Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-27

ten manufacturers reporting exclusively
for hooks and eyes. Their total capitaI-
zation approaches 5000, 600 and their an
nual product exceeds $JO,O0O.0OO They
are exported now to almost every coun-
try.
The metal consumed by these msnufac-
tories of small objects exceeds 81 800 900
in value each year and about 5000 per-
sons are employed in the different estab-
lishments. The arrangement OF hooks
and eyes on the card and placing the
needles and pins in their cases was for
girls. Now machinery has been perfected
for this purpose which works with a mar
velous speed and an accuracy for exceed
ing that Of the hand labor.
rieties of materials and form that they
are difficult to classify The earliest
buttons We're all OF needlework In 1857
the first brass buttons Of the world were
were expensive and did not come into
general use for some time. The colonial
housewife manufactured the buttons for
her family by rolling tight little balls
OF homespun linen thread and covering
them with a lace embroidery stitch.
Reproductions Of these early handmade
buttons have been a feature Of the sum-
mer girls clothing during the past sea-
son. They are also being furnished in
coIors of silk and mercerized cotton, and
dress garniture during the coming sea-
son.
During the past few years a great in
dustry has sprung up in the states of the
middle west in
Manufacture Buttons the manufacture
in the Middle West 1 the 0S sresh r fse
pearl shell found along the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers. There were ID, 143, $50
gross of these pearl buttons produced in
the United States last year, amounting
to over 100000 in value. The entire
button industry of the United States now
approaches $15.O0O.Oo0 in value and about
one-half Of this consists of pearl buttons.
Besides the pearl buttons manufactured
from domestic pearl shells many but
tons are manufactured from imported
shells These generally come from
Japan. They are sold under japanese
names supposed to indicate the quality
of the pearl or the locality from which
it comes.
Buttons are also manufactured from
PAPER mache. coagulated blood. bone.
vegetable ivory, celIuloid and various;
kinds of metal Practically all the bone
buttons are made in Pennsylvania There
are button factories in twenty-one states
in this country, New York having been
the first to establish the trade
The people who have wondered what
became of the old tin cans which &C
cumulate in such quantities will be
interested in knowing that they are now
used in the manufacture of cloth Gov
cred buttons. The cans are gathered
by the junk dealers and melted, SO that
the strip of tin can be pounded out fiat
They are then sold to the button factory
where they are stamped into the proper
sizes and covered with the desired fab
rio. 1t is said that millions of tin cans
have been used for this purpose during
the past year. This old metal answers
very we'll as foundation for buttons
which do not have to visit the laundry
and is admirably adapted for the worst
ed-covered buttons of various kinds
used by tailors This last season. how
ever, developed a demand for buttons
covered with cotton fabrics, to ba used
on washable clothing, and for this nur
pose the old tin is certainly unsuitable
Numberless women throughout the coun-
try have had reason to regret the pur-
chase OF gingham or linen dresses; trim
med with covered buttons, as it came
home from the laundry q mass of rust
spots, the buttons themselves being al
most beyond recognition.
Aside from the expensive Jewels. used
only as ornaments, there are a number