The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-05-12
BEATING GOLD LEAF
THE WAY THE SQUARES or METAL
ARE WORKED UNDER The HAMMER.
Gradually Reduced In fhieknes. IN
til the sheets Are Transparent and
So Fine That 100000 OF Them In a
Pile Would Measure bur nm Inch.


A local sign writer was in the win.
dow Of large + street establishment
putting gold leaf on the outlines of let
tiers he had made with stencil. The
curiosity OF a reporter was aroused as
to how these tiny sheets of gold were
reduced TO such minute thinness. A
visit to the establishment OF one OF
Washington's largest sign writer's and
a talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following:
Il learned the gold beater's trade In
Rochester some years ago. Imagine
slab of gold measuring eight inches liz
width, ten inches In length and half an
inch in thickness being reduced To
$500 sheets of gold. each i've inches
square and almost transparent. and
you get Il vague idea of the queer in
dustry known MS gold beating.
Imagine a,square of gold three-hun-
dredths OF an inch in. thickness, and
you will appreciate the Drawn and
brain making for the r,f1lt, and then
reflect that the word beating means
just beating no power other than
the strength of mans arm Is used In
the process-and you will have been
mentally initiated into the mysteries
of silent art.
Few persons are familiar with the
work for several reasons: First, there
are less than twenty-five gold beating
establishments in the country; second,
It is an exclusive industry, and few,
either manufacturers or laborers, are
admitted TO its secrets, and, third, the
trade is limited. Therefore II Is a most
interesting study.
THE gold beaten buys direct from the
| government assay office, where the
gold is weighed, stamped and guaran.
teed. A fraction too much of alloy
would cause 1t to pulyerize or part into
fragments. Twenty-three carat gold
Is used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes in nuggets weighing tifty-five
pennyweights and valued at $55 each.
After the gold has been received Ii
Is placed in crucible and made ready
for the beating about 10 follow. II Is
nodded into u shape which will fit into
the only power machine In the pince.
which congresses the gold into u rib
bon ten yards in length, one inch in
width and one thlrty-second inch in
thickness Out of this ribbon are cut
22O squares of equal size.
THE work of reducing is begun. To
each workman is given twenty-five
squares, and these he places between
the leaves Of book. This book is
'kutcl paper and is sealed with a pat
ent envelope device which prevents the
loss of particles of gold. precautlon
made necessary by the many turnings
and hoppings of the book in the proc.
ess. sixteen pound hammer is used.
and the beaten is compelled to work I'M
lnterruptedly for twenty minutes to
gain the desired measurement
welding sixteen pound hammer
for few seconds only is exhausting
work for the uninitiated, but the beat
ers hammer away as II 1t was boys
play. They must grasp the end OF the
hammer farthest from the head, which
Increases It's weight, but the benches
they use are so constructed that they
cause a small rebound Of the hammer
When the 'kutch' book is opened
twenty-five sheets are taken out. and
each sheet of gold is cut into four
pieces. Its thickness has been reduc.
ed in the operation from one thirty
second of an inch 10 one one-hun-
dredth OF an inch. Twenty-Five of these
, squares are put into book called the
'shodder.' The 'shodder' is not pa.
per, but skin, and 1t is said that GER
tain intestinal parts OF 900 oxen are
required TO make n package or book
OF twenty-five papers. The 'shodder'
is made in England by secret proc
ess. 1t is the most exclusive industry
in the world.
Like the .kutch' book, the 'shoder
book is sealed and handed to the art
LIST, who is required to pound II ninety
minutes with attwelve pound hammer
This reduces the thickness, and when
It is taken out of the book each leaf
of gold is again cut into one inch
squares. This time the gold is so
fragile that metal knife blade, no
matter how sharp, would break the
| edges; so Knife with double blades
is used, requiring only two strokes to
cut square.
Now comes the last beating Each
square is again put into book called
mold Forty minutes beating is
required to give this the proper size
When the leaves OF gold are removed
they are transparent. but perfect In
shape and unbrokcn. II would require
100000 of them to make one Inch IN
thickness
THE last operation is to send them
to the booking room. where women re.
move the gold leaves and place them
in wax paper books ready for sale
The leaves are SO delicate that they
can be handled only with bamboo
sticks. So adhesive is the gold that II
a leaf is broken in removing It Is cas-.
lily patched without trace OF il being
apparent to the na1SeI Washing
ton Star.