The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-20

Thus he proceeds mon his way. pntting a aot
here, and dot there, and dot wherever his
artistic judgment tells HIM a dot should be
placed. such Is the art and mystery OF stipple-
engravinEpPon steel; and so Pickpeck goes on
dottiDg Fom day 70 day, until he was wrought
out, by means Ofthose multtudinous dots, a fair
representation OF the torn and pressure" of a
Bunelebutt Fin his habit as he lives,r 49,
But, say what you Will, engraving upon steel
no help for IT, but to go on dot, dot, dottng
with his greatest vigor; first oppressed by the
heat of the sun during the day; then, baked
almost beyond endurance by the heat from his
oil lamp at night. And thus. although the
head OF Bunglebutt, as 1t is being engraved, is
no bigger than q bronze penny-piece Pickpeck
has to dot, dot, dot his countless dots day
after day, besides suffering from all the
ills which an engravers hesh ia heir to-
These are ills that come in the shape of indIf.
terent gravers; one gTaver is too hard, and away
flies its point as soon as it touches the steel
plate, making, instead of dot beautiful in
shape and clearness, an Informed dent. pro-
badly twice as big as was required for the pur-
pose. Sometimes the result of this sudden
swapping OF the point of the graver is a slip,
which brings With 1t loss OF time-drst to erase
the slip, and then to make good the surface of
the steel plate. The next graver and the next
after that, will be- IN all probability, too soft,
and here is more trouble for Pickpeck; nearly
halt his time is lost in resharpening his grayers
for, the moment some of them touch the steel
plate, their points get doubled up. Thus. Pick
peck lrets and fumes and fumes and frets and
carries on his work Through difficulties OF
which IL IS useless to complain," as John son OBJ
served concerning the labor OF his Dictionary
Yes; all this Pickpeck has TO do, to an extent
which makes him feel with bitter force the fur
ther words OF the great photographer; for the
engraver dots away, day after day, "without
one act of assistance, one word of encourage.
ment, or one smile of favor" from anybody.
But after all this work and labor after all this
dot, dot dottlng, to get out the true light and
shade OF Bunglebutts sage countenance-upOn
taking proof at this middle stage OF the en-
craving, the proof looks rather white and
ghostly; consequently, increase OF power must
be had quickly, and can be had quickly by what
Is called rebiting; therefore, Pickpeck prepares
for the more than usually delicate operation of
"a rebite.n
For laying his rebiting ground, Pickpeck does
not use the ground he employed for etching
upon, although that would serve the purpose
very well; but Pickpick is particular fellow in
these matters, and has, therefore, his special
corpulent-looking dy-ball-colored ground
Tor rebitlng; yet the materials composing these
grounds are the same in both cases-that is to
say, virgin wax, Burgundy pitch, and asphal-
tum; but 1T is by the most subtle cunning that
the proportions have been varied, so as to make
each ground the more ef1icacious for its particu-
lar department.
In this operation of rebiting, the first thing
that Pickpeck has to do is beautifully to clean
the engraved surface of the steel plate with tur-
pentine; then, placing lady's silver thimble
full OF whiting upon the well-cleaned surface,
with little fresh turpentine added, wherewith
to make the whiting into kind of paste, the
same is then laid completely over the plate, and,
when quite dry, the super1uous whiting being
brushed off with clean piece of cotton rag the
surface of the steel plate will suddenly appear
as bright as polished silver, while every indi-
vidual engraved dot and line looks somewhat
pretty, being perfectly filled with dry and hard
whiting But this must be removed before the
ground can be laid: so, with piece of carefully
selected stale bread, quite free from the least
speck of grease, Pickpeck gently rubs the stale
bread over the engraved parts-when forth with
the whiting leaves the dots and lines, which are
then observed to sparkle like diamonds of the
purest water.
The steel plate being thus prepared for a
rebiting ground, and at the back or under side
OF the plate the proper amount of warmth
having been applied, the first important thing
for Pickpeck to do Is to pass down the margin
OF the plate the silk-covered ball OF rebiting
ground, which, as If by magic, leaves in the
wake OF its passage what looks like a stroke of
treacle. This is then gently manipulated about
the margin of the plate by means of series OF
delicate pats or dabs with the rebiting dabber;
until the ground is dtfused about and thlnned
down into II homogeneous tint, ike q layer OIL
af-gold. Now comes the trial of skill. From
this leafgold-looking tint of rebiting ground,
lying on the margin of the plate, Pickpeck
begins to pass with his dabber over the engraved
surface with the gentlest OF all gentle pats,
and as his manipulation is this time perfect,
the satisfactory result is that over Bunglebutts
expressive head and shoulders there presented
appears a golden film of rebitlng ground, the
same resting upon the blank bits of steel
situated between and around each line and dol
that has been engraved upon the steel plate
moreover, every dot is shining away through
the golden film OF reblting ground, like so many
homeopathic spangles or if the smallest parti
Gle of the rebiting ground had flowed over the
sides OF any line or dot, and so down into thesC
graver. made cavities, the acid would very po
l1tely decline to act therein.
nIaaN, III hn dom DO snI-.
carefully cover over with his Brunswick blacE
all such parts OF the engraving as he does no
desire to rebite. Then, once again, PckpecE
surrounds the steel plate with a second little
great wall OF China, composed OF the same kline
OF wax that the first was made with. The Bruins
wick black being'carried home TO the back o
this little great wall of China, the process o
stopping out the plate for reblting Is complete
while the Brunswick black will, in a com para
| lively short time, be dry enough and hare
enough to decline letting the acid make way
| through its coat, so as to do damage to the sur
| face OF the steel beneath.
| Pickpeck prepares to pour his rebting acid on
| the plate and within the mystic circle of wall
| wax. AS before Observed the engraved portion
| OF the plate, not stopped out with BrunsWick
black, is only covered with delicate gold lea
| looking film of rebitng ground which, thin anC
delicate as ii is, being nevertheless perfectly laid
| scorns the most desperate attack of the acid
| consequently the acid aforesaid Is no sooner
/ poured upon the plate than 1t pops down int
| the dots, taking their SHINE OFF in no time. Al
| In the case of the etching, so with the engraving
| minute particles of metal are torn away, whence
| every dot is being enlarged by this violent mode
| OF proceeding on the part OF the acid. AuC
/ very sharp and attentive work is this rebiting
| for all that Plckpeck wishes to accomplish
| though of such great importance is neverthe
| Lesson steel-almost of momentary nature II
| its working. An instant too long-nay th,
| winking of Pickpeck's eyelids-and the work o
days may be gndone IN hall a second.
Ilank AnNa ind biol