Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-05-19

BISMARCK DAILY TRl1ull1 Tt
BEA TING G OH LIE a d
THE WAY THE SQUARES OF METAL
ARE WORKED UNDER THE HAMMER. /
GRADUALLY Reduced In Thicl<ness Un-,
i til the Sheets Are Transparent anu
30 Fine That 800, 900 OF Them In a
I Pile Would Measure but nm Inch.
4 A local sign writer was In the win
dow Of large r street estab lishment
putting gold leaf on the outlines Of let
tiers he had made with a 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 OF
Washington's largest sign writer's and
talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following: E'5. .I:S@ 8ss.FF5 .5$s J
Il learned the gold beaters trade In
Rochester some years ago. Imagine a
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 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 a mans arm is used In
the process-and you will have been
mentally initiated into the mysteries
Of silent art. f .g%s,..:i,.'
"Few 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,r are
admitted to it's secrets, and, third, the.
trade is limited. Therefore it is most
interesting study. y s. FIJI 7
"The gold beaten 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
10 used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes in nuggets weighing fifty-five
pennyweights and valued at $55 each.
after the gold has been received it
10 placed in a crucible and made ready
for the beating about to follow. It is
nodded into a shape which will At 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
220 squares of equal size. ..;5 s9gG +.
'sThe work of reducing is begun. To
each workman is given twenty five
squares. and these he places between
the leaves of a book. This book is q
kutch' paper and is sealed with pat
ent envelope device which prevents the
loss of particles Of gold, a precaution
made necessary by the many turnings
and foppings of the book in the proc
ess. A sixteen pound hammer is used,
and the beater is compelled to work un-
1 interruptedly for twenty minutes to
gain the desired measurement.
/ WELDING sixteen pound hammer
for few seconds only is exhausting
work for the uninitiated, but the beat
ers hammer away as ii 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 one hun
dredth of an inch. Twenty-Five Of these
1 squares are put into book called the
'shodder.' The 'shodder' is not a pa
/, per, but skin, and It is said that Ger
n 1891 AAAtOSSAA&0A H0A - VI wv OANA al g
required to make package or book
OF twenty five papers. The tshodder'
u made in England by secret proc
ess. 1t ID the most exclusive industry
in the world. 4 + j..5Yss ss.s .5 f !. s
| Like the kutch' book, the 'shoder'
J, book is sealed and handed to the art,
tst who Is required to pound 1t ninety
minutes with a twelve pound hammer.
This reduces the thickness, and when
4 It IL taken out OF the book each leaf
] Of gold 10 again cut into one inch
/ squares. This time the gold Is 50
fragile that q metal knife blade, No
i matter how sharp, would break the
edges; so q knife with double blades
4 r used, requiring only two strokes t.
cut q square. ~. l%$
NOW comes the last beating Each
square is again put into a book called
mold. Forty minutes beating ii
d required to give this the proper size
When the leaves OF gold are removed
81 they are Il Ira f1anar trent hi1t nprfecf IN