Cheyenne Transporter. (Darlington, Indian Terr.), Vol. 4, No. 9, Ed. 1, Friday, January 26, 1883 Page: 3 of 10
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-J I
Ci
TIIK HISTORY OF MATCHES.
Only Half a Century Since tho Days of
Ifllnt and Stool-Tho Ijticlfor In l'ollticfl.
j New York World.
Nothing perhaps could give a more
vivid idea of tho rapidity with which
the world has advanced in all matters
of comfort and conveuienco than tho
announcement in the World a few
days ago of tho death at Norristown
Pa. of George W. Burgess aged 78
tho first American manufacturer of
friction matches. Ho began tho busi-
ness in Now York City in i'831 or there-
abouts but failed. The matches wo
aro told ''wore made of chlorate of
potash and had to be drawn between
two iicces of sandpapor to be ignited.
The quantity of chlorato of potash in
the country being small Burgess im-
ported a lare quantity but it proved
to bo of an inferior quality; tho matches
were returned upon his hands and ho
failed." Mr. 1). K. Jones who died at
Chillicothe in May 1880 was another
of the inventors of tho modern match
and the people of Vienna have just been
celebrating the semi-centennial of three
other claimants of the honor. In real-
. ity the idea of the common match is al-
most as old as tho discovery of phos-
phorous. Phosphorus was discovered
in lGG9and in 1GS0 Godfrey Hanck-
witz introduced the practice of rubbing
it between folds of browm paper till it
took lire when it was made to ignite
a stick one om of which had
BEEN DI1TED IN SULPHUR.
Another form extensively used we
road "was called chemical matches
which were sold in little cases called
phosphorous boxes containing a few
matches at first as high as 15 shillings
a box. They were small sticks of
wood dipped first in sulphur and then
in a composition of chlorate of potash
flowers of sulphur colophony gum or
sugar and cinnabar for coloring. Ac-
companying them in the box was a vial
containing sulphuric acid into which
tho match being dipped it was instantly
ignited by the chemical action induced
between the acid and the chlorate of
potash. The other ingredients were
added merely on neoount of their com-
bustible qualities."
It is not surprising that with mat-
ches of price tho Hint and steel and
tinder-box remninded in vogue with
the great mass of people with the
Hint and steel was used a long match
a splinter of wood some six inches in
length tipped with sulphur. "You
struck the steel on the ilint" writes
an old Englishman "until a shower of
sparks fell into one tinder; some
caught; then you put the point of the
match to the spark and blew until the
brimstone caught and you were nearly
suffocated. The tinder-box was too
dirty for general use and therefore
night lights were burned in bedrooms
and candles encased in large tin
cylinders full of round holes the whole
being stood in a basin with a little
water in the bottom." It was about
1825 that tho Eupyrion camo into
vogue in England. This elaborate
apparatus consisted of an open bottle
containing sulphuric acid soaked in
fibrous asbestos; and the matches
which wore about two inches long and
sold at 1 shilling a box were tipped
with a chemiealcombination of which
chlorate of potash was tho principal in-
gredient. On putting tho match into
the bottle and rapidly withdrawing it a
flame was produced but as thoaeid
was inconvenient and the matches lia-
ble to be spoiled by damp tho Eupy-
rion soon w-nt out of favor giving
place to the pyropborus the pneumatic
tinder-box and Dobcroimer's hydro-
gen lamp. According to tho encyclo-
pedias Till-: I.rciKKIt MATCH
was invented in 1829 by a Mr. John
Walker a chomist of Stockton-upon-Tecs
who found that chlorate of pot-
ash could bo instantly ignited by fric-
tion as in rapidly drawing a stick
coated with it and phosphorus by
' moans of mucilage or glue through
folded sandpaper. IIo manufactured a
few of them for use in his neigborhood
and Faraday procuring some brought
them inio public notice. It is interest-
ing to rotloct that it was some years be-
fore it occurred to the acute mind of tho
nineteenth century that a more con-
venient mode of ignition could be de-
vised than drawing the match through a
folded piece of sandpaper. Two penco
was the price of the small squaro box
containing fifty matches and the bit of
sandpaper the match being for some
time known as tho Congreve probably
by way of a remiudor of tho famous
rocket which figures so frequently in
tho literature of half a century ago.
