The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-04-24
Needle Points

0. U. gfIARPEYE writes for information concerning the earliest known trade tools used in connection with tailoring and the sarmentsmaking industry in general
 As far as we have been able to coiiats Information on the subs feet, we should be disposed t0 vote for the needle as ths earliest mechanical appliance used jn the making Of mems ma women'g clothes.
 Wooden needles have been found together with the sewing on which they had been used, in Egyptian tombs Of q date thnt not 50 long ago could only nave been described as belonging to prehistoric times.
 Bone and bronzs needles have been found in Ireland and DeHs mark that suggest q date that almost seems to belong to the lost Atlantis period.
 TbA ancient Lapianders h0nored their most industrious women by burying them with specimen needles of the age in the same manner as 1t is now the custom 10 bury with a great parsonage current coins and contemporary newspapers or other historical d0eiimeHts.
 Tn ths London Museum there are several specimens Of .nesr dies used by the ancient Britons, and 1t is worthy of note that in England tt was the custom Y few hundred years ago for the uppsr classes to use gold and silver needles. some estates or no moan acreage being held by m annual payment of one or two of these costly articles.
 apaniards are said to be tho inventors of steel needies--6t least, they hold the record or being the first Europeans to use them for garment making
 The Germans acquired the art of making them from the span ineda, and from them the other countries of Europe seem tp have obtained their supplies, I,,tt the Chinese. who seem lo haye d,seoyered or invented al- most everything centuries pc. fore the rest of the world had rubbed its sseiida open, claim te have made steel needles at q much earlier period,
 
 atjii, even nt comparatively recent date, their method 6t mantitaeture was painful and primitive. to say the least.
 For at Njngpe. it was recorded j,ss than 60 years ago there was r, needle manufaetory where vo,i could see tnsn grinding long steei bars to the necessary f1ne' neHs by rubbing with their hands upon q stone. then n0tehs inc tht, bars at the required lsSgtb, breaking them off and iitt1s inc points, whils 1lttls t,oys take thepI ID and punch ths eye ip each individual nee' dse.
 Tita securing was also done by hand fin the same way as it was thousands Of years ago in the Celestial Empire, that Is now rapidly becoming moderhized. Tiia needle hns been q fertile source of poetic inspiration.
 I,yArybody, of course. knows rom Hoods "aong of the shirt, with it's stitch, stitch, stitelf' refrain.
 A more romantic and, apart from the meiedramatie appeal. n far h,gLer form Of poetic trsatment Is found ih I'll E NE;EDLE's EYE, by Lydia H., AiEeurney of Hartford. Conn. tt reads. in part. as follows'
 What hast thou seen with thy shining eye. thou needle so subtle and keen1 ] have. been i,, Paradise. stainless and fair. and. fitted the apron Of fls leaves there 70 the form Of It's falien queen,"
 "Fhe mantles and wimpieh. the hoods and veiis, that the bellss of Judah wore, when thsif naughty mien and their glance Of fire enkindisd the eloquent prophets ire. ! helped to fnshioh Of y0te,"
 "rhe beaded belt ef the Indian tnatd | have decked with as true a zeal as ths gorgeous run 0f the knight of old, or the mon. "A katis. nl nlAPhIA HU( gold, or the satfap's befdefed heel,
 "E have lent lo beauty new power to reign at bridal and ronptly hall or, welded to fasha ion, have helped to bind those possa mef links, that the stfepB. est mind has sometimes held in tbrail,"
 A less romantic riismhter e. q B.) a few years ago supplehtciM ed Miss higOurHef's verses bs adding the following lines, ih' tesidcd presumably Co picture tise c0ntbceti0n 0f tbe needle with ifs most modern hss0clh' ton as an accessory Of the new est kind 0f sewing niaeiiHei And what can you see 0f ti,t future years. y0u needle Will steel bright cyeY
 "A vista 0f darkness, a slsiot es feAps, I've HD eye. but | SCI net-aI sec not teaps," WAS tht needles paiHed reply. ,i'hen | speIse again. and the needle aatdi
 'sftie reason answered se wa
 because I've no longer his ey' iH My heRd.-it Is HOW tn h dtf'
 feFeni place tnsteHd--feF ~
 here. as you see. 10 my toe" | NEW sALIGSROOAiA AM
 SHOP NOW OPEN FOR Till
 sPttlNG SEASON.
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