THE BLACK FOREST.

21

the spring-w'heels. They only pointed tlie liours, and were regulated by a balance. Equally primitive were the instrumenta employcd in their niamifacture. A pair of com- passes, a small saw, soine borers and a knife were their sole iinplements. As this trade advanced in years, it grew in pcrfection. Some of the manufacturers proceeded to Paris in ordcr to learn hnprovements; and about 1750 metal wheels were substituted to llie wooden works. Joseph Liedle atNeukirch made clocks which vvith rcgard to their finish, vied with the english works. — The common price of a mu- sical box is from two to three Louisd’ors; still musical works are somethnes made in the Black Forest for which thousands of guldens will he paid. Most of tliese wooden clocks are sold to England, Russia, France, and the United States. In 1838 the first cargo was sent to East India. In the same year there were in London 230 sellers of wooden clocks, and 22 in Dublin.

At present this industry is on the decline, owing to the competition of the American factories. Still, not many years ago, there existed 1200 master-clockmakers with an adequate number of journeymcn, who annually made clocks to the average value of 1,000,000 guldens.

In the fabrication of slraw hals about 3000 women, and girls are engagcd. The flourishing state it is in, dates from the year 1804, wdien Mr. Huber, tlien bailli of the barony of Triberg, hy the attention he paid to this trade became the benefactor of bis district. He instructed the people liow to select and bleach the straw, and taught them the Splitting of the finest straws even into teil sliccs. Shortly before bis decease he also made them acquainted with the progresses this art has made in England. — At present straw-hats of all qualities, from the coarsest kind tili up