The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28
GoLp.BEATERs' INDUSTRY.
Recent Strike Brings Some Interest
ing Facts to Light.


New York Evening Post.
The recent strike among the gold beaters.
the issues at stake being the increase Of
wages and discharge of women employed in
the business, must have caused a good
many people to inquire what a woman gold
beaten is.
Gold beating is one of the smallest Of
American industries, as 1t is, in some re-
spects, one of the most peculiar. The con-
ditions under which it exists enable the
workmen to dictate terms to their employ
ers, the latter frankly admitting that they
have to either give in or go out of business.
There are only about 500 gold beaters in
this country; the work is expert and not
every one can learn It. The English and
German workmen are too well paid to think
of emigrating; and of course the contract
labor law stands in the way of sending
for them from this side.
The recent strike was really on account
of the women. The increase of wages
would have been granted the men for the
asking, but employers were reluctant 20
| discharge for no cause women who served
| faithfully for low wages, did their work
| better than the men could do it, and were,
| in many cases, widows and orphans of the
| strikers fellow-workmen. They held out
| for seven weeks, hoping that the men would
| soften, but the hope was not realized. The
women had to go. 1t is pleasant to know
| that one firm. the largest in New York,
| kept the discharged women's names on the
| pay ROLL and will continue to send them
| their wages until employment can be found
| for them.
Small as the gold-beating industry is, and
| little notice as its troubles attracted, the
| results of them might have been very far
reaching. Manufa cturers, it is said, &C
| tually consider whether il would not be as
well for them to go out of the business
as far as the beating itself was concerned.
| If they had done SO the price of gold pic
| ture frames would have advanced at least
rs per cent on account of the tariff on
| gold leaf Artists would have felt this
very seriously. since their framemakers
bills are heavy enough as it is. Decorators,
| painters, sign makers, beokbinders, cabinet
makers-a dozen trades would have been
| affected. All on account of about 100 wom-
en-or rather on account of the unsallantry
| of about 500 men towards those women.
Gold beating is one of the few handi-
| crafts left In Germany some machinery
has been introduced, but the work accom-
| plished is inferior. The knack of striking
Il
| transmitted to steam hammer.
| The gold, twenty-five carats fine, is melt
| ed and run through heavy rollers. coming
| out ribbon about an inch wide and of the
| thickness of plotting paper. The ribbon is
l clipped into inch squares and placed be-
tween the leaves OF a parchment book three
/ inches square. This book is called the
| Clutch, and contains 200 leaves When it
has been placed in heavy parchment en-
! velope it is given to a brawny workman
| with arm and shoulder muscles like a glad
iator He stands before a pounding block
of solid granite and. with an iron hammer
weighing fifteen pounds; beats the Clutch
| until the gold within is three inches square
| instead of one inch. The blow struck is not
| the crushing blow OF the butchers ak; it
must rebound lightly. The effort is ex-
and not in the stroke. Women, of course,
have no part in this work.
The gold is next cut in quarters and
| placed in another book called the shoda,
| which contains some $50 leaves This booR
| consists of a peculiar substance made from
| the entrails Of oxen. 1t is fine and
smooth and flexible as the lining of an egg
| shell. 1t il very costly, the price of a
| single book being $50. A book will stand
| l5O beatings, after which ii is sold to
manufacturers of imitation gold-leaf
The shoda is beaten with a lighter ham,
| mer and a more expert stroke. The idea
| is TO make the leaf little thicker on the
| edges than in the middle This is in order
| that when the leaf is finally trimmed and
| sold the manufacturer and not the buyer
Will get the advantage of the heavier part.
The man who beats the shodn was really
| the cause of the strike. Up to this time
| all the work is in the hands of men, Ths
| transferring of the leaf from the shoda to
the next book and the final beating has al
| ways been the work of women. A light
| touch and deft hand are required to do
this without breaking the leaf which has
| now been beaten to the thihness of the
| thinnest ussuepaper. Some of the men
say they wanted TO take the work away
| from the women because they knew they
| could do 1T, and they thought they ought ia
be allowed more chance TO sit down and
rest from their severe labor. Others ad-
NIT that they simply wanted - earn more
l money.
One Is interested to observe chat the men
| are rather awkward in the ACCOMPLISH
ment OF their new task. All seemed to
| work slowly.
The last book is called the mold and has
LOCO leaves. In II the gold tissue is beaten
| to one-fourth that delicate thickness and
then the men are through with II. In time
they may come to think they can handleNt