The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-06-29
HOW THE FIRE
CRACKERS ARE MADE

China annually exports $1,000, 000
pounds Of firecrackers Of O value
in round figures OF $1,600,000. OF this
vast amount of noise-producing ma
terial the bulk comes to the United
States. A small quantity goes to Eng
land. Other countries buy only in
fnitesimal amounts.
The exports represent only small
fraction of the amount manufactured
and used In China. There are no large
manufactures. The crackers are made
in small houses and in the shops where
they are sold. In the latter places the
proprietor Of the shop, his wife Cor
Eives) and children do the work. No
record is kept of the number made and
sold, and no estimate is possible of
their cost. The use of crackers is uni
versal in China and has been as far
back as history records. 1t Is most
probable that In the beginning they
were used to brighten away evil spirits
Now they are most frequently an ex-
preston of good feeling or OF ceremo-
NOUS compliment. They are used at
weddings, births and funerals. at fes-
tivities, religious, civil and military
persons about to make journey and,
in fact, on all occasions out Of the or
binary routine.
In making crackers only the cheapest
kind of straw paper which can be pro-
duced in the immediate locality where
the crackers are made is used for the
body of the cracker. A little finer
paper is used for the wrapper A piece
OF straw paper by 80 inches Will make
twenty-one crackers one and one-half
inches long and one-fourth of an inch
I'm diameter.
The powder is also Of the cheapest
grade and is made IN the locality where
used. 1t costs $50 to IT'S cash per catty,
or or cents gold per pound. ,
For the fuse a paper Called leather"
in ShanghaD Is used. which is imported
from Japan and is made from the inner
lining of the bamboo. In other places
a fine rice paper is used, generally
stiffened slightly with buckwheat flour
paste, which, the Chinese say. adds to
it's inflammability. A strip Of this pa
per one-third Of an inch wide by four
teen inches "a Chinese FOOT long Is laid
on a table and very little powder put
down the middle Of 1t with hollow
bamboo stick. A quick twist of the
paper makes the fuse ready for use.
1t is not easy to persuade the Chinese
to exhibit their modes of manufacture
to a foreigner, but Mr.. Williams, United
States vice consul at Shanghai, thus
describes the work as he has seen 1t:
1.-The straw paper is first rolled by
hand around an Iron rOQ, Wnlcn varies
In size according to the size of cracker
to be made. To complete the, rolling
rude machine is used. This consists of
two uprights supporting an axis, from
which is suspended by two arms a
heavy piece Of wood slightly convex on
the lower side. There is just room be-
tween this swinging block and the top
of the table to place the cracker AS
each layer Of paper is put on by hand.
the cracker is placed on the table and
the suspended weight is drawn over the
roll, this Tightening 1t until no. more
can be passed under the weight. For
the smallest whip CRACKERS the work
man uses for compression instead OF
this machine a heavy piece OF wood
fitted with a handle like that OF car
penter's plane. In filling crackers 200
TO 800 are tied together tightly In a
bunch. Red clay is spread over the end
of the bunch and forced into the end Of
the cracker with a punch. While the
clay is being tamped in little. water
is sprayed on it, which makes 1t pack
closer. The powder Is poured In at
the other end of the cracker. With
the aid Of an awl the edge Of the paper
is turned in at the upper end OF the
cracker, and the fuse Is inserted
through this"
Workmen at this trade receive about
the average rate of wages paid here
for common labor The trade Is con-
sidered unhealthy and dangerous. and
therefore not desirable.