The safety match dates from about
185G; its principle is the division of tho
combustible elements some being
placed on the box and some on the
match tip.
Tho Austrians claim to have become
the pioneers of match manufacturing
in 1832. For many years Sweden was
ablo to boat down all competition in
the manufacture of cheap matches and
in spite of numerous imitations the
ltutu7i svafvel ox fosfor" still hold their
own. Tho original manufactory at
Jonkoping is still in existence and dis-
tributes among its shareholders the
enormous dividend of 80 per cent. Ac-
cording to tho report of the British con-
sul at Stockholm
THE SWEDISH MATCH TKADE
is even gaining ground with great rap-
idity tho exportation in 1880 to Great
Britain and her colonies China Japan
South America and India amounting
to 9500 tons an increase? over tho pre-
ceding year of about 11 por cent. One
factory established in 1815 omploys
872 hands and adopts so many and
such excellent precautions against fire
that it is insured at a very low rate.
The boxes in which tho matches aro
packed are made by the prisoners in
the Swedish jails. Match making is a
monopol in France and it is giatifying
to know that it is not a paying monopo-
ly. Tho company's contract compels
it to pay a percentage m a minimum
quantity of 40000000003 and the an-
nual consumption is oniv 2G.onn.ftnn.-
000. Though last year tho deficit in
the profit and loss account was reduced
from 11631376 francs to 8014889
most if not all of the gain of $000-
000 is due to a now method of estimat-
ing the assets. The company has
never yet paid a dividend. The French
matches are about as atrociously bad
as the French cigars but the badness
of both at least served the purpose of
furnishing tho Parisian chroniquers
with subjects for innumerable jokes.
In England such firms as tho Dixons
of Manchester turn out 9000000
of matches a day to say nothing of
the smaller manufacturers whose daily
output is 2000000 or 3.000.000. Th
'estimated daily consumption per head
oi tne population in Europe and North
America is from five to six matches.
It may bo said that the German gov-
ernment is about to forbid the use of
white phorphorous in tho manufacture
of matches. The acid fumes thrown
off in the manufacturing processes pro-
duce a fearful rotting of tho teeth and
jaws.
-S3
ThoLtitoat Freak or tho Milwaukee Bail
iJoy.
George Feck: "When is your ma
coming back?" asked the groceryman
of the bad boy as ho found him stand-
ing on tho sidewalk when the grocery
was opened in tho morning taking
some pieces of brick out of his coat-tail
pockets. '-Oh she got home at mid-
night last night" said the boy as ho
ate a few blackberries out of tho case.
"That's what makes me up so early.
Ca has been kicking at these pieces of
brick with his bare feet and when 1
came away ho had his toes in one hand
and trying to go up stairs on one foot.
Pa hain't got no sense."
"1 am afraid you are a terror" said
tho groceryman as he looked at the
innocent face of the boy. "You are
always making your parents some
trouble and it is a wonder to me they
don't send you to the reform school.
What deviltry was you up to last night
to be kicked this morning?"
"No deviltry just a little fun. You
see ma went to Chicago to stay a week
and she got tired and telegraphed she
would bo home last night and pa was
down town and I forgot to give him
tho dispatch. After ho wont to bed
mo and a chum thought wo would
havo a Fourth of July. You see my
chum has got a big sister and he
hooked some of her clothes and after
pa got a snoring wo put some of them
in his room. Oh you'd a laughed.
Wo put a pair of No. 1 slippers with
blue stockings down in front of the
rocking chair beside pa's boots and a
red corset on the chair and my chum' s
sister's best silk dress on another chair
and a hat with a white feather on the
bureau and some frizzes on the ga
bracket and everything that wo could
find that belonged to girls in my chum's
sister's room. Oh we got a real para
sol and left it right in the middle of tho
floor.
