Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-11-11
ALL ABOUT GLASS CUTTING.
Its Hard work-very Expensive for Poor
Peopie-strong and Careful workmsn.

Its Hard Work-very Expensive for Poor
Peopie-strong and Careful workmen.
There are six processes for cutting
glass" said the manager. The first is
termed roughing. An iron wheel, ON
which sand mixed with water drips con-
tinually, digs out the pattern. As there
are only few lines traced on the glass
whereby to go, this is q very difficult
task. All glass cutting is done by cross
ing certain straight lines at certain
points. II, in glass cutting, the wheel
moves slightly from the line the whole
piece of glass is ruined. The workmen
are therefore compelled to keep their
eyes on their work all the time. The
glass itself is made in Baccarat, Ger
many. 1t is the finest glass made. 1t is
termed metallic because large part of
it is silver. 1t is bought by the pound
and is very expensive in the bulk. 1t is,
therefore, no easy task to hold it free,
as these workmen do for hours at time.
@The second process is called smooth
ing. The wheel used for this 10 made of
Scotch Craigeth stone. Water runs
freely on it as it revolves. 1t smooths
out all the rough edges on the lines
which have been dug out in the first
process.
1After this comes the different modes
of polishing. A wooden wheel and
powdered pumice stone are usV first.
These take out the wrinkles on the sur
face of the glass. Then follows brush
and putty powder. Lastly, buff wheel,
made of nearly fifty pieces of canton
fianel and rouge. The pieces Of flannel
are loose, but the machinery causes
them to revolve SO rapidly, about 5000
revolutions to the minute, that the
wheel seems as hard as board, This
last process not only polishes. but i'm
parts beautiful gloss to the surface Of
the glass. Then it is finished and ready
for our counters down stairs.
There have been very few changes in
the art of glass cutting for centuries.
Except that we now use steam instead
of footpower, we have no advantage
over the cutters of 200 years ago. There
are only two manufacturers of the
rough metal in this country, and their
glass is of inferior quality. Workmen
have to serve long apprenticeship be-
fore they master the trade. An expert
workman receives high pay. 1t is very
close, confining work and makes them
all look pale. A great many Swiss and
Bohemians are employed. The cutting
of lapidary shoppers is the most difficult
work. 1t requires the greatest exact
ness because there are 30 many diamond
shaped figures in small space. Very
few can do this work well. There is
one old man in this country who is
looked up to by all the other workmen.
They say he carries q charm. He is
the most expert cutter of lapidary stop
pers in the country. Not only does he
cut them all perfectly, but he gives
them finer polish than anybody else
can. He is closely watched by his fell
low workmen, who say they have OBJ
served him take something from his
pocket and rub the stopper with IL. He
has been offered large sums for his Be-
/ cret, but has always refused to cell 1t.
"Colored cut glass ia very expensi se.
The color is put on in the same way as
silver plate, and then part of 1t is cut
away. 1t leaves the blended effect OF
color and no color. Many customer
bring us original designs which they
wish made. Many Of them are very
odd, and some are impossible to make.
New York Mail and Express.