The Columbus journal., 1904-05-18
BEATING GOLD LEAF


THE WAY THE SQUARES OF neTAl
ARE WORKED UNDER THE MANNER.
0eoA00lly 0edoeeA In 1AleAness Ua-
IN he 0heets Are Transparent aal
- Ftne That 90Oy00o q TAea In q
Pil0 W0olA Measure but IN loelA
(, A local sign writer was In the win
dow Of . large = street establishment
putting sold leaf on the outlines Of 1T
ters hs had made with q stencil. TIN
curiosity Of q reporter was aroused a
10 how these tiny sheets Of gold wess
reduced to such minute thinness. "A
visit to the establishment Of one et
Washington's largest sign writer's and
q talk with the proprietor brought forth
the following: :,
Il learned the gold beater's trade ID
Rochester some years ago. Imagine 4
slab Of gold measuring eight inches n
width, ten inches In length and half On
inch in thickness being reduced tu
$3.50 sheets OF gold. each i've inches
square and almost transparent, and
sou get q vague idea Of the queer n
dustry known as gold beating.
"Imagine q square Of gold three-hun-
dredths OF IN inch In thickness, and
you win 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 q mans arm II used IN
the process-and you win have beea
mentally initiated into the mysteries
of q silent art.
Few persons are familiar with TIL
work for several reasons: First, tberG
are less than twenty-five gold beating
establishments In the country; second.
It II an exclusive industry, and few,
either manufacturers or laborers. an
admitted to its secrets. and, third, the
trade IL limited. Therefore It u q most
Interesting study.
The gold beater buys direct from the
government assay Office. where the
gold IL weighed. stamped and guarap.
teed. A fraction too much Of alloy
would cause it to pulverize or part into
fragments. Twenty-three carat, gold
% used exclusively. Usually the gold
comes In nuggets weighing 6fty-fve
pennyweights and valued at SIS each.
"After the gold has been received II
70 placed in q crucible and made ready
for the beating about to follow. 1t ID
nodded into . shape which viii At into
the only power machine In the place,
which compresses 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
20 squares Of equal size.
The work Of reducing II begun. To
each workman IL given twenty-five
squares. and these he places between
the leaves Of book. This book - q
'kutch' paper and IL sealed with q pat
ent envelope device which prevents the
loss Of particles Of gold, . precaution
made necessary BY the many turninSs
and dOppings OF the book in the proc
esq. A sixteen pound hammer II used.
and theAeater1s = compelled to work IN
interruptedly for twenty minutes 10
gain the desired measurement.
"Wleding Z sixteen pound hammer
for . few seconds only 10 exhaustine
work for the uninitiated. but the beat.
ers hammer away - II It was boys
play. They must grasp the end Of ths
hammer farthest from the head. which
Increases it's weight. but the benches
they use are 20 constructed that they
cause q small rebound Of the hammer.
when the 'kutch' book II opened
TWENTY-FIVE sheets are taken out, and
each sheet Of gold II 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
'sh0dder.' The 'shodder' IL not q pa
per. but q skin, and 1t II said that Ger
tain intestinal parts Of 500 oxen are
required to make q package or book
Of twenty-five papers. The 'shodder'
Is made in England by q secret proc
ess. 1t Il the most exclusive industry
In the world.
Like the 'kutch' book, the 'shoder'
book Is sealed and handed to the art
ist. who is required to pound It ninety
minutes with twelve pound hammer.
This reduces the thickness. and when
It il taken out Of the book each leaf
Of gold is again cut into one inch
squares. This time the gold n -
fragile that q metal knife blade. no
matter how sharp. would break the
edges: 80 a knife with double blades
b used. requiring only two strokes to
cut square.
Now comes the last beating. Each
square is again put into q book called
mold Forty minutes beating 10
required to give this the proper size.
When the leaves Of gold are removed
they are transparent, but perfect In
shape and unbr0ken. 1t would require
100000 Of them to make one inch In
thickness. -
1.-The last operation - to send them
10 the booking room. where women re-
move the gold leaves and place them
In wax paper books ready for sale.
The leaves are % 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-
uy patched without . trace Of 1t being
apparent to the naked eye."-Washing-
3on Star.
0t0Ry e V16OW's Mite.
Here's, . widows mite" story. A
widow In West Bromwich, ENGLAND
obtained q farthing In q breach Of
promise action she brought against
faithless sweetheart. She put It In the
window OF her tobacco shop with q
printed warning to trusting women to
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