Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-23
ORIENTAL ARTISANS.
The Wood and Ivory Carvers and Silver
 smiths or Canton.

The Wood and Ivory Caryers and Silver
 smiths oT Canton.
 Tn the Ci:y of Canton is tho title of \ gossipy paper by Florence O'Driscoll, NJ. P, in I he Century. In describing the patient and skilled artisans the writer says:
 Farther along the streets were the ivory carvers, all working in sight of the pass ersby. Men shaped from a dingy coated elephants tusk objects of living wonder and bCauty-sprites and Goblins, gods and devils, caricaturcs of human form, things unlike anything on the earth, or in the waters beneath, Ur in the heavens above. Animals. birds and creeping things grew out of this dead ivSry to take the shape and live in almost noisy gam bols around tho spiral tusk Paper knives, weights, combs, backs for brushes, Orna- mCnts, hairpins, cunningly carved globes within globes, toys and many strange things had birth in these quaint and primitive workshops
 Near by were r:le wood carvcrs, sitting on the floors of their booths and holding with their feet the timber frCm which they chopped out and with chiscls graved dragons, scrolls. flowers, birds, signs for shops. figurchcads for boats, chair backs, marvclously carved cabinets and curious ly fanciful objects. Every workman chip ped away if his life depended upon his industry, and seemingly developed each design as he worked from the inner con sciOuSnCss of his weird imagination. could sec no prcGrranGCd design for any piece of carving, nor were there any mod els to bc sen in the ivory shops.
 The silver worker hammered away at his pots, and rcptilcs and flying things, manikins, Clcmcntals, giants and legend ary pcr>UnaEUs grew out of his labOrs. He also skillfully wOve wires together, which took shape us delicate 1iligree forms, or he joined tiny leaflike plates with flligree scrolls. and with the beautiful sheeny feathers from kingfshcr's breast inlaid the plates in brilliant and unfading tints.
 The gold worker displayed cunning workmanship of like nature. The gold beater in his open shop two or three feet back from the passing streams of peO- pie hammered away at ingots, bars and plate until the thin leaf for gliding was obtained Two wOrkmcn had an anvil placed on the ground between them. The sheets of gold were divided by dark brown tissue, and with very wide faced hammer, fixed upon Il very thick, straight handle, they beat away, blow after blow in turn. Behind each bcatcr stood boy with a large feather fan, whose duty it was to fan the labOrcr while he toilCd.
 The stone Carvcrs, like most craftsmen, sat above their work. Unlike the western CTS, whose hammer faces arc hard and chisel heads soft, the Chinese stonecuttcr uses soft iron hammcr-a round, mop like lump of iron with n handle through the center. The chiscl is of iron, with steel point and head. The round, hard steel head wears in n short time a cup shaped hole or socket in the hammer, and it seems almost n marvel that q true blow can be struck with such a tool The stone cuttcr uses long handsaws and sits to his work. With one hand he pushes the saw; with the other he moves in the opposite | direction little water mop to keep the saw cut clear.
 The blacksmiths, filters, file cutters | iron founders and iron workers were all tC hc seen labCring away in their little shops. | File cutters sar, and holding with thciI toes an untrmpcrcd file iron in a gruOvcd | anvil nOtchtd it, using a little steel cut | ting tool and hammer with amazing ra pidity.