first assorted, according to the length and temperature. The quills having been dressed thickness of the barrel, into primes, seconds and finished, a portion of the barb is stripped and pinions. They are then clarified by the off, so as to occupy less room in packing, removal of the membranous skin, for which when they are counted in bundles, packed, purpose they are plunged for a short time into and are ready for the merchant. Besides the hot sand, the heat causing the outer skin to above, there are several other methods of mancrack and peel off-its removal being facili-ufacturing or dressing quills. tated by scraping with a sharp instrument. While quill pens were in vogue, the occuAt the same time the internal membrane be-pation of a pen-cutter, or maker, was one of comes shrivelled up, and falls down toward considerable importance; not one in five of the point of the quill. The effect of the heat those who used pens, could make one; and is also to consume or dry up the oily matter scarcely a quarter of a century has elapsed of the quill, and thus to render the barrel since a certain house, in Shoe-lane, London, transparent. This process, which is often re-disposed of over 6,000,000 quill pens per anpeated many times, is called dutching, proba- num. It was also quite common at that bly from the circumstance of its first having time to cut the barrels of quills into several been adopted in Holland. The heat requires pens, each being affixed to handles when used, regulation, or the barrel would be injured;- as is now done with metallic pens. but the effect of the process is to give to the barrels the color of fine, thin horn, or an impure white. In some cases a uniform yellow hue is produced by dipping them in diluted nitric acid; this process also hardens them. Quills may also be hardened by steeping for a few minutes in alum-water, at a boiling From the softening of the quill pen by the ink, and the wear of the points by friction, frequent mending was required, or very bad writing was the result. The first attempts to render pens more durable consisted in arming the nibs with metallic points. Pens were also constructed of horn, tortoise and other she and also of glass-the nibs in some cases being formed of precious stones. Probably this last operation was first practised some forty years since. The horn and shell pens, after being cut in shape, were softened in warm water, when small pieces of diamond, ruby, etc., were imbedded into the points by pressure. Thin pieces of gold or other metal have also been attached to the tortoise shell. The modern gold pen has its points tipped with rhodium, iridium, or osmium-although in some cases rubies and other jewels are employed. Pens have also been made of palladium, gold and silver alloy, silver, and other precious metals; being pointed as above, and as the ink cannot act upon them, they are almost indestructible by ordinary usage. They, however, are very costly, easily liable to injury from accident, and in many cases are entirely defic. ient of the elasticity and freedom required to give ease in writing. All these difficulties are readily overcome by the use of a wellconstructed steel pen. From the nature of the metal, when properly tempered, the tensibility is regulated by the will of the operator; it discharges the liquid promptly, and in every respect is undoubtedly the most desirable material adapted to the purpose. In an economical point of view, the effect is also most striking. A jewel-pointed gold pen costs more than five hundred steel pens. lowing each of the latter to continue in use for one week-we often use one a whole month-it will take about ten years to consume them. It is, undoubtedly, utterly impossible to find the individual that ever used a single pen, of any kind, one-third of that time. Al The first notice that we find of steel pens for writing is in 1803, SCOURING. public favor. The first effort was by a company in Massachusetts, who perfected some fair specimens for that early day; but, owing to inexperience and the absence of proper tools, tool-makers, and a knowledge of slitting, tempering and finishing, their products lacked uniformity of quality; thus the enterprise failed. Soon after, two or three of the principal dealers in stationery in this city experimented in steel pen manufacture. We remember one of them who commenced operations in Brooklyn, and who, after expending some $15,000, followed in the wake of the Eastern company. success; finally, he "felt" he must follow his illustrious predecessors. The late C. C. Wright, long known as a prominent engraver and die-sinker, made a most strenuous effort to permanently establish this manufactureThrough his influence, aided by J. C. Barnett, since well known as the treasurer of Burton's Theatre, a company was formed, and a capital amounting to $200,000 expended. A large factory was erected on Fifth street, in this city, the most approved machinery, and fixtures procured, operations commenced, and ten or twelve varieties of pens produced, many when Mr. Wise, of London, constructed bar- | Another erected his works in New Jersey, rel-pens of that metal, mounted in a bone case and for some months battled manfully for for carrying in the pocket. These pens were expensive, and not very successful; they however served a good purpose, by opening the way for a better article. About the year 1822,, Mr. Gillott, of Birmingham, England, who had long experimented in the manafacture of steel pens, became so successful in their production, that he at once determined on making them an article of commerce. The time was most propitious; a