Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-08-11

WAY THE SQUARES OF METAL
WORKED UNDER THE HAMMER.

unlly Reduced In Thickness Tn
the sheets Are Transparent and
Fine That 100000 of Them In
G Would Measure but al Inch.
local sign writer was in the win
of large L street establishment |
ng gold leaf on The outlines or let |
he had made with stencil. The
,sity of n reporter was aroused as
ow These tiny sheets Of gold were
cod 10 such minute thinness. A
to the establishment of one of
shincton's largest sign writer's and
Ik with the proprietor brought forth
following;
learned the gold bcatcr's trade In
hester some years ago. Imagine a
OF gold measuring eight inches in
tn, ten inches in length and half an
in thickness being reduced TO
30 sheets Of gold, each five inches
are and almost transparent and
get vague idea Of the queer in
try known as gold beating.
imagine a square of gold threc-hun-
dthS Of an inch in thickness, and
will appreciate the Drawn and
I'm making for the result. and then
Get That the word beating means
t beating for no power other than
strength of mans arm Is used in
process and you will hive been
t,,+n -
a silcnt art.
Few persons are familiar with the
rk for several reasons. First, there
less than twenty-five gold beating
Establishments in the country; second
Is an exclusive industry. and few,
her manufacturers or laborcrs, are
mittod 20 it's secrets. and. third, the
,de is limited. Therefore 1t is a most
ercstlng study.
The gold beaten buys direct from the
|vernment assay Office, where the
id Is weighed, stamped and guaran-
ed A fSnction too much Of alloy
ould cause il TO pulvori2c or part into
agmcpts TWcnty-three carat GOLD
used exclusively. Usually the gold
pines in nuggets weighing ffty-tive
.nnyv Fights and valued at 500 each.
after the gold has been received II
placed IN a crucihle and made ready
pr the beating about 10 follow. 1t is
holded into q shape which will fit into
le only power machine in the place,
-hlch congresses the gold into a rib
on ten yards in length, one inch in
Fidth and one thirty-second inch in
bickncss Out Of this ribbon are cut
S20 squares Of equal size.
"rlc work Of reducing is begun. TIC
I ach workman is given twenty-five
Iquares, and these he places between
he leaves OF book This book is q
Rkutch' paper and is sealed with pat
Int envelope device which prevents the
Joss OF particles of gold, precautioI
made necessary by the many turning'
nd floppings Of the book in the proc
ess. A sixteen pound hammer is used
and the heater is compelled to work un
Intcrr,lptedly for twenty minutes &c
gain the desired measurement.
"Wielding a sixteen pound hammer
'or ie" seco'i'S oii'y - eNn"us LII
work for the unnitiated, but the beat
FRS hammer away "a If It was boys
play. They must grasp the end of the
!, !. III - SO. O'' '-
.,- ''' ~ ""' 'n'
w., ''. .r . .,,h, va '-'',,,'
~ 49, ~" .Aaotn o ta3'a
."os ,haa, -. ro,5 :, an. ,r," tar
go, 1.a ,hi,I,,oa. ho. hon, r,,1,,l
- e., +h, o,Iarotia,, ,rn,,, 400 t,,t,t,
., -, ,,I, .,,, 49,,
.,,,.,, t..,, ~. a.a1r 49,.
,,. i.,a t,G.,. .,,,a., -,
,uns,a., rr,,a ,',o,so,, - a+ -,
49,, !, t. ,,,, 49,. a
80 ,.1.,"a, - rrn S
.n.n I",' o''''"I r,'' " '" wv W. -,
-" '''''N ~
- Wv
"a ,', ~"
o'N ~ ;,
,' w. 49,,
,r"''','' xxx. "'''' .h,
=. ~ ,a t.,. a, -,
i,a
r,ta ., u'I .,I l.,