East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-09-21

what additions might feasibly be made
He returned to the United States late
In January OF the present year. and has
since Kept the armor workshop OF the
Museum busy, on holidays and week
days, turning out models in accord
uHce. with the suggestions Of General
PershiaR and the Ordnance Depart
ment After careful and patlent ex-
periIhentation by experts forty models
have been made, and are even now
being tried out on the fighting front.
The personal history of Mr.. Tach-
aux. head armorer for the United
States government, reads like a page
from medieval romance:
Born In Blois and a descdant OF
men who had been for generations
workers In metals and skilled artizans
in the art Of making weakons OF Of
fense and defense. himself crafts
man Of great skill even as boy, and
filled with all the love OF one who
is born To a craft and 20 whom is en-
trusted the privilege Of keeping that
craft alive, he went TO Paris in the
/ 70's as apprentice 10 the famous
Klein The latter had been brought
from the Dresden armory By order of
Napoleon III, to clean and repair the
arrnor which he was then installing in
the beautiful Chateau OF Pierrefonds.
Under such tutelage Tachaux per-
fected himself and soon had an atelier
Of his own. from which his reputation
as an armorer spread until he became
recognized as one OF the greatest liy-
ing masters OF his art, and considered
by many students superior TO all in
hammer-work. Ten years ago he was
brought 20 this country 10 assist Ma
ior Bashford Dean Ia restrapping
the technical term for riveting and
readjusting the fastenings Of armor Ca
process requiring high skinD-Tepair-
ing, and restoring the pieces In Am
erica's greatest collection Of arms and
armor.
Here in the little workshop whore
the sun comes in through miniature
panes and Is deflected in myriad col
ors by small, tools age old, bits OF
brass aud bronze. steel bright from
pounding, and armored suits wrought
with the intricate intrlcacles Of medie-
val decoration, Mr.. Tachau plies with
den SKIN and the ease of long prac-
tice the very tools used By his ances-
son through hundreds Of years. The
museum has collected from an parts
Of the world the i'm plements used Ia
the IA Oricatl0n Of ancient aTmor, COM
prising some ninety kinds OF anyils
and stakes" several hundred differ
ent types Of hammers. curious shears.
aud Instruments whose use would be
quite unknown were u not that six
q aI. re-
living today. one Of these is IN Dres-
den. one in Switzerland, two In ia
pan, one In London, and the other
America has Ia the person Of Mr.. Ia
chaux, who has collected about him /
fhe dusty romance u an almost for /
gotten art, in his corner of an ultra /
modern city has iabored 20 preserve I
the relics Of those stored centuries I
when KNIGHTS were bold ana ladies
passing fair.
Huge Of figure and generous of /
eirth. beneath the protection of a
leathern apron he has heretofore sat
dav by day before a large wooden 4
block swinging his hammer upon old
steel. eunningly shaping and refitting
uufta bent by "a blow given ln iouat OF
actual battle. bringing forth the beauty
" some time-worn piece, some tar
llhed helm or plant Damascus
blade worth "a princes ransom. His
hands. large and muscular, move over
bis work with the swim surety ~ ac-
.uatomod handling ana the deKteroua
.are ~ mnHtef ln recreation. -
.blInI BE- his work, 80 accurate, that
ha portions of armor which he has
.cst0red those parts 80 small
~ The scale of "a Rnuntlet-aro each
liainly marked with tho word ''re-
torod." the date. and bis name, 30.
fo that ln future no possi-
iie mistake can be- made in confus-
ny his restoration with q piece ~ The
.Hpiuai arm0r.
Through a door Just behind Mr.
-achnuN. and ~ his lefi can De seen
he great forge. with hood md bellows,
where she mefala are heated. and the
.uelt ssher0 they are pounded into