demand was readily created, and from that moment the manufacture became an important accessory to the useful arts. Birmingham is the great workshop for steel pens; many firms are now engaged in the business, and from the adaptation of machinery the products have not only been greatly perfected, but their cost has been reduced in the ratio of a gross now to a single pen formerly. It is stated that during the year 1855 over 500,000,000 steel pens were made in Birmingham, and that 300 tuns of metal was required for their construction. About the year 1840, steel pens having become in considerable demand in this country, and the fact of their almost universal adoption being already apparent, the cupidity of certain parties was excited, and they resolved to present steel pens of home manufacture for the TEMPERING. of them of excellent quality; yet notwith-lence been produced in the manufacture of standing the impetus with which the affair American steel pens, but their decided supewas started, it met with no better success riority is rapidly checking importations, thus than those before mentioned. We learn of distributing among our own people over one attempts to resuscitate the business until million dollars per annum that formerly went 1852, when some Birmingham men, who abroad. claimed to be experts, induced certain capitalists in New Jersey to "try their money" in the operation. One after another, two or three companies expended large amounts, each with no better pecuniary results than had before been arrived at. Probably these latter failures were caused more by the mode of business management than by imperfections in the manufacture. Instead of giving their products originality, the parties aimed only to duplicate the shapes and trade marks of the English pens. As in railroad iron and many other products, the foreign capitalists were bound to undersell and drive the others out of the trade. Having a great advantage in the price of labor, this end was readily accomplished; and when the market was again clear of impediments, they would bring forward an inferior article at a much increased price, and thus make good their losses. This mode of operating has finally been "played out." During the last two years not only has the acme of excel This national triumph has been accomplished by a number of able and spirited individuals, who associated themselves together, aocording to the General Manufacturing Law of New York, under the title of "The Washington Medallion Pen Company." They commenced operations by erecting a substantial factory on Thirty-seventh street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, in this city.After securing "competent artisans," they, at an early day, discovered the rock on which all their predecessors were wrecked-adherence to English styles and trade-markswhich necessitated a competition in the market at the prices at which English pens were offered; presented no new feature to the consumers, they could not attract the notice of the interests of the merchants. To sail clear of this rock the efforts of this Company were directed. Adopting the principle that variety is not a necessity with the consumer-but, on the contrary, unformity in excellence and designation would more certainly meet the great head. We will endeavor to follow the process as pursued at the establishment of the Washington Medallion Pen Company. The pens progress through the factory in "lots" of about one hundred gross. Each "lot" is accompanied by a ticket, on which is recorded all the operations and other remarks dur public desire-it instituted thorough experiments with all known styles of steel pens, and made several entirely new shapes, with the view to ascertain what shape would produce the most natural and generally agreeable action. With this view, and after fully six months devoted to experiments, they perfected a pen of unrivalled shape and excellence-ing their progress. Thus when a lot is finishto protect which from infringement they adopted as a trade-mark a medallion head of Washington; this is secured by letters patent, and is stamped on every pen. Thus fully comprehending the underlying principles of this important branch of manufactures, and boldly striking out a new path in accordance with them, this company has firmly planted this new interest on American soil. In our perambulations a short time since we visited this establishment. Finding the manufacture much more extensive and intricate than we had supposed, while at the same time it was exceedingly interesting, we determined to present our readers with a pictorial description. There are about twenty separate operations, several of which are distinct trades, in the manufacture of a steel pen; each of these departments require a master workman at its ed, although it has been from twenty to thirty days in the course of manufacture, the date each process was performed, the names of the operatives in each trade, together with the weight of the lot, are recorded. As we proceed the great value of this system will be made apparent. The steel is received at the factory in sheets; after being cut in strips of the desired dimensions, it is immersed in "pickle," a weak solution of acid, to remove scales and dirt. It is now subject to the rolling process which is accomplished by being passed between chilled rollers until it acquires the requisite thinness. Thus an ugly black plate of steel is transformed into delicate metallic ribbons, beautifully bright and supple, so as to move about on the hands like nothing we can think of but twining snakes. These ribbons of steel are taken to one of |