OCR Text |
Show soap snd Steel. The steel manufacturer issubjectod to some rather singular annoyances at the hands of hia customers. For example, the other day a Pittsburg mamifa?tirer received a complaint from a firm which. uses a good deal of his steel that there was something wrong with the last-con-Bigtiniemt of steel sent, inasmuch as the men alleged that it was soft. This, surprised sur-prised the manufacturer, as large quantities quan-tities of the same steel had given satisfaction satis-faction elsewhere, and he himstW went to investigate the matter. Ho was still more sorprraed when he found that the steel was soft after heating heat-ing and submission to the usaid bath. The blacksmith before whom he made the test and tho other workmen standing stand-ing around took little pains to hide their enjoyment of the expert's discomfiture. "Yon see, it is soft," said the blacksmith, black-smith, with a grin, and for a moment the manufacturer was at a loss what more to do. Then an idea struck him. "Isuus bath all right?" he asked, and without waiting for an answer he plunged his hand into the trough and fished np a good sized lump or soap. No steel will harden in a soapy bath, and the mystery was at an end. Of course the blacksmith, who had played the trick, was discharged, and he confessed a rival manufacturer of steel had given him $50 to put the soap in the bath. Pittsburg Dii'.patch. |