the Memphis convention, and plans will be formulated for the better hold Ing of this trade.
 It isSfestirnated that the capital in- vested in the hardware manufacturing business of the United States amounts to s200, 100000. Some idea of the enor- nous output may be conveyed by the statement that the annual production of tacks amounts to 15.000 tons. in spite fhe fact that there has been a great falling off in the production of tacks owing to the substitution of small wire nails. It takes 10000 tons
 
 for hand saws, and there are S,OOO,O0O shovels made every year. It is said that the American people spend S5.- .000 a year for pocket knives.
 The hardware manufacturing busi- ness covers a wide range It has turned out a micrometer caliper Svhich will measure with accuracy 1-25,000 of an inch. All told. the annual ton mage of iron and stsel io uses amounts to 15.000,000 tons. The American hardware manufacturer now has the world beaten in the production of knives. He can make the blade of the pocket knife open or shut with a sharp click, a trick that Is the admir- ation and despair of every foreign manufacture. The average four blad- ed knife has nineteen parts. The edge is put on by girls on oil stones that cost S2 a pound.
 The average hardware store does a vastly wider range of business today than in the past. They used to be known as iron stores, and carried but a few lines. As the percentage of profit fell of and the cost of hardware itself increased. 1t became necessary to expand sales. The latest effort Is for women customers It has been esti- mated that eighty-fve per cent of the people who buy in the stores of the land are women. The hardware stores have always gotten the smallest share of this trade, but they are now going after 1t with success Another custo- mer the city hardware merchant is go- ing after Is the suburban resident. He must have his rakes and his hoes. his blows, and a dozen other things. even though they sometimes cost him more than his garden is worth and many a hardware dealer has found it profita- ble to make a strong bid for this bus tness.
 The making of locks is something in which the American manufacturer ex- cells. Linus Yale long ago announced that any lock in the world having a key hole could be picked The Eng fish would not accept that statement so a lock picking contest was insti- tuted. An English lock maker offered big reward to the man who would be able to pick his lock successfully. A. ~ ~ ~ Y