El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-27

n addition to the various IA brlcS used
in the manufacture Of clothing, mil
lions Of dollars worth of metals and
minerals are used each year for such
necessary adjuncts as pins and buttons,
hooks and eyes, and essential jewelry.
The Elizabethan era is credited with
the origin of the button and buttOnhole.
Before that time. clothing was general
" adjusted by tape strings, although
some crude hooks and eyes were in
evidence long before that period. Some
forms Of pins had been in use for the
fastening of clothing before the ear
Hest periods Of history. Even the pre-
historic cave woman used a natural
thorn to fasten her robe of animal skin
before starting forth to provide her
household necessities. Later on pins
were made Of wood and afterwards Of
iron and the finer metals. They were
made singly by blacksmiths and metal
workers and their necessity was so
recognized that the term pin money"
was originated. The modern woman
buys 1000 smooth polished pins for less
than her ancestors paid for one imper-
feet pin.
Buttons Long In Use.
Buttons long have been used for or
naments as well as for utility, and
therefore were looked upon as a vanity
by certain members of the Mennonltes,
a religious sect quite numerous IN TINS
country during the past century Inese
people were sometimes called nook ana
eye Methodists," because they fastened
all their clothing by these small al
Juncts, deeming them sufficient Tor
their necessities and less liable to Gull
tivate vanity. This strange custom
seems now to have passed out Of exis-
tence and the man who fastens his coat
with wire hook and eve would be hard
to find in America today
Hooks and eyes and pins and needles
are generally manufactured IN the same
establishment, although the composition
of pins and hooks and eyes varies and
has been greatly improved in recent
years. When they were made of iron.
they were rust producing. as many a
woman has found 10 her sorrow when q
dainty summer gown was returned
from the wash disfigured by numerous
rust spots The uptOdate manufacture
has produced hooks and eyes which are
absolutely rust proof and can be sent
to the laundry without fear. Pins are
produced in such enormous quantities
that the question what becomes Of all
the pins2" has assumed the nature OF
jest
Royal Decoration Of Needles.
Needles are manufactured Of finely
tempered steel carefully gagged and
polished. Years ago needles were used
for the decoration Of garments A blue
archs had its entire front decorated
with embroidered eyelets and from each
eyelet hung the needle with which Il
was worked. These tiny bits Of steel
glittered at every step and formed
truly royal decoration, for in that pc
Rod the cost OF needles was sufficient
to make their value worthy Of any mon
/ arch
The manufacture Of needles requires
great skill and eXactness. The piercing
Of the eye is a process really puzzling
to the outsider. The story is told Of a
distinguished visitor to G needle factO-i
~ who expressed his surprise that they
were able to make eyes in so slender an
object as a fine needle Il could put an
eye through one of your hairs" said
the manufacturer The hair was pro-
duced and placed under the piercing
machine. Sure enough. the eye was
pierced, and separating one filiament
from a bit OF silk, It was threaded,
greatly TO the admiration Of the spec
Formerly all the needles and the best
pins were imported from England. but
they are now produced in America OF
equal quality There are some so es-
Adjustments in the United States pro-
ducing needles. pins and hooks and
eyes. This includes 10 manufacturers
reporting exclusively for hooks and
eyes. Their total capitalize ton ap-
proaches $4,000 900, and their annual
product exceeds $50, 600 0OO They are
exported now almost to every country.
NHlVeE Employment to OOsDDOs
The metal consumed by these manu-
factories Of small objects exceeds ST.
100000 in value each year and about
$4,000 persons are employed in the
different establishments. The arrange
ment OF hooks and eyes on the card
and placing the needles and pins in
their cases was formerly done by hand.
usually by young girls. Now machinery
has been perfected for this purpose
which works with marvellous speed
and an accuracy far exceeding that Of
the hand labor.
Buttons are manufactured in such va
rieties Of materials and form that they
are difficult to classify. The earliest
buttons were all Of needle work. In
1857 the first brass buttons of the world
were made in Birmingham, England,
but these 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 ana covering them viii. a lace
embroidery stitch. Reproductions Of
these early handmade buttons have
been feature Of the summer girls
clothing during the past season. They
are also being furnished in cOlors OF
SILK ana mercertzed cotton, and in these
materials viii be largely used as dress
garniture during the coming season.
Pearl Buttons From Middle West.
During the past few years. a great
industry has sprung W in the states
of the middle west in the manufacture
Of buttons from the fresh water pearl
shell found along the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers. There were 13.143,5S3 gross
of these pearl buttons produced in the
United States last year amounting to
over $4,000, 900 in value. The entire
button industry of the United States
now approaches SIS, OOO, 900 in value and
about Cne-half of this consists Of pearl
buttons. Besides the pearl buttons
manufactured from domestic pearl
shells. many buttons 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
papier mache. coagulated blood. bone,
vegetable ivory, cellulOid and various
kinds OF metal Practically all the
bone buttons are made in Pennsylvania.
There are button factories in q states
in this country, New York having been
the first to establish the trade
Tin Cans Made Into Buttons.
The people who have wondered what
became Of the old tin cans which accu-
mulate in such quantities, will be IN
terested in knowing that they are now
used IN the manufacture Of cloth COW
cred buttons. The cans are gathered
by the junk dealers and melted. so