"Well when I looked at tho layout
and heard pa snoring I thought I
should die. You see ma is easily ex-
cited. My chum slept with me that
night and when wo heard tho door-
bell ring I stuffed a pillow in my mouth.
There wns no one to meet ma at tho
depot and she hired a hack and camo
right up. Nobody heard tho boll but
me and I had to go down and let ma
in. Sho was pretty angry you bet at
not being mot at tho depot."
"Where's your father?" said she as
sho beiran to ?o unstairs. "f inbl lmv
I guessed pa h:id gone to sleep by this
timo and that he'd gone to bed an hour
ago. Then I slipped up stairs and
looked over tho bannisters. Ma said
something about heaven and earth and
whero is the huzzy and a lot of things
I could not hear; and pa swore and said
it s no such a thing and tho door slam-
med and they talked for two hours."
"I s'pose thoy finally laid it to mo
as they always do cause pa called me
very early this morning and when I
camo down stairs ho hurt my feelings.
I see they had my chum's sistor's
clothes all pinned up in a newspaper
and I s'poso when I go back I will
havo to carry them home and then
sho'll bo down on me too. I'll tell you
what I've agood.notion to take some
shoemaker's wax and stick my chum
on my back and travel with a circus as
tho double-headed boy from Borneo". A
fellow could have moro fun and not get
kicked all tho time." And tho boy
sampled some stiawberries in a case in
front of the store and went down the
street whistling for his chum who was
looking out of an alloy to sec if tho
coast was clear.
An International EpiHOric.
Inlor Ocean.
The startling death of Elisha II. Al-
len at the White House in the midst of
the New Year's festivities in which
the deceased himself was participat-
ing at the very timo ho was stricken
down by apoplexy naturally calls to
mind and gives a passing prominence
to a peculiarly interesting international
episode for such is the present King-
dom of Hawaii or as it is more widely
known tho Sandwich Islands. The
highly sensational not to say romantic
career of tho dead diplomat was in
keeping with the development of tho
kingdom which ho represented and
the circumstances of his final depart-
ure. Without any effort at eccen-
tricity there clusters about his name
or is suggested by it at this timo a
group of remarkable surpsises.
The twelve islands constituting tho
kingdom havo such an equable climate
that tho native speech has no word for
weather. It is hard to concoivo of
such a country and of a people who
can not exchange the most common
of all American comments. Millions
of timo every day is- some trivial re-
mark made in this country about the
weather. It is true however that if
one wishes to realize the place referred
to by many an American in emphasiz-
ing the heat of a sultry summer day
ono must visit Hawaii where may be
seen the most wonderful volcano in the
world Kilauea upon the eastern part
of Mauna Loa. All the islands are of
volcanic formation; but Kilauea has a
mouth eight miles in cireumferenco
and a corresponding capacity for lava.
About two centuries ago these is-
lands became vaguely known to the
Spaniards without producing any
practical rosults. Thoy became gen-
erally known and really date from 1779
when Captain Cook rediscovered them
and called them tho Sandwich Islands
in honor of Lord Sandwich then Fiist
Lord of tho British Admiralty. It was
at tho hands of the natives of one of
those islands that Cook met his tragic
death. Tho people had only recently
given up cannibalism and wore other-
wise savages of a very low typo.
