forty centuries of ink-第58章

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with　the　quill　pen。　One　great　difficulty　to　be

overcome　was　their　extreme　hardness　and　stiffness；

this　was　effected　by　making　slits　at　the　side　in　addition

to　the　central　one；　which　had　previously　been

solely　used。　A　further　improvement；　that　of　cross

grinding　the　points；　was　subsequently　adopted。　The

first　gross　of　pens　with　three　slits　was　sold　for　seven

pounds。　In　1830　the　price　was　2。00；　in　1832；　1。50；

in　1861；　12　cents；　and　a　common　variety　for　4　cents　a

gross。　About　9；300　tons　of　steel　are　annually

consumed；　the　number　of　pens　produced　in　England　alone

being　about　8；000；000；000。



Bramah　patented　quill　nibs　made　by　splitting

quills　and　cutting　the　semicylinders　into　sections

which　were　shaped　into　pens　and　adapted　to　be

placed　in　a　holder。　These　were；　perhaps；　the　first

nibs；　the　progenitors　of　a　host　of　steel；　gold；　and

other　pens。



Hawkins　and　Mordan；　in　1823；　made　nibs　of　horn

and　tortoise　shell；　instead　of　quill。　The　tortoise　shell

being　softened；　points　of　ruby　and　diamond　were　imbedded。

Metallic　points　were　also　cemented　to　the

shell　nibs。



Doughty；　about　1825；　made　gold　pens　with　ruby

points。



Gold　pens　with　rhodium　or　iridium　points　were

introduced　soon　afterwards。



Mordan's　oblique　pen；　English　patent；　1831；　was

designed　to　present　the　nibs　in　the　right　direction

while　preserving　the　customary　positions　of　the　pen

and　hand。



The　fountain　pen　carries　a　supply　of　ink；　fed　gradually

to　the　point　of　the　instrument。　The　first　made

by　Scheffer　was　introduced　about　1835　by　Mordan。

The　pressure　of　the　thumb　on　a　stud　in　a　holder

caused　a　continuous　supply　of　ink　to　flow　from　the

reservoir　to　the　pen。



The　〃stylographic〃　is　a　reservoir　pen　shaped　like

a　pencil；　in　which　the　flow　of　ink　is　regulated　by

pressure　of　a　style　or　fine　needle　with　blunt　point

upon　the　paper。　It　must　be　held　in　a　vertical　position。

All　marks　made　with　one；　both　up　and　down

strokes；　are　equal　in　width。



Gold　pens　are　now　usually　tipped　with　iridium；

making　what　are　commonly　known　as　diamond　points。



〃The　iridium　for　this　purpose　is　found　in　small

grains　of　platinum；　slightly　alloyed　with　this　latter

metal。　The　gold　for　pens　is　alloyed　with　silver　to

about　sixteen　carats　fineness；　rolled　into　thin　strips；

from　which　the　blanks　are　struck。　The　under　side

of　the　point　is　notched　by　a　small　circular　saw　to

receive　the　iridium　point；　which　is　selected　with　the

aid　of　a　microscope。　A　flux　of　borax　and　a　blowpipe

secure　it　to　its　place。　The　point　is　then　ground

on　a　copper　wheel　of　emery。　The　pen…blank　is　next

rolled　to　the　requisite　thinness　by　the　means　of　rollers

especially　adapted　for　the　purpose；　and　tempered

by　blows　from　a　hammer。　It　is　then　trimmed

around　the　edges；　stamped；　and　formed　in　a　press。

The　slit　is　next　cut　through　the　solid　iridium　point

by　means　of　a　thin　copper　wheel　fed　with　fine　emery；

and　a　saw　extends　the　aperture　along　the　pen　itself。

The　inside　edges　of　the　slit　are　smoothed　and　polished

by　the　emery　wheel；　burnishing　and　hammering

produce　the　proper　degree　of　elasticity。〃



It　is　asserted　that　more　steel　is　used　in　the　manufacture

of　pens　than　in　all　the　swords　and　guns　in　the

world。　This　fact　partly　verifies　the　old　saying；　〃The

pen　is　mightier　than　the　sword。〃



　〃Three　things　bear　mighty　sway　with　men；

　The　Sword；　the　Sceptre；　and　the　Pen；

　Who　can　the　least　of　these　command；

　In　the　first　rank　of　Fame　will　stand。〃







CHAPTER　XXVII。



SUBSTITUTES　FOR　INK　UTENSILS　（〃LEAD〃　AND　OTHER

PENCILS）。



〃BLACK…LEAD〃　PENCILS　AN　EXCELLENT　PEN　SUBSTITUTE

UNDER　CERTAIN　CONDITIONSITS　COMPOSITION

〃BLACK…LEAD〃　CONTAINS　NO　LEAD；　HENCE

THE　NAME　IS　MISAPPLIEDTHE　DISCOVERY　OF　ITS

PRINCIPAL　SOURCE　OF　SUPPLY　AN　ACCIDENTA

DESCRIPTION　OF　HOW　IT　IS　MINEDTREATMENT

BEFORE　BEING　INTRODUCED　INTO　THE　GROOVED

WOODUSE　OF　RED　AND　BLACK　CHALK　PENCILS

IN　GERMANY；　1450THEIR　USE　IN　MEXICO　IN　EARLY

