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The Sewing Machine 375 scattered throughout the world, while its employees, engaged in some capacity or another, form a vast army of men and women. But from the original Singer of 1851 to that of the present day is a far cry. Its sphere of use has been steadily and persistently extended until at the present time it is applicable to virtually every pur- pose wherein one piece of material has to be attached to another. The machines will cope with leather two inches in thickness as readily as two pieces of muslin. Nor are they confined to what might be termed straight sewing duties. They will make button-holes and even sew on the buttons, though of course the design of the machine varies in detail according to the particular character of the duty which has to be fulfilled. It is even possible to equip the machine with more than one needle, the maximum in this direction being twelve needles set side by side to make an equal number of parallel rows of stitches, and each drawing its supply of thread from its own reel, so that various coloured threads may be used at one and the same time. The total capacity of this machine is 9,000 stitches per minute. Think of it—150 perfect lock- stitches every second! The machine has also displaced hand-labour in another field—fancy work. Indeed, its possibilities in this direction appear to be illimitable. Some of the achievements executed by the sewing machine in this realm at first sight appear to be impossible, and certainly may be classed as pieces de resistance from the artistic and mechanical sewing points of view. Although Singer introduced the treadle in his very first machine, thereby releasing the hands for