Part 55

[53] An ingenious Frenchman, of the name of Bernot, has just invented a file-cutting machine which will, we trust, come generally into use, and do away with the paralysis arising from the present handicraft. It is said that the workmanship of the machine is more even than the hand-work: the files cut in the morning by the artisan being superior to those cut in the afternoon, in consequence of his muscles becoming tired.

Transcriber's Notes:

Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_.

The original text contains several images of a right-pointing hand. This is represented in this text as [Hand].

End of Project Gutenberg's Curiosities of Civilization, by Andrew Wynter