The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-25


This material is used because it will bear
the fierce heat, and because none of the
liquid gold will adhere to it.
Whew How hot it is and how hun
grily the flame ticks the side of the YES
sci, as if 1t wanted to get in and
DEvoUR THE CONTENTS.
In few inmates the gold has become
bright fluid, and the crucible is with
drawn, red in hue, from the intense heat.
The gold will not be so bright again
until 1t has ATTAINED its shape and re-
ceived its last polishing.
The liquid is poured into an lngot
mould, formed into a small bar, and then
plunged with hiss into bath
1t may be handled, for it is thoroughly
cooled, and it is then rolled in mill be-
tween two rollers to make il of equal
thickness and to press down any little
pores that may remain in it.
Then it goes back TO the furnace, into
the part called the annCaler, and is again
subjected to a fierce and raging heat to
make it soft before working.
From the cold bath that follows it
energies as black as iron, rough and bent.
and like that baser metal, is hammered
into shape on an anvil. After this it is
rolled again, and if the plain, thick band
with round edges, which is the common
wedding ring, is desired, it is left of an
equal thickness, and then cut in strips
the required length.
These are soldered together and shaped
on spinning lathe. But for other rings,
which are to carry stones, the bar is
deftly shaped, thicker in the center than
on the edges. This piece of metal goes
under the cutter, is cut just the right
shape, wide in the center and tapering to-
wards the ends.
1t is still black and rough, and not
bit like the gold eagles one saw a short
time before. But
SEVERE TREATMENT
awaits these strips They are put under
heavy weight of fifty pounds, and
pounded severely. The implement used is
called drop, and its frame rests on
large stone, which, in turn, is on rub
Der pad. Beneath the floor runs a heavy
truss from wall to wall, as the ordinary
beams would not bear the pressure.
The man pulls the heavy weight up and
down, striking the gold which is on the
bench beneath. From beneath this weight
it comes out shaped like ring when fat
tened out, with the oval in the middle
where the stone is to be placed
Another man at a bench covered with
tools takes one of these rough strips, files
1t, brings the ends together and soldiers
them.
The ring is now less rough, but still
dingy. With drill this man makes a
hole in the center of the oval for the
stone, and, when this is done, begins
with a very fine and delicate saw to cut
out the claws. This is rather nice oper-
alton, as they must be alike in size and
shape. But the saw eats into the gold
voraciously, and it looks as if cutting it
was the easiest thing in the world
The bits of gold ny in every direction,
but nobody heeds this, for there are piles
of ring, studs and earrings to be cut,
while the wedding-rings of plain gold
looked, when massed together to be suf-
fcient to fetter all the brides for years 10
come.
After these claws are made novice
would wonder how the dirty, brassy-
looking ring was going to be transformed
into the pretty little carrier of the spark
ling diamond, the chaste pearl or the
glowing ruby.
But then it goes into the hands of the
pOlishers. 1t takes three people to do
this part of the work, but the wheels Gov
cred with rubber revolve rapidly and do
it quickly.
The dark material becomes brighter
and brighter, until, under the last wheels
covered with soft cotton, it looks brilliant
and shining.
WHOLE HANDFUL OF RINGS.
Fashion has her caprice in the matter
y
quise ring, which has been so long on the
topmOst wave, is on the wane, and the
prlncesse Is dictated by fashions nod as
the desirable shape. This is rounded in
stead of sharply pointed, like the erst-
while favorite. The ladies belcher ring,
the one whose manufacture has Just been
described, is always used for small and
medium sized stones. For large stones
the rings are not drilled out from the
solid II
strip and look like a small comb. These
are cut OF the right length and attached
TO the rest of the narrow strip that
makes the ring. They come in various
patterns. There are more than 100 STYLES
When the ring business is fioufishing
gold eagles to the amount of 500 to $500
are used daily. The alloy in these coins
is mostly copper. Formerly silver was
used, but the coins did not wear so well
The proprietor Of the factory, who has
been patiently showing the Boston Her
aid reporter just how rings are made,
says that just now good part of his
profits are found in the dirt I'm the
dirt! OF course that is meant for a Joke"
Then he explains. In the cutting and
drilling tiny chips of gold fly everywhere
These are carefully swept up with the
rest of the dirt in the rooms, put In bar
rel and sent 10 Providence to the refiners
Here they are burned slowly, And in
the ashes is found the gold. A barrel
packed full of the waste and dirt on the
floor yields about Sl75 worth of the prec-
ious metal.
The aprons with which the men cover
their clothes are washed weekly, the
water allowed to settle, and the dregs go
to the refner, as well as that which col
lects in the bottom of the sinks where the
rings take their final bath.
The oil waste is also saved In fact,
almost every part of the room where this
work goes on contains some Of the valua-
BILE dust.
Sometimes small diamonds are lost for
months, to be recovered, perhaps, by ac-
cident.
A manufacturer, who has been nearly
twenty-five years ia one room, proposes
TO pull up the floor, which Is quite badly
worn. Every particle of wood and dust
will be saved, sent to the refnors. and he
hopes the result will pay for new floor
Mrs. julia Josephine Irvine, who Is to be
acting president OF Wellesley college next
year says she never reads q newspaper, and
Is very aYorse TO publicity. Mrs. Irvine is a
widow, a graduate OF Cornell and attended
school at Letpsic. Bologna and Athens. an d
IN 1870 was appointed professor Of Greek Ian
lage ana literature az Wellesley.