It was in the year i820 that mission-
aries from New England went among
them to establish Christianity. They
found tho way prepared the ground
already plowed. Tho natives had be-
come convinced that tho gods of their
idolatry were a fraud and when repre-
sentatives of a superior nice of a real
civilization came among them thoy
were received with open arms. In the
history of missions can bo found no
parallel to the encouragement given to
tho propagandists of tho true faith
and it was not long before tho Ilawa-
iians became sincoro converts to
Christianity. Tho causo of missions
everywhere received a boom. Tho
prophecy of a nation born in a day
was fulfilled and liberal subscriptions
were mado to support missionaries
there and in other lands. Tho impetus
thus given to tho work of evangeliza-
tion has never been wholly lost al-
though nowhoro else has tho experience
of tho Sandwich Islands boon dupli-
cated. But tho seeds of death
had been sown in tho physical
structure of the peoplo by barbaric
vice and contact with debauching com
merco. With all its beneficence Chris-
tianity could not stem tho tide of des
truction ami tno population has rapidly
decreased. During tho timo that tho
islands were missionary ground over
one million of dollars was contributed
to the causo of their Christianization.
For about twenty years tho native
churches have boon self supporting.
Schools as well as churches abounO
and in elementary education no part of
tho globe can make a better showing
than the Hawaiian Kingdom.
It was in 1819 that the late Mr. Allen
became a resident of Hawaii going
there as American Consul IIo had aP
ready served a term in congress and
was a typical Yankee honest sagacious
and enterprising. Thirty years ago ho
was placed at tho head of tho royal
exchequer and from that day until his
death ho was devoted to tho public ser-
vico of the little kingdom cither as
minister of finance chief justico re-
gent or diplomatic representative at
Washington his service in tho latter
capacity being of longest duration. It
was a curious fact suggestive of
modern methods and ideas that the dean
of the diplomatic corps at our national
capital a distinction duo to seniority
of service was held by a man who had
previously been a member of congress.
Such a circumstance will hardlv renn.it.
itself anywhere at anytime and prob-
ably has no parallel in diplomatic his-
tory. IJor by tho Million Gallons.
New York Tribune.
From statistics which havo been re-
cently compiled by tho officials of tho
United States internal revenue depart-
ment and which havo been supplied
by Gen. Max Weber collector of tho
third district in this city it appoars
that during the year 1881 90000000
gallons of beer were consumed in thin
country and 780000000 on tho conti-
nent of Europe and in Great llritain
and Ireland. "The total value of this
beer may be computed at not less than
8250000000; and of the whole quantity
England Scotland and Ireland used as
much as 282000000 or nearly one-
third the population drinking at tho
rate of about eight and a half gallons
each per annum. In Germany 240000-
000 gallons were consumed at the rate
of some five and a half gallons per
head. The United States stand third
on tho list the average being about
two and a half gallons for each inhab-
itant. Tho consumption in Austria
amounted to 72000000 gallons or at
the rate of two gallows per head. Bel-
gium considering tho number of its in-
habitants drinks moro beer than any
other nation in tho world. Her peoplo
swallow upon the average nine gallons
of boor each per annum and tho total
amount used last year in the country
was 48000000 gallons. France con-
sumed exactly the same quantity but
her population being six times that of
Belgium each of her inhabitants drank
only about ono and one-half gallons.
France in fact drinks less beer por
head thnn any other of the great na-
tions Russia which consumed onlv 1-
800000 gallons alono excepted. Even
in Denmark the consumption is at tho
rate of three and one-half gallons per
head. The sum spent for beer in 1881
by tho various countries may be rough-
ly computed as follows: Great Britain
$72000000; Germany $05000000;
United States $20000000; Austria
$20000000; Belgium 14000000;
Franco $15000000 and Russia $.000-
000. Tho Belgian therefore may be
considered tho greatest beer drinker;
and this is as it should be for Belgium
is the home of the modern system of
brewing. It should bo borne in mind
howover that sinco little heir com-
paratively speaking is consumed in
Scotland and Ireland whero whisky
is tho "national" beveruge England
if taken without them still maintains
her old pre-eminence John Bull's fam-
ily drinking probably at the rate of a
loast ten gallons per head per annum.
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Maffet, Geo. W. Cheyenne Transporter. (Darlington, Indian Terr.), Vol. 4, No. 9, Ed. 1, Friday, January 26, 1883, newspaper, January 26, 1883; Cheyenne and Arapahoe Agency, Darlington, Indian Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc70552/m1/3/: accessed April 28, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.