The Newtown bee., 1889-09-06
THE HOLMES < EDWARDS SILVER co.

Among the industries that are building the fame and fortunes of the Park City must be reclSoned the Holmes X Edwards Silver Co. of 5i6 Seayiew avenue, East End. Incorporated in 1882, with Col c. E. l.. Holmes, George c. Edwards and r. T. Baker as it's corner stones, it occupied and has enlarged the works previously used by the Rogers x Brittin Silver Co. It's capital stock Is $500, ,000, it's president and treasurer George c. Edwards, it's vice president Morris w. Seymour and it's secretary and superintendent Freder- ick 1T. Baker; E. 1T. Abbott, formerly of Holmes, Booth X Hayden's silverware department, Is general foreman of the works and the shipping department is under the charge of George A. Murphy, who has been with the firm for seven years.
 Sterling silver inlaid spoons and forks, gold and silver plated table flat ware and IS per cent. nickle silver flat ware are its specialties ofmanufacture, besides which it furnishes blanks for plating. How wide it's reputation is shown by it's sales rooms, which are located at 23 John street, New York; 6 Washington street, Chicago; Eighth street, corner Locust, St. Louis; 506 Commerce street, Phila- delphia. Two agents also travel through the United States introducing the ware. The firm has a considerable Mexican and South American trade, for which spec ial Spanish catalogue is issued.
 To be admitted to the busy hive where their skilled operatives are employed is q revelation to novice. The metal used In the blanks that form the body of their goods comes from the Benedict & Burn ham Mfg. Co. of Waterbury. The blanks me first struck out on heavy drop press es, then rolled to proper size, thickness and length, polished on flat belting with grit and oil, annealed to soften the metal , after which the patterns are stamped on the handles and they are trimmed on emery belts. The bowls of the spoons and tines of the forks go through much the same process, one changing press shaping the bowl and another cutting out the tines of the fork with repeated prcssures of it's strong jaws. Once formed, the polishers take the blanks in hand, for it Is by repeated polishing and bufflng that the goods are forwarded on their march to completion. The inspect ors examine, the work, after it has left the polishers, a sharp eye being kept on the blanks, lest imperfect pieces slip through to reach the dealer. Each ar ticle Is stamped with the quality of plat ing that it Is to receive and taken to the metal stock room. Blanks are not only made for their own plating, but also in large quantities tor other firms who plate them and stamp them with their own name.
 Holmes & Edwards plate their goods, for the most part, as orders arc received. The caprice of the public, in matters of patterns and styles in goods of this class, makes 1t unsafe to manufacture too large stock, although there are several patterns which Holmes & Edwards have long made that are still popular. A late fad is striking up the handles'wit clab- crate patterns and oxydizing them in im- itation of old silver, But, if to receive single, double, triple or quadruple plate, the goods are passed overt to W. K. Plead well, the oldest man in the company's employ and who Is thoroughly yersed in the science and practical application oi eiectro-plating. He first thoroughly pre- pares the blanks for their silver dress by immersing them in baths of potash and other chemicals, after which they are i'm mersed from two to eight hours in vat' where an electric current deposits thu silver, that Is held between narrow par titions. The length of time that the, are left In the vats determines thu quality and thickness of the plate. Tw' Mather dynamos, the best in the worl' for relectro-pIating,ar are owned by the com pany, from which wires carry the cleo tricity to the vats. Mir Pleadwell has in vented rack that gives the spoon blank more accurate deposit by holding eacl spoon independent from every other, an' wearable points finally receive an extr plating for their better protection. Tn platter passcs hls product on to the bur nlsher, who wssfks both by hand and ma chine, pressing the silver firmly on to th' body metal so that it will wear longe and look more bright. After an extr' finish in the buff room, the perfected goods are taken to the packing room carefully inspected, wrapped up and plac ed in boxes or in finer plush and satil lined cases, packed for shipment or stor ed for future orders. Finer goods arr engraved, others given pearl or satin fin ish, but the company has two specialize to which it is giving particular attention One is neat device, an initial raised il the front of the handle of fork or spoon This raised initial supersedes the engrav ed and the patents protecting 1t are con troiled by the Holmes x Edwards com pany. 1t is Illustrated herewith: