Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1884 — Two Curious Needles. [ARTICLE]

Two Curious Needles.

Girls, we are afraid, don’t like sewing quite as well as they ought to. It is so much easier to ask mother to do what is needed than to do it themselves. And many mothers, unfortunately, think it takes less time and trouble to do the work than to teach their daughters to do it. But the girls may he interested in reading about some curious needles, if they are not obliged to use them: The King of Prussia recently visited a needle manufactory in his kingdom, in order to see what machinery, with the human hand, could produce. He was shown a number of superfine needles, thousands of which together did not weigh half an ounce, and marveled how such minute oejects could be pierced with an eye. But he was to see that in this respect something still finer and more perfect could be created. The borer, that is, the workman whose business it is to bore the eyes iu these needles, asked for a hair from the monarch’s head. It was readily given, and with a smile. He placed" it at once under the boring machine, made a hole in it with the greatest care, furnished it with a thread, and then handed the singular needle to the astonished King. The second curious needle is in the possession of Queen Victoria. It was made at tli£ celebrated needle manufactory at Bedditoh, and represents the column of Trajan in miniature. This well-known Boman column is adorned with numerous scenes in sculpture* which immortalize Trajan’s heroic actions in war. On this diminutive need! e scenes in the life of Queen Victoria are represented in relief, but so finely cut, and so small, that it requires a magnify-ing-glass to see them. The Victoria needle can, moreover, be opened; it contains a number of needles of a smaller size, which are equally adorned with scenes in relief. —Good Cheer.

Presents which our love for the donor has rendered precious are ever the most acceptable.— Ovid.