Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-28
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"In the City CT Canton" is the title c
!. gossipy paper ~ Florence o'Eei@coii
II p, il Tic Century. II describing II
patient and sliil!ctl ~ tislNS the writer says
Farther alorg the streets No2c the IVORY
carver. all working il .iSl.t CT the pass
ersby Men shaped from dingy coated
elephants tust objects OF llvi2J "oHdel
and beauty -spiite5 and COLLINS, gods
Gnd devils, raricaGurcs Of human form,
things unlike anything on tie earth, Or IL
The waters beneath. or in the heavens
above Animals, birds and creeping
things grew out of this dead ivory to take
the shape aNl live in almost noisy gam
bols around the spiral tusk. Paper knives,
weights, combs, backs for brushes, orna-
ments, hairpins, Cunningly carved globes
within globes toys and many strange
things had birth in these quaint and
primitive workshops.
Near by were the wood carvers, sitting
on the floors of their booths and holding
with their feet the timber from which
they chopped out and with chisels graved
dragons, scrolls, flowers, birds, signs for
shops, figureheads for boats, chair backs,
marvelously carved cabinets and curious
ly fanciful objects. Every workman chip
ped away as if his life depended upon his
industry, and seemingly developed each
design as he worked from the inner con-
sciousness of his weird imagination.
could see no prearranged design for any
piece of carving, nor were there any mod
els to be seen III the ivory shops
The silver worker hammered away al
his pots, and reptiles and flying things,
manikins, elementals, giants and legend
airy personages grew out of his labors. He
also skillfully wove wires together, which
took shape as delicate filigree forms, or he
joined tiny leaflike plates with filigree
scrolls, and with the beautiful shecny
feathers from kingfsher's breast inlaid
the plates in brilliant and unfading tints.
The gold worker displayed cunning
workmanship of like nature. The gold
bcater in his open shop two or three feet
back from the passing streams of PEG
pie hammered away at ingots, bars and
plates until the thin leaf for gliding was
obtained. Two workmen 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,
liked upon very thick, straight handlo,
they beat away, blow after blow in turn
Behind each beater stood a boy with 6
large feather fan, whose duty it was tc
fan the laboTcr while he toiled.
The stone carvers, like most craftsmen.
sat above their work. Unlike the western
ers, whose hammer faces are hard and
ohiscl heads soft, the Chinese stonccuttel
uses a soft iron hammer-a round, mop
like lump Of iron with handle through
the center. The chisel is of iron, with
steel point and head. The round HARD
steel head wears in a short time a cur
shaped hole or socket in the hammer, and
it seems almost a marvel that a true blow
can be struck with such tool. The stone
cutter uses long handsaws and sits to his
work. With one hand he pushes the saw
with the other he moves in tho opposite
direction a little water mop to keep the
saw cut clear.
The blacksmiths, filters, file cutters,
iron founders and iron workers were all te
be :een laboring away in their little shops,
Filo cutters sat, and holding with theil
toes an untempered file iron in a groovel
anvil notched it, using little steel cut
ting tool and hammer with amazing 10