The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-05-18
BEATING GOLD LEAF
THE Way THE SQUARES or METAL
I, ARE WORKED UNDER The HAMMER.

T. Il I.
ARE WORKED UNDER The HAMMER.
Gradually Reduced In Thickness Un-
til the Sheets Are Transparent and
So Fine That 100000 OF Them In n
Pile Would Measure but an Inch.
A local sign writer was In the win
dow Of a large f street establishment
puttag gold leaf on the outlines Of let
tiers he had made with a stencil. The
curiosity of a 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 writers and
n talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following:
Il learned the gold beater's 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
1880 sheets of gold, each i've inches
square and almost transparent, and
you get vague idea of the queer In
dustrs known as gold beating.
Imagine square of gold thtee-hun-
dredths of an inch In thickness, and
you will appreciate the Drawn and
brain making for the rO8ult, 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 md you will have been
mentally initiated into the mysteries
of 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
admitted TO its secrets, and, third, the
trade is limited. Therefore 1t is most
interesting study.
"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 it to pulyerlze or part into
fragments. Twenty-three carat gold
is used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes in nuggets weighing tifty.fye
pennyweights and valued ut S55 each.
"After the gold has been received 1t
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
width and one thirty-second inch In
thickness. Out of this ribbon are cut
220 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 a
'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 doppings of the book In the proc
ess. A sixteen pound hammer is used,
and the beater is compelled to work I'M
interruptedly for twenty minutes to
gain the desired measurement.
WELDING sixteen pound hammer
for few seconds only is exhausting
work for the unlnitiatcd, but the beat
ers hammer away as If it vas 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 a 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 1t is said that GER
tain intestinal parts of 500 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'
book is sealed and handed to the art.
list, who is required to pound 1t ninety
minutes with 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 knife with double blades
is used, requiring only two strokes to
cut square.
Now comes the last beating. Each
square is again put into a 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
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.
The leaves are SO delicate that they
can be handled only with bamboo
sticks. So adhesive is the gold that II
leaf is broken in removing 1t is cas-
lily patched without trace Of 1t being
apparent to the naked eye.n-Washing