Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-07-06
NUMBER ,.
..RUBBING" OLD GRAvESTONRS
The Girl Had an Experience When
She Tried 10 Find Materials
fer the Work.

take an impression of an old stone or
carving, which has the design ineised.
with a bit of shoemakerss wax and a
piece Of paper. 1t is wonder that the
gravestone of the immortal bard Shake
speare is not entirely worn out with
the enthusiastic labors of tireless tour
lists. The words, "Goode friend. for
Jesus sake, forbare to digge the bones
inferred here are to be seen in the par
lor of many a traveller, who will declare
with delight that he took the design
himself.
Rubbing brasses in old churches
abroad is a fad, and there is SAD to be
a club whose members are young wom-
en- accustomed to travel, each cf whom
must have rubbed her brass to belong.
These brasses are quaint old tablets.
dedicated to the memories of olG-time
knights and ladies, and they ccme out
or paper delightfully."-. The inscription 5
On old-time church gravestones in
American grayeyards can be preserved
in fac-simile in the same way. 1t is a
blessing to the genealogist. 1t was
something of this kind that the girl
wished to do when she started out TO
find the materials. A man, perhaps,
would have exerted his ingenuity and
thought out some materials which
would have answered the purpose, ex-
perimented, and, after a time. found
just what he wanted. Not so the girl.
After the manner of her sex and an
amateur, she wished to start with pro-
fessional materials and have everything
in every way up to date. Perhaps she
thought the fun of going for them
would be as great as getting the impress
sion after they were found. That would
be an entirely feminine feeling, and
looking for the materials was quite In
line with shopping.
The materials required were paper,
blue wax. and gelatine lozenges. For
these materials she went to the shops
where artists materials are kept.
First, however, she went to few book
stores where different lines of good
pictures are found; to a regular art
store, and later laid siege to the down
town shops, where artists materials
and everything in that line are kept. If
the shopping instinct was at work it
was gratified. Shop after shop was Wis
tied without success. Everywhere
there was general knowledge OF what
was wanted, but no one knew the exacs
nature of the materials or where they
could be found.
1t was from the Museum of Natural
History finally that the information
came. They make tracings there for
reproduction, and have copied carvings
ON slate, bone and wood that came from
the North Pacific coast. They have
tough, thin, white tissue paper which
they use for that purpose. but that is
too thin for use on old stones. For this.
ordinary brown or white wrapping pa
per may be used, but some care and a
little experimenting is required in Sc
lecting the kind, for the paper must be
strong and yet soft to receive the i'm
preston well.
Heelball, they said at the museum, is
the material used for rubbing. 1t is
wax and will come from
the art furnishing stores, or from the
shops where they sell shoemakers' find
lngs. And the gelatine lozenges-why,
what can be better than the iozenges
they sell in the shops for colds, or or
dinary jujube paste?
The lozenges are put at the four cor
ners OF the paper, which is fastened by
them to the four corners of the stone
from which the inscription is to be
taken. These hold it in place and the
worker can devote all her attention to
getting the inscription with accuracy
and delicacy.
To get the heelball was the next con-
and there was another but
less extended round of the art supply
stores again, without result. The shoe
makers findings shops were next in
order. There are any number of big
shoe establishme on Duane street,
and here the girl finally made her way,
with some hesitancy, and found just
what she wanted at the second piace she
a big wholesale place.
Sixty cents dozen," said the clerk.
politely.
''But I wanted only one" said the
yirl, with visions of a life devoted t.
nothing but gravestone rubbing if 12 |
pig pieces of wax were to be disposed |
If. Cant you sell me a single piece?"
swell, that is something we do not |
10 very often" replied the clerk; "but |
perhaps we could manage it this time"
Then the girl picked out one piece of |
American heeiball, little square pyra-
MD with the top cut off, and about four |
nches long, the regulation shape and |
ust right for impression taking, and |
Ilso one round piece of English make.
he size of a 50-cent piece, but five times
Is thick.
'Seven cents" said the clerk. "But |
We shall have to do this In the regular |
way. I must take down your name and |
ddress and take you to the cashiers
window to pay the bill, and then you
Eust sign IT."
That was great deal of ceremony |
or small thing, but in the girls esti- /
nation the precious heelball she was
off was entirely worth it al, i
nd her face beamed with satisfaction.
is probable that any large shoe deal
r and manufacturer would obtain the
Ieelbau for a regular customer, and it i
5 certain that the art stores are not
for a large army of grave
tone or tablet impression takers.-N.
:. Times.
A Question OF Authenticity.
Prince Bismarck seems to have left