The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-13
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.4AREs WORKED y NDER iEfl NdEFs:


a.,s,lly tsesncy,i rs,ss I'm uz,--3
a Ri the sheets Are 'rs-t. Parent and
so Einc THAT 500. 600 ar Then, y n q
Pie Would a7eRsurc but Inch.
4 local sign writer was in the wi1i-.
dow OF i large E street establishment.
putting gold leaf on the outlines OF let.
ters he had made with a stencil. The
curiosity of 81 reporter was aroused as
to how these tiny sheets of gold We're
reduced to such minute thinness. A
visit to the establishment OF one or
Washington's largest sign writers ana
talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following:
Il learned the gold beatcl.s trade i'll
Rochester some years ago. Imagine Il
slab OF gold measuring eight inches i'll
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 n vague idea of the queer IN
ilustry known as gold beating.
Imagine 4 square of gold three-hun-;
dredths of an inch in thickness. and
you will appreciate the Drawn und
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-nnd you will have been
mentally Initiated into the mysteries
of Il 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
1,s, IL
trade is limited Therefore il is Il most
Interesting study.
1.-THE gold beatcr 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 pulverizc or part into
gments. TwentS-threc carat gold
is used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes in nuggets weighing fifty-five
pennywciglts and valued at 500 each.
After the gold has been received it
is placed in II cr,iciblc and made ready
for. the bcating about to follow. 1t is
nodded into Il shape which VIII lit into
the only power machine In the place,
which congresses the gold into Il 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.
'"rhe work OF reducing is begun. TO
each workman is given twenty-five
squares, and these he places between
the leaves Of Il book. This book is u
'kutch' paper and is sealed with n pat
cnt envelope device which prevents the
loss OF particles of gold, Il precaution
made necessary by the many turnings
and noppings of the book in the proc
ess. y sixteen pound hammer Is used,
and the beaten is compelled to work I'M
intcrruptedly for twenty minutes to
gain the desired measurement
''Wiclding a sixteen pound hummer
for few seconds only is exhaustinE
work for the uninftiated, but the beat
ers hammer away as il it was boys
play. They must grasp the end of the
hammer farthest 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. Its thickness has been reduc-
ed in the operation from one thirty
second of an inch to one onc-hun-s
uredth OF an inch. Twenty-Five of these
squares are put into Il book called the
.shodder' The eshodder' is not pa
per, DuL d Shl1i, iAiIN ~ 40 SAlA LiAtAS va.
tain intestinal parts Of 800 oxen are
required to make package or book
Of twenty-five papers. The 'shodder'
is made in England by secret proc
ess. It is the most exclusive Industry
in the world.
Like the hutch book, the 'shoder'
book is sealed and handed to the art
list, who is required to pound it ninety
minutes with twelve 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 Il metal knife blade, no
matter how sharp, would break the
edges; so 4 knife with double blades
is used. requiring. only two strokes to
cut Il square
NOW comes the last benting. Each
square is again put into book called
II 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. t 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.
Ant ~ @I>r1$ S{,ov