The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-05-18
BEATING GOLD LEAF
THE WAY THE SQUARES OF METAL
ARE WORKED UNDER THE HAMMER.

GRADUALLY Reduced In Thickness I'm
til the Sheets Are Transparent and
SO Fine That 100000 of Them In IL
Pile Would Measure but nm Inch.
a local sign writer was in the win.
dow Of large l. street establishment
putting gold leaf on the outlines of let.
ters he had made with stencil The
curiosity Of reporter was aroused MS
to how these tiny sheets of gold were
reduced to such minute thinness. A
visit to the establishment OF one OF
Wnshingtons largest sign writer's and
talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following:
Il learned the gold bcntcr's trade il
Rochester some years ago. Imagine Il
slab of gold measuring eight inches in
width, ten inches in length and hulf an
inch In thickness being reduced TO
1920 sheets of gold, cnch five inches
square and almost transparent, and
you get Il vague idea of the queer in
dustry known rs gold beating.
Imagine Il square Of gold three hun
drcdths OF an inch In thickness, and
you Will appreciate the Drawn and
brain making for the result ana then
reflect that the word beating means
just Darlington no power other than
the strength Of a mans arm Is used in
the process-and you will have been
mentally initiated int the mysteries
OF Il silent art
Few persons are familiar with the
work for several reasons: First. there
loco fInn
establishments in the country; second,
1t ls an exclusive industry, and few,
either manufacturers or laborers. are
admitted to its secrets, and third, the
trade Is limited. Therefore it is a most
interesting study.
The gold beater buys direct from the
government assay office, where the
Su,u :, ,.Shed. slammed and guaran-
teed fraction too much OF uiIol
would cause it to pulvcrizc or part into
fragments. Twenty three carat gold
Is used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes In nuggets weighing tifty-five
pemmyweights and valued at 500 each.
After the gold has been received it
is placed In crucihlo and made ready
for the beating about to follow. 1t is
nodded into II shape which will 1T into
the only power machine in the place,
which congresses the gold into a rib
bon ten yards IN length, one inch in
width and one thirty-second inch in
thickness. Out Of this ribbon are cut
22O squares Of equal size.
"The work of reducing is begun. 10
each workman is given twenty-five
thnSn hn
the leaves Of book This book Is Il
kutch' paper and is sealed with n pat
ent envelope device which prevents the
loss OF particles OF gold, precaution
made necessary by the many turnings
and fioppingS of the book in the proc.
ess. y sixteen pound hammer is used
and the Dcntcr is compelled to work un.
lntcrruptedly for twenty minutes to
gain the desired measurement.
welding a sixteen pound hammer
for Il few seconds only is exhausting
work for the uninitiatcd, but the beat.
ers hammer away as If it was boys
play They must grasp the end of the
hammer farthcst from the head, which
Increases Its weight but the benches
they use are so constructed that they
cause 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. It's thickness has been reduc-
ell IN the operation from one thirty
second OF an inch to one one hun.
drcdth Of an inch Twenty-Five of these
squares are put into n book sailed the
'shO61nrb fIhn 1sbn11nrp 4,
per, but skin, and 1t Is said that GER
tain intestinal parts OF 800 oxen are
required to make package or book
or twenty-five papers. The 'shoddcr'
Is made in England by secret proc
css. 1t Is the most exclusive industry
In the world.
Like the kutch' book, the 'shodcr'
book Is sealed and handed to the art
list, who Is required to pound 1t ninety
minutes with twelve pound hammer.
This reduces the thickness, and when
1t Is taken out Of the book each leaf
or 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 Il book called
n 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 unbroken. 1t would require
100000 OF them to make one inch in
thickness.
"Ihe 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 If
n leaf is broken in removing 1t is cas-
lily patched without trace of 1t being
apparent to the naked Washing
ton Star.