Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-09-01
BEATING GOLD LEAF

The WAY THE SQUARES OF METAL
ARE WORKED UNDER THE HAMMER.
Gradually Reduced In Thickness un.
TIL the Sheets Are Transparent and
| SO Fine That 100000 of Them In a
Pile Would Measure but an Inch.
] A local sign writer was in the win
dow OF large F street establishment
putting goiu leaf on the outlines of let
ters he had made with stencil. The
curiosity Of 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 OF
Washlngton's largest sign writer's and
a talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following:
II learned the gold beater's trade in
hochester some years ago. Imagine q
slab OF gold measuring eight inches in
width, ten inches IN length and half an
1nch in thickness being reduced to
800 sheets of gold, each five inches
square and almost transparent, and
you get vague idea of the queer in
dustry known as gold beating.
Imagine 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 Il mans arm Is used in
the process-and yon will have been
mentally initiated into the mysteries
OF silent art.
rev persons are familiar with the
work for several reasons: First, there
are less than twenty-five gold beating
establishments in the country; second.
1t IS 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
gold Is weighed, stamped and guaran-
teed. A fraction too much of alloy
would cause 1t to pulverize or part into
fragments. Twenty-three carat gold
Is used exclusively Usually the gold
comes In nuggets weighing fifty five
pennyweights and valued at $55 each.
After the gold has been received it
is placed in crucible and made ready
for the beating about to follow. 1t is
nodded into shape which will fit into
the only power machine in the place.
which congresses the gold into rib,
bon ten yards in length, one inch in
Wia4tas and enc thirty 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
'kutch' paper and is sealed with pat
ent envelope device which prevents the
loss of particles of gold, precaution
made necessary by the many turnings
and ioppings of the book in the PROG.
ess. A sixteen pound hammer is used
and the beater is compelled to work un-
interruptedly for twenty minutes to
gain the desired measurement.
| "Wielding a sixteen pound hammer
| for a few seconds only is exhausting
work for the uninitiated, but the beat
ers hammer away as if 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 80 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 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 it is said that GER
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. 1t is the most exclusive industry
/ In the world.
Like the 'kutch' book, the 'shoder
| DOoAN ~ OOAACd anu udLdSu W luG dEL~
list, who Ia required to pound it ninety
minutes with a twelve pound hammer.
This reduces the thickness, and when
1t 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 a knife with double blades
70 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 unbroken. 1t would require
BOO, 600 of them to make one inch in
thickness.
'The last operation is to send them
b the booking room, where women re-
move the gold leaves and place them
In wax paper books ready for sale.
The leaves are 80 delicate that they
/