Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-09-27
CRESTS AND M0NOGRAMS.
HOW ARMORIAL BEARINGS ARE Sc
lEcTEO By AMBITIOUS PEOPLE.

tionary of Coats of Arms-OrnamentaI
Devices In Gold, Silver and Other Metals.
There are eight or ten shops In New
York in which the trade of making me-
tallic coats-of-arms, monograms. initial
letters and the like is carried on At
least one of these is in the French quar-
ter, region that teens with curious
trades and dainty artisans When one
wishes some metallic device to ornament
his harness, for example, he goes to one
of these shops to give his order. Perhaps
he has, or thinks he has, coat-of- arms.
II he is not thus provided in reality or
imagination, he has but to turn to his
own name in a dictionary of armorial
bearings kept at the shop. Here are set
down the names of all who have coats
of-arms in the British isles.
FOUND IN THE BOOKS.
Another book of plates shows just
what each coat Of arms looks like, and
you can easily make choice. If your
own name doesn't appear in the diction-
airy you can choose the arms set down
opposite some other name, Some per-
sons improve upon the designs given in
the book If you have diffidence about
assuming arms that perhaps do not be-
long to you, there is book full of orna-
mental monographs in various texts, and
you may choose one of those.
w. K. Vanderbilt uses simple mono
gram on his harness, and the die is kept
at the shop in the French quarter. His
relative, Dr. Webb uses an eagle with
spread wings, and beneath it a crown.
The late President Arthur's device was
a flying dove. Gen. Grants simple ~.
s. g." is still on hand at the shop
Some one else. may ask for a similar
monogram some day Winfield Scott,
grandson of the famous general of that
name, has for his device a stag's head.
The making of these ornaments is
very pretty trade. They are fashioned
of gold, silver. brass and nickel Gold
ornaments for harness are rare, but the
precious metal is sometimes cut into
initiated breastpins and the like. First
die is made with brass face and solder
back. This accomplished, the work of
turning out the device in any metal is
not difficult. An iron pot, six or seven
inches in diameter, is filed with a dark
cement, compounded of bceswax. candle
grease, pitch and plaster of Paris. 1t
mets easily and hardens quickly. The
! flame of a gas blowpipe applied for an
4 instant to the surface of the cement
softens it so that the die readily makes
, an impression. The die is removed after
an instant and it's reverse image is left
| in the cement. The material soon hard
ems, and then thin sheet of gold, silver
or brass is pressed and hammered down
into all the sinuosities of the impression.
When the sheet is taken out perfect
copy of the device appears on the metal
Into the hollow back of this device solder
is slowly melted by the aid of hot iron.
You then have a gold, silver or brass
faced device on back of solder, Shears,
saws and file trim face and back to the
proper lines.
DIFFICULT TRADE.
If the device presents a solid face, the
work of trimming is quickly done, but
If it is an intricate monogram there is no
end of saving and filing. After the
trimming has been completed the device,
if of base metal receives a bath OF
aqua forts. Then the face is polished
on "buffing" wheel, which runs by a
treadle AS the wheel revolves its cir
conference of soft cloth is touched from
time to time with stick of red polishing
material Five minutes of buffing leaves
the metal beautifully bright, but soiled
here and there with the red polishing
material short bath in ammoniated
water removes this, and then another
light buffing leaves the surface smooth
and brilliant. If the ornament is fol
harness, little metallic pins have been lei
into the solder back, SO that it may be
fastened to the leather.
The cutting out of initials from sole
metal is different branch of the bust
ness. This involves engraving to give
the surface an ornamental appearance
and electroplating with gold, silver o.
nickel, when it is not desired to max,
an expensive pin entirely out of costly
metal. Those odd openwork pins with
"Mamie,- Gertrude" Fanny" anC
other feminine names in ornamental let
tiers are made thus.
The trade is not easily learned If ;
man would master it well he must frs
learn W uIdW CieNelly, 81 no " LION
designs. 1t usually requires severa
years To master this branch of the bust
ness. Then the workman must learn u
make his own tools In addition to this
he must become fairly skilled engrave
or chaser. Then he must acquire tn
knack of doing all the other parts of tn
work with rapidity and precision. Afte
lifetime in the business the journey
man finds that there are things yet to b
learned 1t is becoming the fashion
now for the work to be split up among
three or four men, SO that no one o
them learns the whole trade. Two fairl,
skilled workmen can make an intricat
device in six or eight hours. Saddler
order them by the gross, advertisers us
them in various ways, and private indi
viduals with taste for heraldry or som
pride of ancestry keep their dies at som
shop ready for emergency Yorl
Star