The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-11-30
IS IT 4 LOST ART !?
Blacksmithing In Old TimeA---Some
Fine Bits of Work.

1l0 0amm6IeT6 Ill iron Ol LO-udy
do not possess tithe Of the skill
of their seventeenth century breth-
rem, and even of an earlier date.
At the Birmingham Museum and
Art Gallery, while on the American
workingmen's tour, / saw a lobster
executed in hammered iron, piece
of ancient Japanese work, and sup.
posed to be the specimen work of
an armorer. All the articulations
had the exact movements of its
natural prototype, and were equally
close and nicely fitted.
At the Paris art gallery there is a
gate made in the seventeeth century
by blacksmith, every part of which
was hand-forged or hammered. 1t is
made in the form Of limb of tree
full of leaves, and every leaf as per-
feet as nature forms them. A close
examination showed that no file or
other finishing marks had been used
in the perfection of these works OF
art. It may we'll be doubted if there
is a hammersmith in the world who
could duplicate these specimens
to-day.
The Manchester (England) car
shops employ from 800 to 400 black
smiths forging passenger and freight
car wheels. A fiat surface rim is
first forged; then the arms reach
ing from the rim to the hub are
welded on; and finally the hub is
cast on to this "spider." After this
lengthy and clumsy process of Sc
curing the first form of the wheel,
the fanged and wearing face of the
wheel, also forged, is shrunk on,
and the wheel is completed by set
screw bolts being screwed from the
under side of the spider rim, up into
the flanged portion of the wheel.
Some of their wheels have forged
hubs, which are afterward bored
out, forming an entire forged wheel.
The American method is to cast the
wheel entire, at saving Of more
than half in cost, both in labor and
metal, and under the same condi-
tions the American wheel possesses
the greatest durability.
The car-wheel workmen receive
26 shillings per week of ffty-four
hours. AS a body they are not we'll
organized. The Sheffield workmen
lin this industry receive "a shillings
per week for like number of hours,
and are under Indifferent organlza-
ton. Sheffield blacksmiths are
mostly employed on cutlery ware
and that city is the center of this
great industry. None of them pos
sess even the most humble of homes
in their own right. Like the rest
of the multitudinous class OF Eng
|Hsh laborers, their interest IN the
soil of their native land begins ano
ends by being born upon 1t.
All horseshoes are made wlthou'
corks in London and Paris, for the
preservation of the streets, many o
which are paved with blocks OF wooo
and Others laid in concrete. They
are thus rendered uncommonly
smooth, and to see horse fall dowr
causes not a ripple of excitement
The horses are, many Of them, pro
vided with knee tenders to saw
their limbs when they fall. Th'
horseshoer or driver" as we cal
them in America, is paid in Lon
don 80 to 81 shillings per week
The price for new set OF shoes
5 shillings. In Paris the price IS
francs, in Belgium 6 francs and II
Holland 4 marks.
Circumstances favored my, un W
expectedly, seeing how blacksmith
ing is carried on in Holland. A
Venlo We were delayed for a fev
hours, and l spent the time among
smiths and found that all thel
hammer work was done at grea
: disadvantage and loss of time. The.
work up large pieces of lron' ..
means Of the sledge, into horsesho
strips. With US it is purchased Il
that form, and all this labor an
expense is saved at the smlthy
The Holland shops usually occup
the front room Of the dwelling, an
most of the smiths run their ow
shops; but when a man is hired n
is paid by the year, board included
irst-class blacksmits get 300 mark
; for years work. Living is yer
cheap, and shoe leather is a thln
to come to the lower orders. lhel
feet are now clad in wooden shoes
from the youngest to the oldes
The Weather class of farmers nav '
their own shops and keep a blach
smith the year round.
In the small towns horses are ne
much used, dogs doing the work II
8 stead. A dog, or pair of dogs, an
a woman or good-sized boy are col
sidered a good enough h team ther
= The farms are generally worked 0
horses and oxen.
In all European countries throue
which ! passed women were alwa.
seen in the fields and doing men
n VN6