•Machine foii shoemakers. \^5 



(relative to the use of maft) has yet attained its utmost state 

 of perfection ; nor any branch of rractical horticulture whick 

 is not still susceptible of essential improvement : and under 

 these impressions, they hope to receive the su; rort and assis- 

 tance of those who are interested in, and capable of promot- 

 ing, the success of their endeavours. 



VIIL 



Account of a Machine for performing the Thread-Work m 

 B/coc-maldng in a standing Fodure ; contrived, and for many 

 Xcars constantly/ used hi/ Thomas IIolden, Shoemaker, of 

 Tcttlexoorth, near Pctxvorth, Sussex* 



A 



VERY moderate observation of the different processes of The attit,ude8 

 , ,. ,. 11 1 1 1 • 1 ■ » • and method of 



handicraltsracn will shew how extremely various are their ha- worlci'-n^ in 



bits of manipulatim^. Every ditlerent position of standing, sit- liandicro^'tsare 



, ' , , . ' , r , 1 " 1 - very vaiious: 



ting, and, perhaps, lying, may be round among them; and in 



works apparently of the same nat.ure, the positions are found 

 to be considerably unlike each othero It is probable that the 

 first workman assumed positions which; whether aukward, con- 

 fined, or inconsistent with liealth, or the contrary, came into 

 universal usr when the habit of the individual and the con- 

 firmed custom of master 'avid apprentice had given them the 

 sanction of many years. Thus we see that men's cloths are Instances; — 

 sewed by men who sit cross-legged ; women's cloth's by v.'o- .^an'tm-"'^ 

 men who sit in no unusual position : turners in India hold the malzers; 

 tool with their feet, and turn the lathe with the left hand, while ]^/"a"and'iu 

 they sit on the ground with the body leaning very much for- in Europe; 

 ward ; in Europe they stand and turn with one foot, while the 

 Taands direct the tool: comb-cutters, for coarse or open-tooth- — comb-cut- 



ed combs, sit astride a lar^e triangular stool with their work tevs for fine and 



' '^ o tor coarse 



as low as the seat, so that they must keep their bodies almost wurk. 



* For which the Society of Arts gave a premium of fifteen gui- 

 neas. See vol. xxii. of their Transactiuns. One of the machines is 

 in their repository. 



X 2 horizon- 



