Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1905-01-18
A USEFUL WIZARD.
The GIasSmRker Has a Picturesque
Trade.

The CInsSmRlser Has a Picturesque
Trade.
The glasswOrker Is the wizard OF
useful arts Before his stand at the
county fair the caution TO look out for
pickpockets, often reiterated on the way
to the annual gathering, is swallowed
up in the wondeUment aroused 10y the
astonishing marvels wrought by his
deft hand and blowplpe Here a
touch and there a pat. and then sud
denly the tiny champagne glass seems
to all with a film of rosy wine "Who
Will have this1 Only cents.' cries a
glassblOwer, holding the little stemmed
bowl upside down 90 show that, like
the pitcher of old. hospit0be Philemon
and Baucis, ii can never be emptied
A nickel is thrust up by some one In
exchange for the little souvenir OF the
wizards art, and II IL next seen stand
ing on a parlor mantel many miles
away from the fair grounds serving as
a memento OF the fair and sample OF
the wonder beheld that day.
In his workshop the glassworker and
his crystal liquid become more fascl.
mating The roomy building Is full of
the mystery Of an ancient alchemlsts
laboratory The glow from the mouths
OF many furnaces dazzles the eyes.
Here and there men with mighty
wands tipped with white hot masses
swing them deity about or putting
them to their lips, couture the CLEAN.
ing tips until they do their bidding ex.
pandlng into great cylinders or disks
or growing into delicate globes,
Here is man standing before the
fiery mouth Of furnace He has ia
his hand a long rod. and his face Is
shielded from the sngeing heat and
the glare 10y a shield which he holds ia
place by a plug grasped between his
teeth lie deXterousy twists his blow
pipe IN thewhte hot gummy glass until
il ascollecied on rs end an Ovoid mass
weighing from twenty TO forty pounds.
Revolving the ball In the glowing pot
for moment until IL becomes sym
metrlcal, he lifts Il forth ANA plnnges
Il into a pear shaped mold Then the
blower, the master workman OF the
place. takes the mass aud begins to
play with g. lie blows big bubble
Of air into the glass and then another
and another until the solid sphere IL
sWelled into a great decantcr Now
swinging the white hot bulh like giant
pcndulumin the depths of o. yawulna pic
beneath Isis feet, now blowing through
the tube. nov thrusiiug Sc aguin into
the furnace nc last The mass becomes
thin SHIELDED cylinder us long as tho
man himself After being cut aud
rolled as one would cur ami roll q
sheet iron cylinder into q dat piece of
metal and annoaiing this piece of
glass will be- cut into window panes
In another workshop q wOrkL an u
rolling and smoothing coil of the
sparkling Guld pt the end Of his blow
pipe ON polished slab Then hr blows
through hiS magle wand, and o sphere
begins "a blossom from The tIp it|
grows and flows frgn the point OF
contact over the shining surface.
q row 90 keen edged grludstones are
turning swiftly On another rq0u BE-
fore each Htands workman with Die
shirt sleeves roilci Co DIS aunpits A
long apron PROTECTS bis clothing inI
bis hands hr holds n henvg piece Of
glassware Lightly hut armiy, go that
tho veins stand oui on the bactF ~
hls hands. be- presses ~ upun the esIee
% the stone With mreness ~ pres
sure be- deity caryes tie gisHH. facet
npou facet Jewel upon jewel untii the
whole pierp has tecome inHsslye SEQ
ting of cleaning diamonds which some
day wW Skinner on tbe table ~ q
Enc honse
And ro hls srt tbc 81 aWofker adds
something 81 o. alchrmists Hrt My
irg little asd with The glass ho
turns De- into the richest ~ uIbies rio
lets aud % amler thht j. sohfnei
sunshine SO adds iiiiie irru and
draws frum his rioHing furnurr glass
furnished with eco ihe e1iofs % the
rBinfau tu in go. D. e. one ~ fhc
uonffr Unrtrr Hf fir fucuileth 0Hn
tuyy Nrw YORK Tribune
$50 cheated.