Evening journal., 1904-05-31
BEATING GOLD LEAF
THE WAY THE SQUARES OF METAL
ARE WORKED UNDER THE HAMMER.

Gradually Reduced In Thickness I'm
til the Sheets Arc 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 e street establishment
putting 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 writer's and
q 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
$500 sheets of gold, each FIVE inches
square and almost transparent, and
you get vague idea of the queer in
Justry known as gold beating.
Imagine a square Of gold three-hun-
aredths 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 a silent art.
Pew 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, tho
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 it 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 a crucible and made ready
for the beating about to follow. 1t is
nodded into a shape which will fit 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.
"Ihe 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 a
kutch paper and is sealed with a pat
ent envelope device which prevents the
loss Of particles of gold, precaution
made necessary by the many turnings
and hoppings Of the book in the proc
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 q few seconds only is exhaustine
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 so constructed that they
cause a small rebound of the hammer
"WEen the 'kutch book is opened
twenty-five sheets are taken out, and
each sheet Of gold is cut into fouI
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 thes,
! squares are put into a book called the
'shodder' The 'shodder' is not q pa
per- but a skim and it is said that Ger
tain intestinal parts Of 500 oxen arr
required to make a package or bool
of twenty-five papers. The 'shodder
is made in England by a secret proc
css. II is the mostlexclusive industr!
in the world.
"Like the azutch'' book, the 'shOdeI
book is sealed and handed to the art
ist, who is required to pound it ninet
minutes with a twelvetpound hammer
1 This reduces the thickness. and whei
it is taken out of the book each lea
Of gold is again cut into one incl
squares. This time the gold is S
fragile that a metal knife blade, n
matter how sharp, would break th
edges; so a knife with double blade
is used, requiring only 1.-TWO strokes I
cut a square.
"Now comes the last beating. Fac
square is again put into a book Gale
a mold Forty minutes beating
required to give this the proper siz'
When the leaves of gold are remove
they are transparent, hslt perfect
shape andsunbrOken. 1t would requir
100000 ofathem to make one inch i
thickness.
'The last operation is to send theI
TO the booking room, where women r.
move the gold leaves and place thei
IN wax paper books ready for salt
The leaves are so delicate that the
can be handled only with bambo
sticks. SO adhesive is the gold that
a leaf is broken in removing it is ca
fly patched without attrace Of it bein
] g, tho r,aI~oTsntra - XNochfr1,