The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-11-06
PARTICULAR WORK.
All About the Intricacies and Difficulties
of Glass Cutting

OF Giass-Cutting.
On the second story of one of our
large dry-goods houses is department
that differs entirely from the others in
that mammoth store. Here there is
no rush and hustle; no confusion of
many voices and shutting of maly
feet; no crowds that push and scram
BILE for first chance at the bargain
counter; no clerks that are fiippant.
familiar and Independent at the same
time. In fact, here are none of those
many disagreeable things which are
found in all other departments of all
large dry-goods stores. Every thing
is quiet and subdued. The walls are
hung with costly pictures and PLAQUES
and the counters are covered with rare
bric-a-brac and a dazzling array of
fine glassware. The clerks are polite
and customers move around slowly
with the hush indicative of the art
seeker. The cut and engraved glass
at once attracts attention. The sun
shining in through the western win
dows fills the metallic glass with daz-
zling rainbows.
"You have never seen the process of
cutting CLASP" asks the manager.
"You will be surprised at the primitive
way in which it is done. We cut all
our glass right in the building, and if
you will follow me will show you the
way it is done"
Climbing up two narrow flights of
stairs, the writer was ushered into a
room that very much resembled the
country pottery as it exists now in some
of the New England States. The room
was frame structure that had been
placed on the roof of the building.
The sides Were of glass, admitting light
from three sides. A dozen troughs
containing a mixture looking like sand
and water were stationed in front of
the windows. Different STYLES of wheels
run by machinery revolved above the
troughs, while fluids dropped on the
wheels from pipes Immediately above.
At each wheel stood man with a
heavy piece of glass in his hands.
"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
continually, digs out the pattern. As
there are only few lines traced on the
glass whereby to go, this is very diff
cult task. All glass cutting is done by
crossing certain straight lines at GER
tain points. If, 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 Bac-
carat, Germany. 1t is the finest glass
made. 1t is termed metallic because a
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 is 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.
"After this comes the different modes
of polishing. A wooden wheel and
powdered pumice stone are used first.
These take out the wrinkles on the
surface of the glass. Then follows a
brush with which pumice stone is used.
Then brush and putty powder. Lastly,
a buff wheel, made of nearly fifty pieces
of Canton flannel 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 imparts beautiful gloss
to the surface of the glass. Then it is
finished and ready for our counters
downstairs.
There have been very few changes in
the art of glass-cutting for centuries.
Except that we now use steam instead
of foot-power, we have no advantage
over the cutters of two hundred years
ago. There are only two manufact-
urers of the rough metal in this coun-
try, and their glass is of inferior quality.
Workmen have to serve long appren-
ticeship before they master the trade.
An expert workman receives high pay
1t is very close, combining work and
makes them all look pale. A great
many Swiss and Bohemians are en-
ployed. The cutting of lapidary
shoppers is the most difficult work.
1t requires the greatest exactness
because there are so many
diamond shaped figures in a 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
charm. He is the most expert cutter
of lapidary shoppers 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 fellow-workmen, who say they
have observed him take something from
his pocket and rub the stopper with it.
He has been offered large sums for his
secret, but has always refused to sellit
There is of course some smashing
l think it is safe to say that out of ev-
cry five pieces, costing seven dollars
and fifty cents each, one is broken.
Sometimes the broken piece can be cut
to advantage, but more frequently it is
valueless. The broken glass is often
returned to the manufacturer, because
the breakage was due to flaw in the
glass. This sort of glass goes through
an annaalipor Y>ronaSS That is in man