Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-26


trades and manufactures. A great part OF
this prodigous quantity is, OF course, em-
ploycd by the jewellers, goldsmiths and sill.
versmiths The lavish displays OF the pre-
cious metals In the show windows OF any
large jewelry store will satisfy any person
OF the enormous demand that must certainly
exist in these establishments and when 1t
Ia remembered that every town In every
civilized nation has its jewelry store, where
the coin metals are every day being converted
to other uses than coinage, the
wonder is when the drain on the
lion purchases of some Of the largest
manufacturing jewellers amount sometimes
to thousands OF dollars a day. every grain OF
the metal disappearing from the worlds Wis
ible supply After long intervals some of
1t turns up in the form OF "old gold,' but
comparatively small percentage of
the amount demanded by large
jewelry factory. There is reason to
believe that there are many mil
lions of dollars worth of gold now held In
this country in articles of jewelry that have
descended from parent to child in the same
family for several generations. The intrin-
sic value Of the articles insures care being
taken of them, while the associations con-
nected with them prevent their sale or de-
struction thus they are held from generation
to generation, so much dead stock small in
the grand total.
GLIDING AND LETTERING
A great deal of gold in the form of leaf
Is annually consumed by the painters, gild-
ers and picture-frame makers. The beau
tifully gilded frames in which are displayed
the portraits of men of more or less great
ness require a considerable amount of gold
leaf. and although the metal Is beaten by
the skill of the manufacturer into sheets
so thin that, released from the hand, they
float in the air like a fragment of tissue
paper, 1t is none the less gold and costs
not only in proportion to its weight, but
also to the trouble of manufacture. Only
a few cents worth cf the precious metal
may be laid on each picture frame, but there
Is hardly a house in the land where there
is not a gilded frame, and the consumption
mounts to large figures Quite as important
an item are the show window signs, or the
names of business firms placed on windows
or glass doors in gilt letters. The gliding
is done with pure gold leaf and hundreds
of thousands of dollars worth of the metal
in this form every year disappears from
view. When the firm changes its location,
1t has sign or name gilded on the windows
and doors of its new office or place of busi-
ness. Sometimes the painter who re-
moves the old gliding scrapes it off
with care into paper or box and by
Systematically following this practice he, In
time, accumuates quite quantity OF pure
BOlu, Dul as often as not, Ill u hurry 10 nnlSn
the job, he washes and scrapes without re-
gard to the value of the material. and it Is
forever lost. Even when the firm remains
however, the sign does not, for in course of
time, by repeated careless washing, the jan
itor tells the superintendent and the super
intendent tells the "old man" that the sign
is getting a little shabby, and the old man
decides that we can't afford to have shabby
sign, so off goes the old gold, and on goes
the new, with still further dminution of
the worlds visible supply.
GOLD AND SILVER PLATING.
Thousands upon thousands of dollars OF
gold and silver are annually lost by being
used for plating for objects made of a metal
of less value. The quantity of plated wares
of various kinds made and sold every year
from ten to twenty times exceeds that man.
ufactured from pure gold or silver. The
plated articles are well made, in graceful
and attractive styles, and for most purposes
are quite as useful as though made of the
solid metal. Having the recommendation of
being much cheaper. they. of course, find
their way into thousands of homes where
1t would be impossible to place the more
costly articles. When the work of plating
has been well done the plated goods will en-
dure for many years, with little loss Of
weight or appearance and this fact consti- |
tutes another point in their favor. Sooner
or later, however, the plating will wear off
and the precious metal composing 1t is thus
a total loss. How much goes this way is
impossible to ascertain. Some years ago |
firm Of Partisan jewelers. made an estimate |
that in their own factory $150,OO0 a year
was laid on silver plated goods alone, this |
great sum has been dissolved by chemical |
agents and by clever processes made to re- |
appear on knives and forks. casters, walters |
cups card holders and other objects of COM |
mon utility. Gold plating is quite as com
mon as silver plating, and, although the |
oil 1nH nj
those which are silver plated, an immense |
quantity of gold Is annually spread in thin |
films over the surfaces of cheap watches |
and jewelry. rings and buckles buttons and |
other small articles of common use.
ABRASION OF COINS.
How much gold and silver annually disap-
pear in the pocket Innings OF the worlds
Is impossible to estimate, but the
aggregate loss from the abrasion OF colno
must be very large. gold piece requires
from twenty to thirty years to become so
worn as to be unrecogniZsble, but the use
ful life of a silver coin is much shorter, be-
ing only from five to ten. The smaller sill
yer coins. such as dimes and quarters, loso
more metal and lose 1t more rapidly proba-
bly, from the more lively handling to which |
they are subjected, When gold coins are
shipped to Europe or from Europe to this |
country. they are packed in small sacks of |
stout canvas, each tightly tied, so as to pre-
vent, as far as possible the rubbing together
o: the coins and consequent loss in weight.
Abrasion under such circumstances would |
seem to be an impossiblity, and yet with |
every voyage there is a certain loss
OF weight, small but when mil
lions are transported of sufficient |
amount to be taken into consideration |
as commercial factor. When coins |
lose in weight, even If tightly packed to pre-
vent rubbing. the loss when loosely carried |
in the pockets and allowed rough contact |
with keys, knives and other articles of much |
harded material than the silver and gold, is, |
OF course, far greater. When a coin is so |
worn that the device becomes obliterated |
the piece, rejected by careful persons re- |
ceved at discount. becomes worth only it's |
bullion value and finally finds its way to the |
mint to the jeweler to be used in the |
of new coins CT goods to be |
placed on the market. But in any event II |
loses weight, and the weight thus lost is |
never recovered.
IN THE BOOK TRADE.
1t will be a surprise to many persons to |
learn that thousands of dollars worth OF |
gold annually vanishes in the manufacture of |
books. The lettering on the backs of the |
volumes that are found in almost every |
house depends on the kind of books. Cheap |
books are lettered with a cheap bronZng, |
but the better class OF volumes issued by |
DubligherS are letterel with moth