Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 265, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1919 — Smokers Scratch 10,000 Matches Every Second 15 Seconds Each Scratch [ARTICLE]

Smokers Scratch 10,000 Matches Every Second 15 Seconds Each Scratch

Next time you light a match, think of this: About 10,000 matches are scratched In this country every second that and of these 95 per cent are used by smokers to fire pipe, cigar or cigarette. The man whose head for figures turned out this Information also estimates that the time lost by the smolers in lighting matches-—not In smoking—-Is worth ?513,024 each eighthour working day. He arrived at his estimate by figuring that it takes 15 seconds to scratch a matchand use the light, and that 213,759 men whose time is worth 30 cents an hour are holding matches at the same time, thus losing, golden minutes.at the rate of $1,068 a minute, or $61,128 till hour. No one, so far as we can learn, has figured out how large a percentage of the match scratchers throw away the .matches.while they are still burning; but It has been estimatetUthat a half of -the tires.- which cost the United States $250,000,000 a year, are caused by carelessness. T® 7 * Wood, chlorate of potash. rosin, whiting and powdered flint lire the makings 5 of this little device.— popular Science