The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
ANTIQUE FURNITURE.
1t Is Regularly Turned Out by Hundred
of Factories.

II as meg Oul ny HunurGQS
of Factories.
The rage for having furniture of the
antique pattern has grown wonderfully
during the last few years. Antique oak
dining suits, bedroom suits and hall
furniture seem to be the most popular.
but any thing of an antique character
now sells very rapidly. Many purchasers
who are furnishing their houses really
believe that they are buying furniture
which some old-time Puritan has used.
In this they are greatly mistaken.
Antique articles are manufactured every
day in the different warehouses.
A furniture dealer recently talked
with reporter on this subject. He said:
ga few years ago agents used to be sent
all through the rural parts of New En-
gland to pick up superannuated furniture
of every kind-such as was found astray
in farm-houses, village attics, coun-
try hotels and elsewhere, having
been handed down from generation
to generation in the families
of long-resident natives. The latter
were usually willing enough to part
With the treasures, which were only val
liable in the eyes of people of eesthetic
tastes and the dealer paid mere song
for the articles and reaped a big profit
But now the supply obtained in this way
has been practically exhausted. Now
1T is the fashion for rich Yankee people
to have in their houses one or two apart
ments in the old colonial style, with
floor and walls of dark oak, massive
rafters, huge fireplace, mahogany fur
nlture and an occasional spinning
wheel. There are not nearly enough of
these precious relics to go around, so it
is blessing that provision is made for
reproducing them indefinitely at COM
paratively cheap rates."
''How are these articles manufact-
ured?" was asked.
''The most approved method of giving
a floor or wall the look of old age is to
scrub it at intervals with gallons of old
ale. This produces fine effect. Ma
hogany is generally used for the manu-
facture of antique pieces of furniture.
In its natural state it is no darker than
black walnut, and to make it of the
| proper hue staining must be resorted to.
Ii oak is wanted, it is rubbed with COM
mon shoe-blacking, and the usual wax
finish put on afterWard. This is war
ranted to add fifty years to the apparent
history of a bureau or 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 shotgun loaded with
nothing but powder, and plenty of it,
into the drawers and around them until
the surfaces exposed are sufficiently dis
colored and all full of those curious in
dentations which ordinarily signify age.
Another process is to wash the drawers.
ETC., with coarse sponge dipped in
powerful acid, which eats the wood here
and there and effects the same result"
''But how about the brass fittings?''
''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 is cast are
rubbed and Clipped somewhat, and in
! them little gun-powder is placed and
| fired with a match. This occasions
| discolOratiOn, which seems to betoken
the action of times gnawing teeth, and
the same is warranted to last until the
merchandise is sold, though not much
| longer.
ga special branch of the work has to
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 of mod
ern pattern are permitted to lie in
dusty corner and oxide comfortably,
while the framework is in process of
construction. There is nothing, the
makers say, in the line of back-number
furniture that can not be reproduced at
few days notice from brand new ma
terials, and yet so like the old that no
ordinary person could possibly tell tho
difference.-N. Y. Mail and Express.