There never was a time when the world was without fire, but there was a time when men did not know how to kindle fire; and
after they learned how to kindle one, it was a long, long
time before they learned how to
kindle one easily. In these days
we can kindle a fire without any trouble, because we can easily
get a match; but we must remember that the match is one
in of the most wonderful things in the world, and that it took men thousands of years to learn how to make one. Let us learn
the history of this familiar little object, the match.
Fire was first given to man by nature itself. When a forest is set on fire
by cinders from a neighboring volcano, or when a
iS tree is set ablaze by a thunderbolt, we may say that nature strikes a match. In the early history of the world, nature had to
kindle all the fires, for man by his own effort was unable to produce spark. The first method. then, of getting fire for use
was to light sticks
of wood at a flame kindled by nature-by a volcano, perhaps, or by a stroke of lightning These
firebrands were carried to the home and used kindling the fires there. The fire secured in this way was carefully guarded
and was kept burning as long as possible. But the flame, however faithfully watched, would sometimes be extinguished. A
sudden gust of wind or a sudden shower would put it out. Then a new firebrand would have
O be secured, and this often
meant a long journey and a deal of trouble.
In 1827, John Walker, a druggist in a small English town, tipped a splint with sulphur, chlorate of potash, and sulphid of
antimony, and rubbed it on sandpaper, and it burst into flame. The druggist had
discovered the first friction-chemical match,
the kind we use to-day. It is called friction-chemical because
iS made by mixing certain chemicals together and rubbing
did not require the bottle of acid, nevertheless it was not a good one. It could be lighted
them. Although Walker's match
only by hard rubbing, and it sputtered and threw fire in all directions. In a few years, however, phosphorus was substituted
on the tip for antimony, and the change worked wonders. The match could now be lighted with very little rubbing, and it
upon which to rub it. It would ignite when rubbed on any dry surface, and there
was no longer necessary to have sandpaper
the match with which we are so familiar.
was no longer any sputtering. This was the phosphorus match,
Which of the following correctly describes how the author develops the main point of this article? How does the author
develop the main idea of the article?
O By showing the importance of matches today
O By providing a history of how matches developed
• By showing how nature created fire
© By providing the history of John Walker's work