Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-09-19
How the Ancients Engraved Gems.


We must remain as yet some little in
doubt as to the methods EMPLOYED bv
the old artists to perfect these miracles
of taste. We have, however, the abso.
lutte certainty that these ancient masters
were familiar with the diamond. and
that their best work was made by using
this, the hardest of all substances IA =
tool. A splintered fragment of the
diamond served rs scrsping tool. and
they were we'll acquainted with the
drill. Prehistoric man worked q drill
at the very commencement of his exist
ence. A Ph9nician gem-a lion attack.
ing q bull-shows how the drill was
used. A number of circular depres-
sions are found in the gem, which mark
the extremities of the figures. This
was done not only for the sake of effect.
but to show the artist the limit of his
work as to depth. After the holes were
sunk, the artist united the various por-
tons of his work by scratching. Now
the use of the diamond point or spin.
ter, fixed in o style or iron socket. al
lowed certain Aexibility of handling,
which our modern processes of gem
do not permit. To-day the
work is done by means of o minute ro-
tating disk of copper, which is whetted
with oil and diamond dust. On the
least application of tue substance to BIZ
cut to the disk, it is the disk which
bites into the stone. The difference in
manipulation is, then, that to day it is
the stone which goes to the tool, and
not, as in olden times, the tool to the
stone. It is more convenient, then, in
1879, to bring the cart to the horse. It
can now be readily understood why, in
modern work. time and labor being
spared 1.-THE art conception not entering
for the present into the subject) why
this work of to-day is inferior to the
art which is past. 1t is purely a me-
chanical process now, for q rotating
disk will no more draw lines which
have feeling than will photographing
processes paint pictures. 1t has been
stated that we are not entirely acquaint-
ed with the methods employed by the
old glyptic artists. This becomes quite
evident from this fact, that their best
work seems to have been both cut and
polished at one and the same time.
To day we have no tool, no substance,
which will accomplish this double feat.
Mr.. King, dwelling on the diamond
point, says "its extensive use is the
great distinction between the antique
and modern work. "-Harper's Maya.
zine.
LOVE OF TIE TEnR1sLE.-The Span
iards view everything connected with
an execution with morbid horror, and
all actually employed in the operation
are accounted Infamous. Even the
gloomy scaffold on which the culprit is
is usually erected in the
night, and by unseen hands. It rises
from the earth like q fungus work Of
darkness. Yet every execution attracts
o large crowd of spectators, to see how
the criminal conducts himself. They
sympxthize with him if he displays
or courage. and they despise
him on the least symptom of unmanli-
ness. At the fatal hour the culprit ap.
pears. usually clad in q coarse yellow
baizs gown-the color in which the
Spanish school OF painters robe the
special object Of their contempt, Judas
Iscariot. The scaffold having been
the culprit is placed on rude
seat. His back leans against strong
upright post, to which an iron collar is
enclosing his neck, and so
contrived as to be drawn home by turn
ing q powerful screw behind the post.
The arms and legs Of the culprit are
tightly bound. When all is ready the
takes the screw in both
hands, gathers himself up for power
full muscular effort, and at the moment
of . preconcertsd signal, draws tho iron
collar tight, while an attendant filings .
black handkerchief over the face. Tho
is over in few moments, and
the victims sufferings seem slight.
TALLEYRAND's CUNNING.-A lady who
professed to be charmed with Talley-
rand's wit begged of him to write his
name in her album. His gallantry
could not refuse, and he began to write
. verse.
"Arretez, Monseigneur |" exclaimed
the lady; lit may be very well for in.
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