The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1888-07-18
VOLUME III.
TRICKS OF TRADE.
Some sly DOdges Praetieed BY Painters
Some Points For HOHschOIders.
-san Francisco Chronicle.l

q
written. should prove very interesting
rssdinr TO owners Of buildings as well
a. IN paiuters themselves. The bust
ness differs materially here from that
done in the Eastern States both 10 the
ouaiity Of work aud nude Of doing IL.
Tn old Eastern cities q man having
work 10 do will apply to a painter who
has been doing his work for years, and
upless the job be a large bne he will
take but the one estimate, as where a
man has earned a reputation for fair
dealings in years Of honestly conducted
business, the horsepower has sufi-
Gent confidence 10 give him the busi-
ness. In this way be gets an honest
lob at an honest price.
Here IN California, however, it is
different When a contract is to be
lei bids from perhaps a dozen or more
paiulers are taken, and the lowest
bidder gets the contract. Reputation
goes for nothing, and as n consequence
owners get just what they pay for.
Painting is conducted upon the same
principle rs any other business. You
can get q suit Of clothes for $40 or one
for S55, and IN either instance you
would get your moneys worth.
In the Eastern cities journeymen do
not work H. rapidly as here, nor do
they Use the same kind Of staging
They are usually more steadily en-
ployed, and for this reason the work is
more concentrated. Instead OF hun
dred bosses, mOst of them impeeuni-
Uus, getting occasional jobs aud employ
iuS men for week or two at B time,
there are a half-dozen firms who EN-
pIOy from fifty TO three hundred men
steadily. Tie large firms have built
up reputation and by close attention
TO q legitimate business have amassed
fortunes. This is as il should be.
Now as TO methods here A proper
ty-owner desires 10 build a house. The
first thing is an architect, and the one
who is noted for getting things cheap
ly done is too often favOrably cousid-
cred. Bids are taken from irTitspOnsi.
bic parties, who have 10 run deeply in
debt 90 their stock" men, and fire.
queutIy not only delay the usual Sat
urday payments 10 their iourneymen,
but too often beat the men out Of
wages altogether. Again, the class OF
men they employ are far from the
bet. Sailors who have, perhaps,
painted down the side Of ship a few
times, or q lot Of boys who know little
concerning the business are frequently
employed, 80 that, aside from the poor
stock used it is very inperfectly put
on.
Now as to adUlteratiOn Of stock
Every contract calls for pure white
lead, boiled oil and turDentine, and il
is safe 10 say that not one in five Of ali
medium sized new houses in this city
are painted according TO specifications.
The Hdulteratiun has become 50 CON-
mon that no one contractor in a dozen
USES pure stock, aud many jobs are
done where not Une-quarter of the
sluck on the building Is good. Aside
from this, the number OF coats called
for ID The contract is not given. This
state Of affairs is bound 10 shut out the
man whose reputation for using none
but good stock has been earned. For
him 10 figure Oh the average Of jobs
from an architects Office would be
simple waste Of time, Tor he could MOI
figure a JOB to do honest work and
expect 10 get Que job in fifty that lac
would spend ms Time figuring 90. As
q Result the few men ia this city who
will under no circumstances use adult
terations, or dope" as il is called,
will not attempt to bid in architects
offices unless they are positive who
they are bidding against.
As an illustration of this state of
affairs take two j0bs That were figured
lately. The Blythe block on Market
Street was 10 be painted, aud each
bidder figured on the same specifca-
lions. There was no ambiguity, and
each knew what he was figuring on.
Tie bids ranged from 1915 up 10 81 800
and this on a job that was not cOmpli-
Gated and that any jOurneyman ought
10 De able 10 estimate on. The actual
e"sl Of doing the work would be from
$500 TO $3.50. AnOlber job was let
from al architects Office where Tie
bids ranged from 81 $50 10 s., 100 on
new work. These are not isolated in
stances, MS bids range much the same
90 every job that is let. The result OF
doing business as il is done here is that
The so-called paint used on nearly all
new work is no protection whatever to
lhe house, and the rustic or outside
boarding particularly unprotected from
lhe weather aud, being thus, is liable
10 varying. That raises the nails on
me edge Of the boards, thus allowing
lhe rain u penetrate aud making the
whole house damp. The next time
'he house is pailted, even by a man
Who does good work, il is almost
impossible for his paint TO go through
what is left Of the material first put on
ana bold, aud the lumber can never
De iuade 10 fit close as before. Aside
lIom all there being no tenacity to the
hISl paint put on, it Is only question
Ol lime for any paint which Is put on
aAsrWaTd to curl up and peel of, and
.neh the whole outside Of the house
utterly ruined as far IS looks are
Concerned.
IL Is well that hOuse-owners should
Know Of some Of the authorizations
pfaeleed, and it will be partially
SHOWN 10 this article. In The first place
Tue supposed basis OF all work is white
lead This cost from six 70 six and
oue-haif cents per pound, but unscrupu
AUS parties use sometimes one half OF
ue-quaTter lead and make the other
willing, which costs one cent pei
pOuhd Then il place Of boiled oil
.ney Use fish oil, potash and water, and
10 place Of ierpeutine they use benzins
y very cheap article Of coal oil. In
's'hialing the very cheapest article
y poorest material is put on, and aftel
,1e Jao has been completed for month
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