Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-02-05
neNolNG BROKEN BRIc-A-eRAN
spsoiAlists who Devote Their Time to
Patching and Restoring.

80 ~
md depend for even that on individual
taste. A few are quite reasonable.
Among the latter may be classel a pecu-
lar industry not yet of a size to admit Of
d being troubled much by the state OF
he labor market. This calling is en-
6rely in the hands Of a few wide awake
Swiss, whoss ~ateliers are scattered over
The uptown business portions of the
city. and is digniiied by the title of ''ar-
tStic repairing"
One Of the best known and busiest Of
heir number was, when called upon,
Engaged OF just such a task. 1--WE
have" he said, every few shop secrets
because our trade is entirely n Of deli
0cy aud skill and involves such "A va
Aety of knacks that we have little fear
4 competition. There is absolutely no
restriction a. 10 the nature OF the article
brought TO US for repair, or as to the
amount Of damage it has sustained, to
Re within our AGILITY { restore it.
Most Of our patrons being extremely
wealthy. we are trusted daily with the
arrest and most costly articles. which
would never be placed in the hands of
inexperienced workmen, ~ that what
We do is both expensive and in keeping
With the elegance If the article TO DO
mended.
"You can Judge Of the extent Of our
operations somewhat when 1 tell YOU
Chat | am q matchmaker, cIbinetmaker.
painter in oil and water colors. carver Of
wood, marble and ivory, moleler in clay,
o musician and chemist, all combined.
In any of these branches | should prob
ably prove o distinguished failure along
nde of men who have devoted a lifetime
10 the particular one, but in Geneva
where | was educated, we are taught TO
b careful, and | have learned enough
md pricticed long enough 10 be able TO
perform successfully inc essential part of
my business, which ; to copy faithfully
and naturally whatever is set before me.
This porcelain vase It which | I'M now aE
work is a very ordinary job. received
4 in sixty-tOur IieceS, each piece, cal
e%ulating by the rigInal value of jar,
having cost something above 81. This
makes it slightly worth repairing,
The soundes. and largest portion was
6e bottom. which was about three times
- thick as the rest and, Of course, stood
he fall better. In the course of an hours
search | managed to find a little section
hat fitted exactly TO a nick in the first.
This was securely fastened in It's place
With cement and set away to harden. 1t
n impossible at this stage Of proceedings
% put on more than one piece at a time.
ntl... 1891. - .ti-IAa.l Of ...t "a, .saaraa
Il Nne another fragment added to the
originals. then a fourth and fifth, and SO
On. The vase has gradually grown in
CHS way 10 its original proportions. As
nothing hut the finest and whIteSt cement
b used, the dirty streaking that charac-
terizcs badly mendvl china is avoided.
However. several Of the broken bits have
beer lost and some have crumbled 81 fine
q To be unavailable. THIS leaves an ugly
hole in the side, a large nick in the rim
and completely ruins a beautiful painted
bouquct. | heat a stick Uf a certain
plastic substance Of my own invention
and carefully till in the gaps yet left.
With a fine steel spatula the material is
pared down even on both sides, intro
ducei into the hicks and is carefully
nodded into the delicate curl Of the rim.
which it initiates exactly. In one hour
uhese additions are firmly set and almost
a had AS the original material. With
palette in hand they are treated by me to
several coats of oil color uf exactly the
same tint a. the porcelain. The roses are
restored by painting the l9cking parts in
OH the new surface. and the lines Of
cement covered up in the same way. \
coat or two of ~isiuglaSs vaTnisl and
Vell-tbere is a vase that cost Sl2j, in
which the ,harpest eye would fail to de-
tsct "A flaw and although the outer coat
Of varnish might feel a little funny 10
ue fingers If a cUnnOisseur
Frequently cabinets Of rare and ex-
pensiye woods are sent ID us which by
some fatality have been split. rotted Ut
stripped ul certain parts Of the
Eatiun. We cut away the damaged parts,
restore the same variety of wood or q
perfect imitation thereof. and carve il 10
match. have now on hand a japanese
cabinet. the top edges If which were or
namented with "A row Of little ivory
figures like CheaSmen. half IT which were
gone. ! am carving out exact duplicates
Of every une Ia replace their fellows, and
expect Ia make "A very creditIble job Of
4. Marble statuary. terra Gotta and
other ornaments we rejoin II broken, and
add well nodded replicas If missing pOr-
lions, if there are such. We clean arm
and arnor for collectors, which il in it.
self "A trade, rs the dirt and rust must he
removed with acids without affecting the
blackncs, and oxidation II the metal
which guarantee the s%dtiquity. Tho
slightest sign If polish or repair would lie
al irreparibir damage. For armOr, too,
we construct fearful and wonderful war
nors, stuffed with straw aud with wax
heads, ON which the iron harness is
riveted rs 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 out the wants VI old fashioned
clock movements which are unintelllgible
10 the modern hprol0gist. Some Of thesc
are entirely Ut wood, wheels and pinion'
alike. We make wooden works for the
old cases, and superintend the making OF
eases for old movements. The various
sets Of chimes and musical wonders con
oealed in old foreign clocks are familiar
IN Ms. where IL would require weeks Dt