ON THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES IN NEW YORK. 171 



commend them, to the use of travellers who like to enjoy "a weed" while 

 en route in pursuit of business or pleasure. Mr Partridge also does a large 

 business in what he calls ' Diamond Cigar Lights,' which are very useful 

 little things for smokers. They are made of the same material as the old 

 " Lucifers," and are diamond-shaped ; one end of them is inserted into the 

 cigar, and the other, which is tipped with a composition, is rubbed like a 

 match. The burning composition being entirely free from odour, does not 

 in the least destroy the flavour of the cigar. 



One- of the most remarkable peculiarities of Mr Partridge's establish- 

 ment is the plan of its organisation. Mr Partridge believes that unity of 

 interest can alone produce and preserve harmony between labour and capital, 

 and this end he proposes to carry out in the following manner : 



Let capital, or the employer, continue to pay the same prices for labour 

 that they now do, or may hereafter, under any advance in the cost of living, 

 and, in addition to this, divide a liberal percentage of the net profits of the 

 business among the operatives, annually, in the ratio of services each has 

 rendered. 



In following out this principle, Mr Partridge divides among his 

 employees, in the ratio of their services rendered, ten per cent, of the profits 

 of his match factory. The number among whom this money was divided 

 was 102, some receiving more and some less, in proportion to the ser- 

 vices each one had rendered, to the whole amount of work done. After 

 the distribution, the hands sit down to a splendid banquet. The occasion 

 is one of great interest, and his plan has attracted much attention among 

 the community generally and the manufacturers in particular. Mr 

 Partridge is daily receiving letters from persons employing a large number 

 of operatives, seeking information as to his plan and its workings, and he 

 feels sanguine that in the course of a few years it will be quite generally 

 adopted. 



Another extensive match factory is that of Mr Le Cure, in the Second 

 avenue, between Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth street. Mr Le Cure has been 

 in the business for a number of years, and has, as he deserves, been 

 exceedingly successful. His factory occupies nearly an acre of ground, and 

 employs a very large number of men, women, and children. He has 

 adopted all the improvements that have been made in the manufacture of 

 matches, and all the ingenious machinery which we have described may be 

 found in his establishment. His matches are eagerly sought for wherever 

 they have been introduced, although they contain at least twenty times as 

 many matches as the ordinary boxes, and are sold for about one-half the 

 price ; as they sell them at a profit, it is with difficulty that, with all his 

 advantages, he is able to supply the demand. 



The spill, or match-making machines, each make 900 round spills, 15 

 inches long, J inch diameter, per minute ; so that, if each spill were cut 

 into five matches, each 3 inches long, 4,500 would be produced every 

 minute. The spills are cut from pieces of straight-grained timber, made of 

 such a length as to pass between two grooved feeding-rollers, which hold 



