Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-12-22

mn.
lns giassmaker's trade, practical. even
prosaic ana stolidly scientific as 1t is IN
seaiiey' seems, however, to the average OBJ
server 20 DC an exquisite art assisted by
eoniethlng very like sorcery. Take for in
h'aince the very first step in the process of
MASKING glass and we have something sug.
seseIve' even 70 the unimaginative, Of nee
onancy OF alchemy something akin to
sne laDiea evolution of the philosophers
seoue IN what Is known as the linking
aopu we nave q huge pile OF sand, an
oener 2, OXIDE OF lead and third of pearl
"sn,Hii uuii, sooden, coarse materials CON
aiming not the slightest promise of the
sleaning, gilttering, crystal pure glass
whlcn VIII presently flash in show win
lows 10 sumptuous boudoirs and pariors
aum ~, ga banquet boards.
Inc amount OF glass manufactured va
TICS at uiHerent times, but the proportion
Vi tne ingredients Is never changed. A
trusted ana careful workman weighs out,
lor example, ooo pounds of Berkshire sand
ana cnoroughiy mixes with it 400 pounds
q oxide OF iead and half as much pearl
asn. 10 TINS compound he adds very small
plopor'iohs OF saitpeter, arsenic and man
sanese' ana the whole well stirred to-
so.ner goes INTO one OF the great crucibles
poIs as tney are technically called,
"nlc, noiu from i,9oo to 5000 pounds.
~ ene furnace which contains eight of
snese pots une mass IS subjected to the
ye.io nea. Oh a roaring lire for forty
/. s'nu .neh .ne netai' as Il is called,
ready Tor the deft manipulations of the
sA'iieu siassDioWers, VINO hover about the
furnace and at intervals remove small
porcions OF tne white, hot semiliquid sub
stance upon the ends OF their long tubes or
blowers pipes, manipulating 1t in way
e eamillar 70 every Pittsburger. The grace
.ul sweeps anu agile writings OF the rod
~ NOT MADE TOT the sake of appearance.
oue ,or praccicai erect In giving the glow
NY NV oi moiten glass the peculiar shape
whion may De desired, dependent upon
"neoe, rs 10 oe a bottle, pitcher, a
puuon poWi' Wineglass, or any one of a
uunureu ocher things
| BLOWING INTO SHAPE.
ne swings the tube with varying force,
piows through IL carefully, expanding the
leu nos uuupie at us UP TO the proper size,
. .uis ~ upon pohshed iron plate, revolves
ene roo Wniie ne holds tool against the
pnaht mass TO give it form, heats it again
ana repeats the process, or delicately and
IaPiuiy Coucnes IL with two or three other
toois' perhaps being assisted by "helper''
u soine Oh tnese maneuvers, and loi the
snapeiess mass has become wine decan-
ter or a salad dish or something else of
most graceful form, and is almost ready
FOR the cutting room, whence it will emerge
with hundreds OF companion pieces of
nasnlng, chased and beautiful ware.
but hrst 1t must pass through the an
nealing furnace, where, with the other ar
tlcles or the days output, it Is very gradu-
aIly cooled Inv hpinU clo Ix-
from the fire through brick arched tun-
mel about sixty feet long.
However picturesque and fascinating the
scene around the furnace, with it's strong
lights ana heavy shadows, the circles Of
iight carved In the darkness by the sweep
OF the cleaning, rudy tipped wands may
De TO the onlooker. it Is stern, stiff labor
TOT Che operatives. Their tools are fewer
ana more primitive than those of any other
class OF skilled artisans. They use a Few
rude iron implements, stick, much like a
narrow roofing single, a heavy, uncouth
pair OF iron shears and the all important
| Diowplpe, and with these they perform
wonders. The work must be done while
the glass Is hot, and SO there is intense
ACTIVITY, only relieved by the occasional
waiting for the reheating of a partly formed
OBJECT.
nv, No" THE GLASS Is CUT.
me llnii seep IN tine process Is the grind
,hs ana poHsning Inc various objects
,orneo oy ehe giassplowers, as decanters,
DogIies' vases poWis, Wlnegiasses, goblets
anu scores OF oener articies OF ornamental
OF table ware-after undergoing the grad
uai coollng process IN tne glass house-are
eaken 70 1ne cuCtlng department. They
nave iorni, nut not tne nhlsn, grace OF
suape nor priliiahcy' anu are technically
hnown as DianKs-
nunoreu worknen are READY at Their
wneeis TO put 1hem througn the process
wnlcn VIII Geveiop iuseer ana make them
Hash anu giealn Win prisnaIic iignt IKE
Titanic olanohus' hundred wneeis
ranged IN TWO rows down long roon'
eacn peiteo 10 treaS centrai shait' are
swiftly whiried pya great engine IN tine
basement Deiow; In TINS department as
IN the one aireaoy "escripsu, tne TOOLS are
Oh tne slmplest order, ana indeed there APP
pears " pe no .ine OF manufacture inVoiv-
ing so mucn skill ana productive OF SO ricn
anu artisCic eilects whicn employs such
primieiVe implements as does th's. Inc
sKiittuiness OF 1ne workman is almost
everything.
cAhVINa TIE HARD GLASS;
Inc glass cutters WORK IN tnree divisions
ana Ine various aroicies pass through three
distinct grades OF LredJm6nG. F1rSG comes |