The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-03-06
WORKERS IN PEWTER.
An Interesting Trade That II Fol.
lowed Mostly by SONS Of the
Father1and.


Workers IN pewter ply ali interesting
trade on the far east side. These men
make a variety Of articles useful and
ornamental from several alloys Of Lead
and tin. Their tools are few and sim
plea strong lathe fC- working tho
metal In sheets, cutting Implements Of
smaller size for trimming and shaping
articles molds for casting in a great ya~
riety Of forms, and the familiar bucket
furnace for melting the pewter. The
shops are small and many Of the work
men are self employing. In some shops
the proprietor works with his men, and
. boy u kept at s1na1l wages learning
The trade. Most Of the worlmen are
foreigners. many Of them German, says
the New York Times.
One Of the tiniest and m most interest
ing Of thoS>xhops has been conducted
for nearly quarter Of a century by
the widow OF German worker in pew
Ter. She employs workmen to exc
cute her contracts, and furnishes few
articles Of pewter to the large shops,
besides doing retail trade. 1nthis lit
tie shop are made hundreds OF tops for
beer mugs. These mugs are imported
without lids. Some are stems, Others
OF earthenware, still others OF glass.
Most of the German stems have little
holes at the top Of the handle. This
hole r. TO receive the stout metallic
pin upon which the Lid Is hinged. The
lids are Of many sizes and shapes. In
some the pewter is mere ring, within
which Is inserted disk Of decorated
porcelain or painted glass. The work
man not only casts and afiixes the ring
Of the metal, but puts in place and se-
cures the central disk. Other lids are
OF solid pewter, decorated with va
riety Of designs. The molds look like
great mushrooms with particularly
long stems. 1t costs from 40 cents to
as cents to have a Lid put on beer
mug. Some Of specially large size and
intricate design cost a good deal more.
Another part Of the business Of this
little shop is the making Of warming
pans, doubtless Of the very pattern as
that which figured in the celebrated
case of Bardell versus Pickwick. These
are stout oval vessels, holding from
half gallon to gallon They are cast
true and highly smoothed and pol~|
ished. They look Ike dislrs for The
table. The mouth Of the warming pan
has two shoppers the inner so nicely
fitted that II Is nearly or quite air
tight, although 1t Is disk Of metal
slipped in and out by hand: the outer
one q screw.
The warming pan of metal is lux
ury Of the rich, ms II costs S., and Is too
heavy to serve many Of the purposes
Of the familiar rubber bag. II has the
advantage, however, Of never wearing
outand never springing leak
The peweter workers trade is neat
and interesting one. and fairly profit
able. since It requires considerable skill
and taste. The metal is easily worked
Dn the lathe and with hand cutting
tools, and the manufacturing process
's subject 70 small loss. for clippings
and filings ara carefully preserved and |
for future use Like good !
many OF the skilled trades Of the city, |
lis very smallness saves II from falling |
INTO the hands Of factory owners. and |
yives the few workmen a position Of un-
usual independence. The trade, how
'ver Is largely dependent upon orders
rom the crockery and department.
'rores, but these still employ number
" persons.