Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-02-03
MeNolNe BROKEN sRIc-A-eRAo
Specialists Who Devote Their Time to
Patching and Restoring.

New York abOunds as thoroughly in
queer corners, people and occupations as
any city of Hs size in the world. Mos
a these oddities, however, possess little
value outside Of the purely picturesque,
and depend for even that on individual
taste. A few are quite reasonable.
Among the latter NAV be classed a pecu-
har industry not yet of a size Ia admit Of
u being troubled much by the state Of
The labor market. This calling is en-
trely in the hands Of q few wide awake
Swiss, whoss a~teliers are scattered over
The uptown business portions of the
aity. and is digniied by the title of 'ar-
t.stic repairing"
One of the best known and busiest of
tbeir number was. when called upon.
engaged on just such a task. I'VE
have, he said, Every few shop secrets
because our trade is entirely one Of deli
sacy and skill and involves such a VA
nety Of knacks that we have little fear
e competition. There is absolutely no
restriction as 10 the nature Of the article
brought to us for repair, or as TO the
INC of damage it has sustained, to
lie within our ability To restore it.
Most Of our patrons being extremely
wealthy, we are trusted daily with the
rareSt and most costly articles, which
would never be placed in the hands Of
inexperienced workmen, So that what
We DO is both expensive and in keeping
With the elegance Of the article Ia he
mended.
you can Judge Of the extent Of our
SEPARATIONS somewhat when | tell you
that | Am a matchmaker, cabinetmaker.
PAINTER in oil and water colors. carver Of
wood, marble and ivory, modelcr in clay.
. musician and chemist, all combined.
In any Of these branches | should prob
sbly prove a distinguished failure along
ade OF men who have devoted a lifetime
- the particular one, but in Geneva
where | was educated. We are taught to
b. careful, and | have learned enough
and pfacticed long enough to he able to
perform successfully he essential part OF
my business, which 5 Ia copy faithfully
and naturally what yer is set before me.
This porcelain vase At which | am now at
work Is a very ordinary job. received
4 in eixty-four ~'ieces. each piece, cal
eulating 10y the original value Of jar.
having cost som Thing above 81. This
makes it slightly worth repairing.
The soundesJ and largest portion was
the bottom. which was about three times
n thick as the rest and, Of course. stood
The fall better. In the course Of an hours
search | managed TO find a little section
nat fitted exactly to a nick in the first.
This was securely fastened in its place
with cement and set away 10 harden. 1t
= impossible at this stage Of proceedings
20 put on more than n piece at a time.
Other work is disposed Of and in course
81 tvne another fragment added to the
originals. then "A fourth and fifth, and so
on. The vase has gradually grown in
his way To- its original proportions. As
nothing but the finest and white>t cement
b Used. the dirty slreaking that charac-
t,rizes badly mendel china is avoided.
However, several Of the broken bits have
beeI. lost and some have crumbled w fine
q to be unavailable. This leaves an ugly
y hole in the side. a large nick in the rim
and completely ruins a beautiful painted
bouquet. | heat a stick of a certain
plastic substance Of my own invention
and carefully ill in the gaps vet left.
With a fine steel spatula the material is
pared down sven IN both sides. intro
duced into the hicks and Is carefully
nodded into the delicate curl Of the rim,
which il initiates exactly. In n hour
vhese additions are firmly set and almost
~ hard as the original material. With
palette In hand they are treated 10y me to
several coats of oil color of exactly the
Eame tint as the porcelain The roses are
restored by painting the licking parts in
OIL the now surface, and the lines Ut
cement covered up in the same way. 4
cDat or two Of isinglass varnislI and
well-there il a vase that cost Sl2j. in
which the ,harpcSt eye would fail 10 de-
tct a flaw and although the outer coat
Of yurnish might feel a little funny u
uie fingers Of a Counuisseur.
Frequently cabinets Of rare and ex-
pensiye woods are sent to us which by
some fatality have been split. rotted or
stripped Vt certain parts Of the
latiun. We cut away the damaged parts.
restore the same variety of wood or q
perfect imitation thereof, and carve it 10
match. | have now on hand a japanese
cabinet. the top edges Of which were or
%namented with a row Of little ivory
figures like chessmen. half Of which were
gone. am carving out exact duplicates
Of every one u replace their fellows, and
expect to make a very crediLlble job Of
Il. Marbl" -tatuary, terra Gotta and
other we rei0in II broken, and
add well nodded replicls Of missing por-
lions. II there are such. We clean arms
and armor for collectors. which, is in il
self a trade, as the dirt and rust must he
removed with acids without affecting the
blacknea, aud oxidation Of the metal
which guarantee the antiquity. The
slightest sign Ut polish or repair would be
an irr,parablc damage. For arnor, too,
We construct fearful and wonderful war
nors. stuffed with straw and with wax
heads. on which the iron harness il
ryetel As In DAYS Of old, when knights
we're bold But somehow these seem
pretty tame.
''Our most important work has 10 do
with a certain class Of mechanical matters.
We study cut the wants Of old fashioned
clock movements which are ~unintelligible
" the modern norologist. Some Of these
are entirely Of wood, wheels and pinions
alike. We make wooden works for the