The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-11-21
Antiquities MADE TO ORDER.
Old Chairs, Clocks, and Bedsteads Turne.
Out by Hundreds from Factories.

Tie rage for having furniture of thu
antique pattern has grown wonderfully
{ ly during the ass=fewz. gears Antiqui
oak dining suits, bedroom suits, and
: hslAs furniture. seemsstes be the mos!
popular but everything of an antiqu(
character now sells very rapidly. Many
purchasers who are furnishing theit
iforfses really believe that they are buyI
ing furniture which some old-timd
Puritan has used In this they ard
greatly mistaken. Antique articles ard
manufactured every day in the differ,
emf warehouses.
A furniture dealer recently talked
with 3. j. sftAl Rd :ErpresS reported
on this subject. He said "a few
years ago agents used to be sent all
through the rural parts of New En-!
gland to pick up supe1ahunated furni:
ture o.. every .kind-such, as was found
astray in fai'm-houses, Village attics,
country hotels. aud elsewhere having
been handed down from generation to
sc eararion in tlre families of long-resl
ident natives. The latter were usual.
ly:willing enough to part with the
treasures. which were only valuable id
the ewes of the aesthetic tastes. and the
dealer paid mere sorig for the articles
aad reaped big Iprofit. But lnbw the
supply obtginedih this way has been
practically exhausted. Now it is the
fashion for rich Yankee people to have
in their houses one or two apartments
liz thu old colonial style, with floor
and wallsof dark oak. mn4ske raftersi
huge fireplace, mahogany furniture,
and an occasional spinning wheel.
There are not Aearlys enough of these
precious relics to 60 around, so it is a
blessing that provision is made for re-
producing them indefinitely at compar-
atiyely cheap rates"
How are these articles manufac-
tured?" was asked
The most approved method of Civ
ing floor OF wall the look of old age
is TO scrub it at intervals with gallons
of old ale. This produces a fine effect.
Mahogany in generally used for the
n1anufaetHt OF antique pieces of furni-
ture. In its natural state it is no dark
CT Chan black walnut, and to make it
OF fine proper hue staining must be re-
sorted to. If oak is wanted it is rubbed
usual wax finish put on afterward.
This is warranted to add fifty years to
the apparent history of the bureau OF
desk in one hour For the inside works
OF said desk or bureau pine is employed,
and this is given the requisite look OF
antiquity by repeatedly firing a shot
gun loaded with nothing but powder,
and plenty of ii, into the drawers and
around them until the surfaces exposed
are sufficiently discolored and full OF
those curious indentations which ordi-
narliy signify age. Anorther process is
to wash the drawers, etc., with a coarse
sponge dipped in powerful acid,
which eats the wood here and there and
effects the same result"
But how about the brass tittings?"
These are manufactured in all the
ancient designs that were ever used.
In order to make them look dull and
old, the molds in which the brass i
cast are rubbed and Clipped somewhat,
and in them little gun-powder is placed
and fired with Il match. This occa-
sions discoloration, which seems to
betoken the action of times gnaWine
teeth, and the same is warranted tc
last until the merchandise Is sold
though not much longer.
"A special branchof the work has tc
do with clocks Of the ancient upright
pattern, which are copied in every de.
tail from the really old ones. Even the
metal faces, with their curious numer
ais, are initiated, and. the works O.
modern pattern are permitted to lie il
dusty corner and oxide comfortably
while the framework is in process OF
construction. There is nothing. the
makers say, in the line of back-numbel
furniture that can not be.repToduced al
a few days notice from brand-new
materials, and yet So like the old tina,
no ordinary person could possibly tel
the difference"