Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-20

mortar. washed and practically all the
gold II recovered.
II would appear to be simple TO beat
gold by machines hammers. Many at
tempts have been made but none sue
cessfuliy. The reason II that the strokes
Of the hammers cannot he regulated by
machinery Exactly the same degree
of hammerins. the blows delivered In
Just the same place at the same time.
would not serve two molds. By ffe-
auent examinations only. the operat-
I've can tell whore the leaf needs more
OF less thinning. there are lisht blows
needed here heavier ones there. until
the whole leaf Ia 81 uniform thickness.
Then the mold must not be allowed Ia
get too warm. nor too moist. nor too
dry, and there are many considerations
individual To each mold. which have
rendered machine beating 80 far Inn
practicable.
The art II gold heating Is 30 old that
there IL no record IN history or tradi.
ton Of ita Introduction. II was known
70 the Babylonians. and the ancient
Egyptian ruins prove that the same
methods were pursued then as now, the
only Improvement being that In those
remote ages the gold leaf was almost
three times ~ thick NJ the modern leaf.
The only saving In the cost Of produc.
ton has been In using female labor In
sauarlne and booking the leaf, leaving
the men 20 do the beating.
u little IL known " the manufacture
Of gold leaf. still less II known OF the
manufacture of goid.bcatcrs' skin. This
4 the only known substance between
which gold leaf may be beaten without
the thin leaf sticking 20 H. but the
process " preparing Il n trade secret
20 jealousy guarded that o few years
ago only three firms In England were
acquainted with n. and they about
supplied the civilized world with molds.
There u no mandatory In America.
one was put In operation In New York
by the son of an English manufacturer
more than twenty-five years ago, but
climatic conditions. as well ns the high
er cost OF labor IN this counts. we're
against ~. aud II shut down after few
months.
The skin consists ~ tho pcrltoneal
coat Of the large Intestine " the on
Each animal furnishes but one skin.
und an ordinary mold % 200 leaves rop-
rcaents nearly 600 tattie, 20 that they
arr very costly. Tho skins are first
stretched on wooded frame about Z
feet long ana 8 Inches wide. They are
thoroughly washed IN a trough with
vinegar aud water, and all the fat
scrnpcd on with knives. They are then
allowed 20 dry. after which they are
thoroughly rubbed with pulnico stone.
until every trace ~ rrease IL removed
They are then tanned with alum and
Hoftcncd with isinEiass and the white
OF cngs. The trade secret Il In the maj
process. The skin stili stretched on the
frames. and drawn taut by cross sticks
from side 20 side of the frame. ore
treated Co ycnecrlhE laid on by
Wide brush, The writer, although the
son ~ a large manufacturer 0f this
product knows nothing ~ the formula
~ thin vnrniHh. save that cloves constl.
tutc one ~ the ingredients fact rcad-
NY ancertaincd by the olfnctory organ.
nor does one else know save the very
few IN the business. The information
has been sought by writer's OF enrycio.
pedals In Nnin-the secret has been prp.
served In a few families.
After this final process the skin IL cut
rum the frame In squares the slze
wanted for mods. but each nuuar. must
BE- free from veins or knots. or u would
b. useless. ~ the Fold lear requires
perfectly smooth surface. ~ the small.
81 inequality would cause tho gold
leaf TO split.
The skin. however. Il not Yet ready
for use. The gold would adhere 10 the
Neneering. 10 each leaf must be- treated
with talo until every sign Of nilcklneas
II removed. n Il then well beaten With.
out any gold being contained In the
mold. until pliable and ready for usr,
Ncw molds are used FOR nnai bsatingH
OF gold. When too Old for this they are
used ~ "nhodafs," or moids for second
bcatinEr. and Htlll later they are sold
Tor use In beating an Initiation OF gold
leaf, known ha Dutch metal" an iu-
dunify mostly carried on In Germany,
The scraps are cuttings from moiis
nre put into pnchaHcr and sold % the
drug trade, They constitute. a rover.
eiEn rcm.iy for cuts. and. being trans.
parent. arc less unsiEhtly than sticking