Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-08-04
BEATING GOLD LEAF
THE WAY TIE SQUARES OF NET,
ARE WORKED UNDER THE HAMMER

Gradually Reduced In Thickness I'm
TIL the sheets Are Transparent and |
So Fine That 100000 of Them In IA
Pile Would Measure but an Inch.
A local sign writer was in the win.
dow of a large street establishment
putting goi1 leaf on the outlines Of let
ters he had made with a stencil The
curiosity of reporter was aroused as
to how these tiny sheets of gold We're
reduced to such minute thinness. A
visit 70 the establishment of one Of
Washington's largest sign writer's and
| q talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following:
II learned the gold beaters trade in
Rochester some years ago. Imagine
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
yoa get vague idea of the queer in
dustry known as gold beating.
Imagine n square Of gold three-hun-
dredths of an inch In thickness, and
you will appreciate the Drawn and
reflect, that the word beating means
just 'bea ting 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 "a 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,
1t is an exclusive industry, and few,
either manufacturers or laborers, are
admitted TO its secrets, and, third, the
! trade is limited Therefore 1t is most
interesting study.
'yrhe gold beater buys direct from the
government assay office, where the
gold is weighed, stamped and guaran-
! teed. fraction too much of alloy
would cause it to pnlverize or part into
{. fragments. Twenty carat gold
ID used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes in nuggets weighing fifty five
penny weights and valued at sos each.
"After the gold has been received it
is placed in a 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 q 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
| nF .oiv, jc Hoo TT,
, each workman is given twenty-five
squares, and these he places between
the leaves of book. This book is a
'kutch' paper and is sealed with pat
entS envelope device which prevents the
J loss of particles Of gold, 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-
!, interrupted1y for twenty minutes to
. gain the desired measurement.
"Wielding sixteen pound hammer
: for few seconds only is exhausting
! !, work for the uninitiated, but the beat
: ers hammer away as IL 1t 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 fou,
. pieces. Its thickness has been reduc
:. ed in the operation from one thirty
" second OF an inch to one one-hun
g dredth Of an inch. Twenty five of these
squares are put into q book called the
shodder,' The 'shodder' is not pa
!, per, butsa skin, and 1t is said that Ger
: tain intestinal parts of 500 oxen ART
= required to make a package or book
!. : of twenty-five papers. The sshodder
= is nude In England by secret proc
ess. lit is the most exclusive industr,
Z I. in the world
- Like the .kutch' book, the 'shoder
!. book is sealed and handed to the art
= list, who h required to pound 1t ninet.
!, minutes with twelve pound hammer
: ! This reduces the thickness, and whel
1t is taken out Of the book each lea
: Of gold Is again cut Into one Incl
squares. This time the gold Is 8
1
:, matter how sharp. would break tn
= edges; 30 a knife with double blade
- is used requiring only two strokes t
cut a square.
Now comes the last beating Fac
. : square Is again put into a book calie
{, & mold Forty minutes beating
I. 8 required to give this the proper sfz'
When the leaves Of gold are remove
: they are transparent, but perfect
shape and unbroken Itwould reauii
8O0,OO0 Of them to make one inch
thickness,
Ihe last operation Is to send the
- !, 10 the booking room, where women :
y move the gold leaves and place the
! In wax paper books ready for sal
= The leaves are 90 delicate lat ths
w can be handled only Will barr
~ sticks So adhesive is the Sc e;sl tl;,st
Leaf 81 broken IN removing y Is ea