Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-05-14
BEATING GOLD LEAF
THE WAY THE SQUARES OF METAL
ARE WORKED UNDER THE HAMMER.

Gradually Reduced In Thickness I'm
I'll the Sheets Are Transparent and
So Fine That 300, 900 OF Them In n
Pile Would Measure but an 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 reporter was aroused as
TO how these tiny sheets Of gold were
reduced to such minute thinness. A
visit TO the establishment Of one or
Washington's largest sign writer's ana
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 In
width. ten inches In length and half an
inch In thickness being reduced to
$500 sheets of gold, each five inches
square and almost transparent. and
you get a vague idea Of the queer In
dustry known as 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 result. and then
reflect that the word beating means
Just 'beating'-for no power other than
the strength Of q mans arm Is used III
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 most
interesting study.
THE gold beater buys direct from the
government assay Office, where the
gold is weighed, stamped and guaran'
teed. A fraction too much Of alloy
would cause it to pulverize or part into
fragments. Twenty-three carat gold
Is used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes in nuggets weighing hfty-fve
pennyweights and valued at $50 each.
After the gold has been received II
Is placed In a crucible and made ready
for the beating about 10 follow. 1t Is
nodded into shape which Will ut into
the only power machine in the place
which congresses the gold into rib
bon ten yards In length. one inch II
width and one thirty-second inch In
thickness. Out Of this ribbon are cut
POO squares Of equal size.
-rhe work Of reducing is begun. TIC
each workman is given twenty-five
squares, and these be places between
the leaves Of a book. This book Is @
'kutch' paper and is sealed with pat
ent envelope device which prevents the
loss Of particles Of gold, a precautior
made necessary by the many turnings
and hoppings Of the book in the proc
ess. A sixteen pound hammer is used
and the beaten is compelled to work un
interruptediy for twenty minutes II
gain the desired measurement.
w lCbQAllA q oAANCNh RNaA0
for q few seconds only is exhaustine
work for the uninitiated, but the beat
CTS hammer away as II 1t was boys
play. They must grasp the end OF thu
hammer farthest from the head, which
Increases Its weight. but the benches
they use are 30 constructed that they
cause q small rebound of the hammer
when the kutch' book Is opened
twenty-five sheets are taken out, an(
each sheet Of gold Is cut into foul
pieces. Its thickness has been reduc
ed In the operation from one thirty
second Of an inch to one one-hun
dredth Of an inch. Twenty-Five of thes'
squares are put into book called thu
'shodder.' The 'shodder' is not pa
Der, but a skin, and 1t is said that Ger
tain intestinal parts Of 900 oxen arr
required to make a package or bool
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
ist, who Is required to pound it ninety
minutes with twelve pound hammer
This reduces the thickness. and wher
II L. taken out Of the book each lea.
Of gold Is again cut into one Incl
squares. This tine the gold is 81
Fragile that a metal knife blade, NJ
matter how sharp, would break thu
edges; so a knife with double blades
Is used, requiring only two strokes t
cut a square.
Now comes the last beating. Eacl
square Is again put into book calico
O mold Forty minutes beating II
required to give this the proper size
When the leaves Of gold are removed
they are transparent, but perfect IL
shape and unbroken. 1t would require
100000 Of them TO make one inch IL
thickness.
The last operation is to send then
10 the booking room, where women re
move the gold leaves and place then
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 Il
q leaf Is broken in removing it Is cas-
fly patched without a trace Of 1t beinI
apparent to the naked eye"-Washing
en@ Gov