A VISIT TO THE BRITISH NEEDLE MILLS. 521 
being that. which is technically termed the "bright shop," in which 
many processes are carried on in reference to the finishing of needles. 
The needles are examined after being scoured, and are placed in a small 
tin tray, where, by shaking and vibrating in a curious maimer, they are 
all brought into parallel arrangement. From thence they are removed 
into flat paper trays, in long rows or heaps, and passed on to the 
" header," generally a little girl, whose office is to turn all the heads one 
way, and all the points the other. This is one among the many simple 
but curious processes involved in this very curious manufacture, which 
surprises us by the rapidity and neatness of execution. The girl sits 
with her face towards the window, and has the needles ranged in a row 
or layer before her, the needles being parallel with the window. She 
draws out laterally to the right those which have their eyes on the right 
hand, into one heap, and to the left those which have their eyes in that 
direction, in another heap. 
About this time, too, the needles are examined one by one, to 
remove those which have been broken or injured in the long process of 
scouring, for it sometimes happens that as many as eight or ten thousand 
out of fifty thousand, are spoiled during this operation. Most ladies are 
conversant with the merits of " drilled-eyed needles/' warranted " not 
to cut the thread." These aie produced by a modern improvement, 
whereby the eye, produced by the stamping and piercing processes 
before described, is drilled with a very fine instrument, by which its 
margin becomes as perfectly smooth and brilliant as any other part of 
the needle. To effect this, the needle is first " blued " — that is, the 
head is heated so as to give it the proper temper for working. Next 
comes the drilling. Seated at a long bench are a number of men and 
boys, with small drills working horizontally with great rapidity. The 
workman takes up a few needles between the finger and thumb of his 
left hand, spreads them out like a fan, with the eyes uppermost, brings 
them one at a time opposite the point of the drill, and drills the eye, 
which is equivalent to making it even, smooth, and polished. He 
moves the thumb and finger, so as to bring the opposite side of the 
needles, in succession, under the action of the drill, and thus gets 
through his work with much rapidity. The preparation of the drills, 
which are small pieces of steel three or four inches long, is a matter of 
very great nicety, and on it depends much of that beauty of production 
which constitutes the pride of a modern needle-manufacturer. 
We next pass into a large room (see illustration on page 511), where 
a multitude of little wheels are revolving with great rapidity, some 
intended for what is termed "grinding," and. setting the needles, and 
some for polishing. The men are seated on low stools, each in front of 
a revolving wheel, which is at a height of perhaps two feet from the 
ground. All the wheels are connected by straps and bands, with a 
steam engine in the lower part of the factory. A constant humming^ 
