The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-03-29
snvorN Ware.

The extent Of the trouble laid upon
the housekeeper by her abundance of
silver, is indicated by the number of
preparations for cleaning and polishing,
which food the market and thrust
themselves everywhere upon her atten-
ton. Each one claims excellence over
all others, and promises results more
marvellous, with the expenditure of less
time and strength, than anything ever
before offeled tor sale. It would be
interesting to know the amount drawn
annually from the purses of much en-
during womankind, by this one class
Of articles; it could not fail to roach a
pretty large figure, If these prepara-
tin really do perform what they promise,
If they clean the silver quicker or bet.
ter than the substances commonly used
and if they bestow a brilliant and per-
manent polish, as many of them profess
to do, the money epent on them is not
all wasted, for what is better worth
paying for than that which really saves
time and labor? The two permanently
valuable possessions of man, and the
basis of oil wealth and welfare. Let us
consider for moment the work which
good silver polish has to do. If sill
yer is only soiled by ordinary use, it is
best cleaned by careful washing and
wiping, with brisk rubbing with a
piece of chamois skin. A tew drops Of
ammonia added to the water in which it
is washed, will aid in the process. Sill
YER does not need rubbing with powder
as often as is commonly thought. II
time, or exposure to harsh treatment
| and to foul gasses has left tarnlsh
which fails to yield to this care, it is
because O thin film of some chemical
compound of silver has been formed on
the surface. (The dark stain of the sui
phide is we'll known.) In order to re-
store the brightness to suoh discolored
surface, it is necessary to remove the
Objectionable film, and since we knew of
no safe solvent for the dark salts of sill
YER. which will not as we'll dissolve the
| metal, we must resort to friction. For
this, the substance used must be en-
tirely free from any gritty or sharp par
ticles, for the soft silver Is easily de-
faced beyond remedy.
A good silver polish has then to fulfil
three conditions. First, it must be
clean, free from any grease, and it may
! contain ammonia or alcohol, to take
away any greasy film left in careless
washing, Secondly, it must not contain
any chemical which can harm the met
al. Thirdly, it must contain a very fine
powder, free from any grit or sharp
grains, which will nevertheless be hard
enough to remove by gentle friction,
the stained surface. Three substances
fulfil these condltions-ronge whiting
(the purified form, sold as precipitated
chalk and infusorial silica, often sold
as electro-silicon. OF these, whiting is,
perhaps justly, the favorite; and if the
practice of one good house.keeper ia
followed, namely, to STIR it up with wa.
ter and carefully float off the fine por-
tion and collect it on cloth, leaving
the coarse grains behind, it is probably
as good as any powder need be.
Of one thing the housekeeper may
be sure, that in nino cases out of ton,
whiting, moro or less pure, or chalk,
will form the basis OF her fifty-oent box
or bottle OF silver polish, a little Or
ganio coloring matter is often added
when rouge is not. and the liquid pol
lshes contain alcohol or ammonia. No
! alchemy has yet obv,ated the need of
care and knowledge on the part Of the
housekeeper, and, she must teach gentle
handling of electro-plate, must not AZ
low the direful clatter Of the knives and
forks and spoons, so often heard, if she
wishes to keep the surface smooth. She
muat also look we'll to the material in
which silver is wrapped when 1t is
laid away, Tissue paper is best, and
Canton flannel is next; WOODEN flannel
should not be used either to wrap sill
YER in or rub it with, since sulphur is
used in the manufacture or dressing of
flannel, ane sulphur in all it's forms ia a
thing which we wish to keep from con-
tact with silver
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ISeginDin9 TO squeeze.
Two or three years ago Jersey City