The Invention of the Lucifer Match

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 46, 14 November 1907, Page 15

The Invention of the Lucifer Match

Sixty miles north of Washington, in Maryland, at the foot of the Blue iTidge Mountains, stands tne littie old one-storey stone house in which the first lucifer ' match was made, says the ' Washington Herald. 1 It was the product of the ingenious Brain of o oseph Weller and his, brother, Jacob Weller, jun. This uiscovery was maue in 1825. Several relatives, of the Wellers still live at Thurmont, where ' The Old Match House,' as it is known, occupies a prominent place on —am street, near- the centre of the little mountain village.

The father of the invenlors was the first set bier at Mechanicstown, the name of- which was afterwards changed to Thurmont. In 1811 he started an extensive edge-tool factory, which, gave the hamlet its first cognomen. The Wellers were hard woncers arid early risers. Every morning the father and sons were at their tasks long before daylight. This brought to Joseph the thought of devising some means of doing away with" the use of the old-fashioned flint and steel every time a light was desired. '

Joseph" Wefler and his brother spient their leisure time working on their scheme. They made a brimstone mixture, and continued to experiment. Time and again the mixture failed. In fact, it was months before the concoction was made so that any results developed at all. . Ea'tlle dicl tne two young men realise that they were working on an invention which in the course of the next generation would be used in every civilized country of the world and millions of times each day.

Late one night, while working on the brimstone mixture by the dim light of home-made tahow candles they found the Key to the situation. 'ihe irixture fairly glistened in the weak light of "the candle. Into the fluid was dipped a small piece of wood. Then it was allowed to dry. Striking the new invention on the wall, they found that it ignited. There was light. It burned. The boys were astounded. They laughed with joy, and hurried to their father to tell him of their success. Then Joseph and Jacob Weller, jun., went to work fo supply their neighbors with the new lighitmaker, which was quicker, easier, and more convenient" than the Hint and steel. In a corner of one of the rooms of * The" Old Matclr House ' they had their workshop for a time. "* The matches (they -weren't called, that at the time) were first made into blocks and subdivided, first by hand, and then dipped, one at a time, into the brimstone mixture. Then they were alloweu to dry and later packed in boxes, which the brothers retailed out To the neighbors and those passing through that part of the country at 25 cents, a box. The sale " included a little piece ol sandpaper with verbal instructions as to how to ignite the end of the little pine sticks.* , S The Business of the Wellers began to grow immediately. Curious people came for miles to see them work ana buy their goods. The flint and steel was a thing of the past in that locality within 'the next few months, uradually the "trade began to extend more and more, and the brothers eventually selected a site and erected a factory. Then machinery was introduced into the works to assist them in iilling -their orders. Twice the factory was burned, the blaze toeing due to the carelessness of workmen in the manufacture. • of matches.