The Dickinson press., 1889-11-09
CRESTS AND MONOGRAMS.
HOW ARMORlAL BEARINGS ARE SE-
lEcTED BY AMBITIOUS PEOPLE.

\ lrauc OF tho French Quarter-IIarneSS
Ornaments Made After Designs in Die
tionars of Coats of Arms-Ormamental
Devices In Gold, Silver and Other Metals.
There are eight or ten shops in New
York IN which the trado of making me-
talic coats-of-arms. monograms, initial
letters and the like is carried on At
least ono of these is in the French quar-
ter, Il 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, a coat-of-arms.
Ii he is not thus provided in reality or
imagination, he has but to turn to his
own name in u dictionary of armorial
bearings kept at the shop. Here are set
down the names of all who have coats
ofarms 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 tho designs given in
the book. Ii you have ditlidencc about
assuming arms that perhaps do not be-
long to you, there is Il book full of orna.
mental monograms in various texts, and
you may choose one of those.
W..'K. Vanderbilt uses simple mono.
gram on his harness, and tho die is kept
at the shop in the French quarter. His
relative, Dr. Webb. Uses an eagle with
spread wings, aud beneath it q crown.
The late President Arthur's device was
flying dove. Gen. Grants simple ~
$. g. is still OH hand at the shop
Some one else may ask for similar
monogram some day Winfield Scott,
grandson of the famous general of that
name, has for his device stag's head.
The making of these ornaments is q
very pretty trade, They are fashioned
of gold, silver. brass and nickel. Gold
ornaments for harness are rare, but tho
precious metal is sometimes cut into
initiated breastpins and the like. Firsta
die is mado 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 filled with a dark
cement, compounded of beeswax, candle
grease, pitch and plaster of Paris. 1t
mclts easily and hardens quickly. The
flame of a gas blowpipc applied for an
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 its 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 OH tho metal
Into the hollow back of this device solder
Is slowly melted by the aid of hot iron.
You then have Il gold, silver or brass
faced device Oh u back of solder. Shears,
SAWS and file trim faco and back to the
proper lines
DIFFICULT TRADE.
If the device presents Il solid face, tho
work Of trimming is quickly done, but
ii it is an intricate monogram there is no
end Of saving and filing. After tho
trimming has been completed the device,
ii Of Il base metal, receives bath Of
aqua FORTS. Then the face is polished
ON a "bul1ing" wheel, which runs by a
trcatlo. AS tho wheel revolvcs its cir-
conference of soft cloth is touched from
time to time with astick of red polishing
material Five minutes of buffing leaves
tho metal beautifully bright, but soiled
hero and there with the red polishing
material ~ short bath in ammoniated
water rcmo9cs this, and then another
light buffing leaves tho surface smooth
and brilliant. Ii tho ornament is for
harness, littlo metallic pins have been let
into the solder back, so that it may be
fastened to the leather.
Tho cutting out Of initials from solid
metal is different branch of the busi-
ness. This involves engraving to give
the surface an ornamental appearance,
und clectropating with gold, silver or
nickel, when it is not desired to mako
an expensive pin entirely out of costly
metal, Those odd opcnwork pins with
Mamie, Gertrude" Fanny" and
other feminine names in ornamental let
ters are made thus.
The trade is not easily learned. If
man would master it we'll he must first
learn to draw clcvcrly, so as to mako
designs. 1t usually requires several
years to master this branch of the busi-
ness. Then the workman must learn to
make his own tools. In addition to this,
he must become fairly skilled engravcr
or chaser. Then he must acquire the
knack Of doing all the other parts of the
work with rapidity and precision. After
a lifetime in the business the journey
man finds that there are things yet to be
learned. 1t is becoming tho fashion
now for tho work to be split up among
three or four men, so that no one of
them learns the whole trade. Two fairly
skilled workmen can mako an intricate
devico in six or eight hours. Saddlers
order them by the gross. advertisers use
them in various ways, and private indi-
:iduals with taste for heraldry or some
pride of ancestry keep their dies at some
shop ready for emergency.-New York
Star.
A Joke from Chicago.
Sounds Of dire conflict came from
the barn, and Mr.. Kajones went hastily