Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-03-01
MENolNe BROKEN eRIc-A-sRAN
Specialists who 9evote Their Time to
Patching and RESTORING.

dIg CItl VI uN Sic III lilt Nbliu' NbSA
Of these oddities, however, possess linS
value outside of the purely picturesque,
md depend for even that on individual
taste. A few are quite reasonable,
Among the latter may be classel a pecu-
liar industry not yet of a size to admit Of
it, being troubled much by the state Of
the labor market. This calling is en-.
tirely in the hands of a few wide AWAKE
SHiSs, whoss ateliers are scattered over
the uptown business portions Of the
city. and is diguitied by the title Of Ear.
tstic repairing"
One of the best known and busiest OF
their number was. wncn called upon,
engaged ON just such a task. I'VE
have" he said, "very few shop secrets
because u trade is entirely one If deli.
cacy and skill and involves such va.
riety Of knacks that we have little fear
OF competition. There is absolutely no
restriction as to the nature of the article
brought to US for repair, or as to the
smount of damage it has sustained, to
liz 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 to b.
mended.
''You can Judge Of the extent of oui
operations somewhat when | tell you
that | am a matchmaker, c~abinetmakel,
painter in oil and water colors, carver Of
wood, marble and ivory, moleler in clay,
a musician and chemist, all combined.
In any of these branches | should prob
ably prove a distinguished failure along
side Of men who have devoted a lifetime
10 the particular one, but in Geneva
where | was educated, we are taught to
b. careful, and l have learned enough
AM practced long enough to he aisle to
perform successfully the essential part of
my business, which is TO copy faithfully
and naturally whatever is sci before me.
This porcelain vas at which | am now at
work is a very ordinary job. received
il in sixty-four pieces, each piece, cal
culating by the original value Of jar,
having cost something above 50. This
makes it slightly worth repairing.
1.-The soundest and largest portion was
the bottom. which was about three times
rs thick as the rest and, Of course, stood
the fall better. In the course Of IN hours
search | managed TO find a little section
that fitted exactly TO a nick in the first.
This was securely fastened in its place
with cement and set away to harden. II
Is impossible at this stage of proceedings
Other work is disposed of and in course
Of tene another fragment added TO the
originals. the q fourth and fifth, and 50
on. The vase has gradually grown in
this way to its original proportions. As
nothing but the finest and white,t cement
Is used, the dirty streaking that charac-
terizes badly mended china is avoided
However. several of the broken bits have
been lost and some have crumbled so fine
as TO be unavailable. THIS leaves an ugly
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 yet left.
With a line steel spatula the material Is
pared down even on both sides. intro
duced into the hicks and is carefulls
nodded into the delicate curl If the rim,
which il initiates exactly. In one hour
these additions are firmly set and almost
a. E.all a. the original material. With
palette ia hand they are treated by me TO
several coats of Oil color Of exactly the
same tint AS the porcelain. The roses are
restored by painting the l@cking parts in
OIL tie new surface, and the lines of
cement covered up in the same way. A
coat or two of isinglass varnisll and
well-there is a vase that cost Sl2j, in
which the sharpeSt eve would fail 10 de-
tect a flaw and although the outer coat
Of yarnish might feel a little funny 10
the fingers of a connoisscur.
Frequently cabinets Of rare and ex
pcnsive woods are sent To us which by
some fatality have been split, rotted or
stripped of certain parts of the ornamen-
tatiUn. We cut away the damaged parts.
restore the same variety Of wood or q
perfect imitation thereof, and carve it 10
match. Ihaye now on hand a japanese
cabinet, the top edges Of which were or
namented with a row It little ivory
figures like chessmen, hall - which Were
gone. am carving out exact duplicates
of every one to replace their fellows, and
expect to make a very creditable job Of
u. Marble statuary, terra Gotta, and
other ornaments we rciOIn if broken, and
add well nodded replicas of missing pr.
tons, il there are such. We clean arms
and armor for collectors, which is in il.
self a trade, as the dirt and rust must be
removed with acids without affecting the
blackness and oxidation Of the metal
which guarantee the s~ltiquity. The
slightest sign Of polish or repair would be
al irreparaDle damage. For armor, too,
we construct fearful and wonderful war
riors, stuffed with straw and with wax
heads, on which the iron harness i
riveted as In days Of old, when knights
were bold But somehow these seem
pretty tame.
''Our most important work has TO de
with a certain class Of mechanical matters,
We study out the wants Of old faslIione
clock movements which are unintelllgiblt
10 the modern l~urologist. Some Of thes,
are entirely u wood, wheels and pinionl
alike. We make wooden works for th'
old cases, and supcrintend the making oI
cases for old movements. The yarioll