The mirror., 1923-02-08
THE STAFF OF LIFE
By Mr.. C.. X. X.

habltatlOns OF races OF period long before
our known history begins we know that
primitive man crushed grains by means of
fat or slightly dished stone for the
lower and a cylindrical stone (like our
modern rolling pin) for the upper, or
crushing one. Between them he was en-
abled, if we take the word of native of
Bolivia S. A., where they still use this
method, as measure of capacity, to grind
from six to nine bushels in day, accord
ing to degree of fneness desired. (This
statement of the Bolivian is an actual fact
as there are tribes who still mill this prim-
tive way, although they are as near as
twenty-five miles to modern mills).
As mankind advanced in intelligence he
began using the wooden or stone motar-
and-pestle method This method then gave
way to the hand quern, where handle
was fitted to the upper stone, to one side
of centre, and the stone was given ro-
tating motion. In some specimens the
lower stone was fanged to a depth of
one and one-half to two and one-half
inches, while others were hangeless. 1t
is thought that the method was to put in
small quantity of grain, grind until it
was reduced as fine as possible then
cleaned out, and the operation repeated
But man found this method too slow, s.
he made the stones larger and set slaves to
work, turning them by means of long
sweeps. But even this proved too slow,
and slaves were not always to be had, SO
he built an upright shaft, anchored at
beveled stone on an axle, to run in
circle, propelled by beast of burden at
the end of the beam on which the stone
revolved. This type is said to have been
invented by the Chinese, about 1900 B G.
The Assyrians went one better than
them, inasmuch as they followed the plan
of the fat stone type, with the upper o'e
rotating, as in the hand quern.
Various types were in use until the plan
used by the ancient Romans came into
existence. And we find the plan still in
use today, or at least until few years
back, in farm sweep-type mills. Their
plan was to make the mill in the form of
the hourglass, with corrugated inverted
cone revolving inside the outer shell, with
very fine opening around the tip of the
grinder whereby the fine meal could fall
to the base, which had openings for TAX
ing it away as fast as ground. Pliny, the
ancient author, has given us some very
fire descriptions of them and their work.
In fact, several have been unearthed in
uncovering Pompeii and other Roman
ruins, so we know what they were like.
Both man and beast were used for power.
Later on we find the Franks, or French
using the flat type again, but with the
idea still in use in millstones of today, i.
e., the lower stone was cut to a level (but
corrugated on its face) surface, while the
upper, or runner stone had small bevel
from what is termed the eye toward its
edge or skirt; the corrugations being
coarse near the centre and running to fine
at the edge, almost to level surface in
the best mills. The Franks also found
methods of raising and lowering the upper
stone, the stone running on pivot bear
ing By this means they could control tn.
degree of fneness or coarseness of their
products.
Nature, or God, has placed the quality
of rock from which the finest millstones of
today are made in the heart of the region
where so many of our boys gave their
lives in the World War, the Valley of the
Marne From this district goes to all
rarts Of the world the stone for modern
stonemll grinding plants. And don't think
that they are used only for grain reduction.
Oh, no! you will find these stone mills in
use in powder mills, spice grinding plants,