The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-11-29
The Two Prime n


ing how to strike th
the stone. muscle
clock-like rise and Il
IL one OF the wrist
elbow joint stiffens. th,
and rebounds nearly t
point. So. actually. 1t
physical effort, it seems, 1
the hammers, one for ed
weigh eighteen, twelve,
pounds.
Each beater receives fit.
weight ofgold, rolled from th
the form OF crinkly ribbc
yards long and an inch In widt.
into 1870 pieces these go into
"cutch." This consists Of deta
leaves Of vegetable fiber, betN
each OF which is placed piece OF 20
Slipped into tightly-ftting pad,
package is laid on the stone, and
hammer falls again and again, the
being to drive the weight towar
edges. From the "cutch" the ST
then leaves. are picked pus wls
curious lockwood pincers. Handling
with the fingers. especially at the lat
ter stages. would be most likely &
break the leaf. Each leaf is then guar
tered by a section Of bamboo cane
little implement known as ''wags
but in reality tiny sled.
The second pad is the 'shoder.'
has 720 leaves and Is At inches squ
The force of the blows here is gres
The leaves are beaten out to the
edge, as they were net before. and
gold oozes out. These particles a
carefully brushed off into an apron
tached to the stone, for the workmi
must account for every one Of his fiji
pennyweights.
In the third pi i0cess there are thr
"molds" OF 900 leaves each and fs
inches square. Each mold. requirf
some four hours work. The leav
are now so thin that the slightest 10
judgment will produce disastrous
suits. In spite Of the heat genera
by the blows dampness creeps in
tween the edges. Dryness is positi.
essential here; SO. wheneve Nueces
the mold is placed y So
like an ordinary
taken from an oven.
libe.ates the moisture.
When sufficiently beaten
go to girls. who with pince'rs
wagon" make up books OF twenty
leaves each, three and three-ei
inches square. Each workmal
his beating of three molds :
eighty books. That is called
For it he receives IS. The mol
a total number Of 2.700 leaves.
books need but 1000. For re
book he can fill, perfect i
being used, 81 cents is paid.
every leaf was perfect, he wo
$1.75 extra.
As the wagon" cuts the Il
inches square there is a co
waste. This. with the imp
leaves, is put in with the lshoder
It is all melted into "Buttc
weighed. This mus t dome to 3.
weights. For the 50 books IL
weights is allowed, but they NAV
whatever the workman can ma
The thinner the leaf, so long al
the better. Whatever the vast
over 3S pennyweights 81 q
weight is paid the workman.
cry pennyweight under 81. is d.
Thus, although the gold is us
again, it takes so pennyweights
out II. And, again, ma,
though he turns out an over
books, may have such short
wastes as to bring his bala
wrong way.
Three beatings week is !
number. The skilled wof
make $50, and perhaps
The actual number OF men
small, there being only l75
Most are Englishmen. G
Is done principally In the Z
and Philadelphia furnishh
ihe other workmen. It Isl
,ity that the largest shop III
States Is located, A nnio
wages and matters Of the
iting out Of a gold-beaters'
! number OF men arc Am
'ather expensive maIter.
personal outfit Ii w0th sol
nolds alone costing 20 ap
Nail and Express.
There were 5ld e.or
.a.n.et...@ H.. <ln. xsats