One hundred years ago, Joshua Pusey, a lawyer in Lima, Pa., created the first paper matchbook. Mr. Pusey, who is also given credit for inventing the roller coaster, called his creation the flexible match and patented the design.

The Beans of Jaffrey, N.H., are glad he did. In 1938, Delcie David Bean founded D. D. Bean & Sons, the first company to make paper matches exclusively.

Today, D. D. Bean (no relation to the L. L. Bean clothing company in Maine) is the world's largest supplier of paper matches, with $25 million in annual match sales.

Mark C. Bean, the founder's grandson and vice president of the company, said D. D. Bean turns out 4 billion matchbooks yearly -- 20 million every day -- and accounts for 75 percent of the American paper match market.