New Britain herald., 1917-01-18
THE FRICTION MATCH.

l (By James Shepard)
 "How happy did our grandmas feel 1 To lay aside the flint and steel,
 And simply take friction match 1 To start the fire with just 8 scratch, ''
 The lines above friend fired at l What would our fathers thought of l that
 And said, of marvels new and old 1 A matchless story l had told, ] That brings me now up to the scratch l For writing of the friction match. 1 How happy did the Indian feel When we gave him the flint and steel :? The Indians friction match, I'm sure. No white man ever could endure. To keep fire, 'tis very true Was cheaper once than starting new. When flint and steel are struck aright A fleeting spark is brought to light, In ages past, a means was found To catch that spark as it came down. Finder common name became For substances to catch a flame. When flint and steel were struck near by
 1 A box of finder soft and dry, 1 That feeting spark, though quick to go,
 Would set the finder all a glow Finder was made from fungi soft, 1 Or rotten wood, or linen cloth l Sometimes they used the thistle down, | While other substitutes were found. Some called them touchwood, others punk,
 Or amidon, black match or spunk. The first known wood and sulphur match Could not be lighted with a scratch Yet on that stick. with a dip'd end Our present matches do depend. Tn sixteen eighty, it was born; Finder and match, in hybrid form. Phosphorus placed on paper brown Which folded OCT and we'll rubbed
 down
 Was found on trial to ignite Sufficiently that match to light. Next came a stick with improved tip, And acid bath in it to dip, When instantly. it would ignite For starting fire or candle light. This chemists match was deemed so
 nice
 It sold for an enormous price. But for a hundred years or more They used the finder as before. And not till eighteen twenty-nine Was match fired on its scratch line, And from that time, within our land, We've had a friction match at hand With flame that brings a larger one As morning star precedes the sun. Hence "Lucifer" became the name For this new light of English fame, "Son of the Morning." welcome light That put the flint and steel to flight Isaiah's symbol of King A curious mistake did bring. l His "Lucifer" was thought by some A reference to the evil one.
 That Prince of Darkness cannot | claim
 In eighteen thirty-four there came For matches still another name. Then "Lucifer" retired in part l A Loco-foco match to start. l This was a made-up name, l ween,
 Self lighting" 1t was thought to moan,
 Its application went so far
 There was a self lighting cigar.
 Tn thirty-fve, old Tammany Hall
 Was shaken by a party brawl.
 The weaker faction rose enmasse,
 Retired and then turned off the gas
 The Radicals who did remain
 Set candle light from Loco's flame
 And thus that "Loco-foco name To Democrats from matches came, 1 The Loco-focos are no more l But we scratch matches as before, 1 Link'd with invention, like a chain
 One match from its inventors name Was called Congrene. Another kind l Was called first Vester we find. And Venus too, Versuvius:
 And with the Scotch, but not with us
 The memory of finder punk
 Clings to the match which they cal
 spunk.
 Som etimes, it may be true of course
 That friction matches bring divorce
 But still I'll praise the friction match
 With it's dipped end and flaming 1 scratch.
 In fact tis but little thing But what does greater comfort hrins
 Alike to all. both rich and poor
 At evry hearth. at ev'ry door?
 What else Is there, one dares to say
 More people use from day to day?
 'Tis claimed that one may figure out
 How many matches here about
 Are used each day. in any town,
 First write its, population down
 And then the daily use to fix.
 Just multiply that sum by six. As mortal man may think to call ] A thing is either great or small, l While trifles might some greatness win
 1 But for our lttleness within.