TIMESWHO　MANUFACTURES　LEAD　PENCILSEMPLOYMENT

OF　THE　COMPOSITION　OF　LEAD　AND　TIN

IN　MEDIAEVAL　TIMESBAVARIAN　GOVERNMENT　IN

1816　A　MANUFACTURER　OF　LEAD　PENCILS。



THE　black…lead　pencil；　under　many　circumstances；

is　a　very　useful　substitute　for　the　pen；　in　that　it

requires　no　liquid　ink　for　marking　the　characters　on

paper　or　other　materials。　The　peculiar　substance

which　fills　the　central　channel　of　the　stick　of　cedar

has　the　property　of　marking　when　it　touches　paper；

and；　as　the　marks　thus　made　are　susceptible　to　easy

removal；　a　pencil　of　this　kind　is　available　for　purposes

which　would　not　be　answered　by　the　use　of　pen　and　ink。



The　substance　misnamed　〃black…lead〃　contains　NO

LEAD　and　is　a　carburet　of　iron；　being　composed　of

carbon　and　iron。　It　generally　occurs　in　Mountain　districts；

in　small　kidney…shaped　pieces；　varying　in　size

from　that　of　a　pea　upwards；　which　are　interspersed

among　various　strata；　and　is　met　with　in　different

parts　of　the　world。



Its　principal　source　of　supply　until　about　1845；

when　it　became　exhausted；　was　the　Borrowdale　mine

in　Cumberland；　England；　which　was　discovered　in

1564。　About　1852　a　number　of　mines　were　opened

containing　this　substance　in　Siberia　and　from　which

place　the　best　products　are　now　obtained。



The　accidental　discovery　of　this　mineral　at　Borrowdale

was　during　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth　who

made　many　inquiries　about　it。　The　name　of　this

mineral　was　locally　known　as　wad　（graphite）。　So

valuable　was　it　regarded　that　it　commanded　a　very

high　price；　and　this　price　acted　as　in　inducement　to

the　workmen　and　others　to　pilfer　pieces　from　the

mine。　For　a　number　of　years　scenes　of　great　commotion

took　place；　arising　out　of　these　depredations；　and

the　result　was　that　the　proprietors　adopted　such

stringent　rules　that　hardly　anything　was　known　of

the　internal　economy　of　the　mine　till　about　sixty

years　ago；　when　Mr。　Parkes　gave　a　description　of　it；

from　which　I　may　condense　a　few　particulars。



The　mine　is　in　the　midst　of　a　mountain　about　two

thousand　feet　high；　which　rises　at　in　angle　of　about

45　degrees；　and；　as　that　part　of　the　mine　which　has　been

worked　during　the　last　century　is　near　the　middle

of　the　mountain；　the　present　entrance　is　about　a

thousand　feet　from　the　summit。　The　opening　by

which　the　workmen　enter　descends　by　a　flight　of

steps；　and　in　order　to　guard　the　treasure　within；　the

proprietors　have　erected　a　strong　brick　building　of

four　rooms；　one　of　which　is　immediately　over　the

entrance　into　the　mine。　This　entrance　is　secured　by　a

trap…door；　and　the　room　connected　with　it　serves　as　a

dressing…room　for　the　men　when　they　enter　and　leave

the　mine。　The　men　work　in　gangs；　which　relieve

each　other　every　six　hours；　and　when　the　hour　of

relief　comes；　a　steward　or　foreman　attends　the　dressing…

room　to　see　the　men　change　their　dresses　as　they

come　up　one　by　one　out　of　the　mine。　The　clothes

are　examined　by　the　steward　to　see　that　no　black…lead

is　concealed　in　them；　and　when　the　men　have　dressed

they　leave　the　mine；　making　room　for　another　gang；

who　change　their　clothes；　enter　the　mine；　and　are　fastened

in　for　six　hours。　In　one　of　the　four　rooms　of　which

the　house　consists　there　is　a　table；　at　which　men　are

employed　in　sorting　and　dressing　the　mineral。　This　is

necessary；　because　it　is　usually　divided　into　two　qualities；

the　finest　of　which　have　generally　pieces　of　iron…

ore　or　other　impurity　attached　to　them；　which　must

be　dressed　off。　These　men；　who　are　strictly　watched

while　at　work；　put　the　dressed　black…lead　into　casks

holding　about　one　hundred…weight　each；　in　which　state

it　leaves　the　mine。　The　casks　are　conveyed　down

the　side　of　the　mountain　in　a　curious　manner。　Each

cask　is　fixed　upon　a　light　sledge　with　two　wheels；

and　a　man；　who　is　well　used　to　the　precipitous　path；

walks　down　in　front　of　the　sledge；　taking　care　that　it

does　not　acquire　momentum　enough　to　overpower

him。　When　the　cask　has　been　thus　guided　sa