THE FIRST MATCHES

Evening Star, Issue 19765, 16 January 1928, Page 8

THE FIRST MATCHES

THE LUCIFER’S CENTENARY. A century ago Mr John Hixoia, of Stockton-on-Tees, bought the first box of lucifer matches (writes a correiponuent in the ‘Daily News’). The seller was John Walker, the local chemist, who was the inventor, but never “the patentee, because, considering the simple and trilling nature of the article,” he did not think it worth while to take out a patent. Like Davy, with his safety lamp, he made mankind his debtor and took no steps either to have the debt acknowledged or the bill paid. It was an accidental invention. Walker dipped a splinter into a lighting mixture, which ho was preparing, dropped it on the hearth, and rubbed it with his foot, whereupon it burst into flame. Fortunately the chemist appreciated what had occured. and the spluttering flame sounded the death knell of the tinder bos and the “chemical match.’

But though Walker would not patent his invention, he kept up the price by keeping secret the composition _ of the mixture. Ho charged a shilling for fifty matches, and twopence extra for the box, which included a strip of folded sandpaper on which the match was rubbed.

Previous to Walker’s invention, the common method of obtaining a light was by means of tinder and steel—a method trying to the patience and unsatisfactory in the result. A welldarned stocking carefully charred was the ideal tinder in the absence of amadou, a species of fungus, while a sulphur-tipped splint, applied to the smouldering material, gave the necessary flame. An improvement on this method was the “ chernicaFmatch,” in which a splinter headed with a combustible mixture was dipped into sulphuric acid, when the chemical action resulted in a flame. But these_ matches were dangerous—and expensive, too, for a box of this chemical wizardry cost ns much as fifteen shillings. Therefore, though Walker’s prices seem high to us, they smashed the market in “chemical matches.” Walker’s invention did not immediately get its angelic appellation. The now match was at first called ft “congrcve” after the inventor of the rocket, but it eventually became the “lucifer.” This name was probably due to Michael Faraday, who realised the value of these splints when they fell eventually into_ his hands, and spread the good things of their existence.

Their first appearance in Ireland was rather curious. A young farmer strolled into a field to see how his men were getting on with their work', took one of the new matches out of his box, and struck it on the bottom of his boot. The men threw down their implements and ran, exclaiming: “ Och 1 and did ye see the divil draw the fire out of his fut?” That young farmer found he had much to live down, and was hardly inclined to bless John Walker, who for the_rest, must he considered one of mankind’s greatest benefactors.