The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-12
JEWELRY IN BIRMINGHAM.
The Industry Carried ON Near the
Centre of the City.
A. 7 sod.

Sentre tue NItS.
From the London Leader.)
Birmingham jeweiry is known all the
world over, and the jewelry quarter, oc-
cupying some miles OF streets half a mile
from the centre of the town, presents a
curious aspect to the stranger. Outwardly.
save for the signs over the doors, the houses
look like respectable middle-class dwell
ings; within they are hives Of industry, and
the swarms of respectable and well-dressed
workers-a large proportion women-pour-
Ing in and out OF the workshops at mid
day is one of the sights of Birmingham.
The wealth stored in the shops of these
makers OF chains. rings, aad cutters OF dia-
monds is almost fabulous. The supervis-
ion of the quarter is one Of the most Sc
rious anxieties OF the police superintend-
ent of the division, and day and night the
streetsare patrolled bylynx-ey detectives
and plain-clothes policemen. Hundreds OF
the jewelers. keep lights burning ii theii
rooms near the safes In which they store
their valuables, and their curtains are re-
moved from the windows. so that the safe
is under police observation from the street
The disappearance of the light would
Immediately be reported and the darkened
room would be entered by means Of keys
kept at the police station. At holiday
times some of the jewellers prefer 10 con-
that case the messenger conveying the par
cells is always Swallowed by a couple of col
leagues or police detectives on either side
Of the road.
At the same time intimation Is sent to
the police station that the usual light will
not be kept burning. large nun Der OF
the houses are electrically connected with
the police station, SO that the entry OF any
marauder would promptly be int!mated to
u. I1r ty,..s ,far,s lfG
sometimes when. during a thunderstorm,
the sergeant in charge hears a dozen alarm
bells all ringing together, and for the mo-
ment assumes that a big 1ewelry raid is
in progress.
curious development in the manage
ment of the shops quite recently adopted
Is the elaborate series of arrangements for
preventing waste. Years ago sharp spec
ulators made handsome bargains by the
purchase of the sweepings from the varl-
GUS shops. Generally the first man who
came along with an offer for the shop
rubbish got it at his own price. The
rapid growth in prosperity of such specu-
lstors opened the eyes of the jewelers., and
the screenings are now offered to the
highest bidder, with the result that one
firm alone realizes $500 year by the
sale of its refuse to refiners
All the work is done over tins, which
draw out from the workman bench.
The contents of the tins are collected
each day. and passed through a sieve 10
separate the filings and dust from tie
larger pieces of silver Eventually the dust
is cast into bars, which are paid for by
the refiner in proportion to the quantity
Of gold or silver he finds in them. The
sweepings of the shops are also taken care
Of
Every day they are collected and burnt
with paper or other jewelry wrappiDgs,
and the ash thus produced is put in a bin.
Once or twice a year the dust is well m xed
and samples are sent to various assayers,
and the highest bidder becomes the pur-
chaser. Even the water used in the wash
ing basin by operatives before leaving the
shops is treated with the same care. The
soapsuds pass through drain in such a
way that all sediment is left behind.
The residuum is periodically taken out
and allowed to dry. and sold in a similar
fashion to the sweepers. The dust p-o-
duced by polishing is similarly carefully
collected in boxes. and workmen specially
liable to accumulate dust on their hands
are required after finishing work, to br lsh
their hands with a hare's foot. After
time this is burnt. and the ash deposited
In the dust tub already mentioned. The
black aprons share the same fate.