Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-10-03
GoIdbeaters, Wages and Work

The Goldbeaters' Protective Union, of
Newly ork and Philadelphia, are seeking
an advance of wages. They have been
in receipt of late years, for mems work,
of FROM $500 TO "a a" beating" varying
in different cities, and demand a uniform
rate of So, which those of this city re-
ceived after the war. During the war
the price was IS, and for some years
before it, SIS. The sixteen establish
ments of New York, employing about
1876 men and 100 women, have all con-
ceded the rise demanded. Philadelphia
has four firms. employing about 200
men and girls, in addition to number
of boys. They are using machinery,
which enables them to dispense with
much mems work and employ the
cheaper labor of women and boys. The
union desired the abolition of the ma
chinery. Boston, Hartford and Chicago
each possess three firms, employing in
each city about thirty men and twenty
five girls San Francisco has four firms
employing twenty-five men and twenty
girls; Cincinnati and Buffalo, each two,
employing ten men and eight girls; and
New Haven, St. Louis, Baltimore and
Albany, each one firm, employing four
or five men and three girls.
One beating and half a week will en-
able aiman, at 81, to earn So He can
sometimes earn a dollar or two over
that amount. Women can with great
quicllness and practice make IS, but
their average is not over $3.50. The
gold is distributed to the men in ribbons
the thickness of ordinary writing paper,
seven yards long and one inch wide,
and weighing fifty pennyweights. The
value of each is $50 A beating" con-
slsts of one of these ribbons. 1t is cut
with scissors into pieces one inch square,
and put into a &c Clutch " of leaves of pre-
pared paper, and pounded with broad
hammer by hand until each inch is
broadened into a sheet over three inches
square. 1t is now gold leaf in the first
stage. The ragged edges are cut off with
very sharp knife, and each square is
divided into four parts. Each quarter is
placed in a " shoder," or series of leaves
of goldbeaters' skin. and again pounded
by hand until it extends to four inches
square. These are again cut into
squares of one inch, and pounded in
"molds" until they spread to about
five inches square. They are then ready
for the women, who cut them with q
wagon" or sliding knife with two
NNhf NV % VI plllCS tlIlI blll
eighth inches, and place each Leaf be-
tween two leaves of little paper books,
which are sold to gilders, bookbinders
and painters at fifty cents book. A
beating makes eighty books, whlcli
sell for $40. This is an apparent loss Of
$40 a beating, but sufficient is cut from
the edges to make this up as well as to
pay for labor and expenses. 1t leaves,
however, a reported profit of only about
81 beating. A man employing ten
men would thus realize little more thar
$l5 week, besides the value of his owr
labor, and would be required to keer
about 81, 900 worth of gold on hand.
Goldbeaters' skin is made from the en-
trails of oxen. The leaf sold to dentists
is Of thicker quality than that used by
gilders, aud passes only through the
Clutch or first pounding. 1t is sold il
books at from $25 to 500 an ounce
NeoO York Sun.