Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
COLO DISHES FOR BANQUE1S
HOTEL PLATE RIVALS THAT OF
MANY ANCESTRAL CASTLES.
Recent Demand for Precious Metal
for Embellishing the Tables
of the Wealthy.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
Nebuchadnezzar. Louis, Quatorze and
other potentates who delighted in the use
of vessels of gold on festal occasions
would find the splendors of their tables
equaled in the services Of precious met
ais which now adorn banquets In this city
If again they came back to earth.
Leading hotels are able on a few min
utes' notice to bring from their vaults
salvers and plates and ornate vases Of
gold, and one of them, the Plaza. has re-
Gently established a small factory Of its
own. where 1t IS prepared to turn out
aureate adornments Of its own design.
Most of the gold services which are
now reserved for hours of feasting at the
hotels are of heavy metal which is COW
cred with a shell Of gold burned into the
surface and then FURNISHED. They are
costly enough in their way. and thou
sands. of dollars is represented at dinner
parties where ten to fifteen persons are
served.
They include all the dishes required for
the dinner from relishes to dessert, and
also many pieces which are employed
solely for ornamentation. Glasses of the
purest crystal with gilt embellishments
are made to harmonic with them.
This increase in the use of gold services
both at the hotels and In private houses
is due to the growth of wealth and to
the influence Of Europe. The large hotels
where many persons Of wealth reside
have gold dishes because those who make
the esta blishments their temporary homes
are accustomed to all that it is possible
for money to provide. Members Of the
nobility from various countries will find
that the average f1rst-clasS hotel In this
city can provide service which is equal to
that of ancestral castles.
Few Services Of Solid Gold.
Gold services with crests which have
been In the Golfers of ancient families
from generation to generation are usually
made of silver with plating of gold laid
on by the fire gilt process. The service
of solid gold is a scarce thing on this
earth, for If all the dishes were made Of
the precious metal In solid masses they
would be positively unwieldly on account
of their great weight. while their cost
would be practically prohibitive.
Services of silver gilt, which are what
are called gold dishes, sufficient for the
use of fifteen persons may be obtained at
from $4,000 to 10000 each. The serv-
Ices In silver following the same design
may be had at from $4,000 to Sac, 600,
and to this approximately 80 per cent is
added for the addition of the fire gilt.
The ordinary electroplatinS with gold
may be had for smaller sums. but for the
use of families who wish to have a table
will think that there is anything cheap
about it the first process is recommended.
The fire gliding is fine art and It is
done by accomplished craftsmen. Mer-
curry is employed In the process in such a
manner that under the heat the pores OF
the silver are made to open to receive the
fine gold The two precious metals are
thereby united and the shell of the yellow
one is made to cling to the surface be-
meath In such a manner that hard usage
carried on through many years would not
disclose the lighter-hued metal.
The hotel services have body of hard
| metal made to resist usage. and their cost
is not so great as that of the dishes which
are now being ordered by families OF
wealth and refinement. GoldsmithS who
are called upon to execute designs for
dishes say that the awakening interest In
this branch Of their craft Is only due tO
the desire OF wealthy Americans to keep
pace with the artistic and ornate furnish
ings Of their homes.
Gold Plate for Modern Mansions.
When a house is built in the style OF
one of the Louis. for instance. and has
been adorned Nfthan In accordance wifi
the period, it occurs to the owner after
his home is otherwise complete that he
still lacks an appropriate dinner service
So he gives the goldsmith an order to
make him something which will in every
respect harmonic with its surroundings
The designer studies the furnishings OF
the dining room, consults the owner or
all of the essential points and then gives
expression to his ideas.
Costly as such work Is, its execution is
only beginning to keep pace with the
development of household decoration in
other directions.
Americans who had homes furnished
like palaces have only within two or three
years been giving the attention TO the
adjournment of the table which corresponds
with expenditures in other directions
| The preparation of the dies for some OF
| the best services often costs from $40. OOt
| to $4,000. and II the design be an ex-
elusive one this cost must be borne by the
purchaser. Where the designs are dupli-
Gated and may be used both for the solid
| silver and for silver gilded the cost to
the customer is far less.
The Answer.
From the Detroit News-Tribune.
eTacher-So you can't do simple sun
| in arithmetic? Now, let me explain t.
you. Suppose eight of you together hat
4s apples, 30 peaches and 16 melons. wha