it is fearfully and
wonderfully made up of sheet iron, square iron, and brass; the outcome
of which is that the showy brass striking piece comes unriveted, the
door comes unfastened, and the tenant's temper comes unhinged. Why, in
the name of common sense, could they not substitute a neat malleable
casting? In our own houses I have long since discarded the ordinary
box staple for draw-back locks, and find it cheaper to buy a cast iron
staple, and throw away the one supplied by the English lockmaker.

Bear in mind that I have shown neither of these locks as samples of
high-class goods, but as samples of the furniture fixed in the houses
of the working and middle classes of this country; and when I tell you
that the American lock, fitted with the mineral furniture, is at least
25 per cent cheaper than the English abortion I have shown to you, you
will begin to realize what our English markets have to fear from the
Americans.

Here is a common, cheap English mortise lock, and you will naturally
ask why the outside of this lock is ground bright, when it is buried
in the door and never seen except it has to be taken out for repairs.
I have asked the same question, and for 20 years have paused for a
reply. This lock is not reversible, the follower is not bushed, and
the inside is rough and cheap. Contrast it with this neat American
lock, and notice again the bosses to receive the wear; notice also
that the bolts are brass; the latch-bolt is, of course, reversible--I
never saw an American lock which was not. The body of the lock is cast
iron; and, seeing that there are no strains upon a mortise lock, it is
quite as good as if it was of wrought iron. There is no unnecessary
grinding, but the iron is japanned, and the japan is as much superior
to the English compound as is the lacquer ware of the Japanese to that
which is executed in Birmingham and palmed upon the ignorant buyer as
Japanese work. In fact, as you can see for yourselves, the English
japan looks almost like gas tar beside the American. This American
lock is a two-lever, and there is no sham about the key, which is made
of some kind of white metal and is small and neat. This lock is only
21/2 per cent higher in price than the English.

Before leaving these locks, let me say a word or two upon the
relative wear upon their different portions, and their relative
safety. The English maker appears to ignore the fact that
nineteen-twentieths of the wear of a lock is u