The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-27

which the proprietor works to add ar
ticles OF his handiwork to his stock
Then there are the cellars, where an
old Russian or two has set up his
forge and Is working 10 order for
shops and private customers.
Here was found a cellar typical of a
brass beating shop of Russia Two old
, men were at work. Tap tap went the
hammer and up fiared the tiny forge.
Every day the two old men work here.
and one Of them said that he is so and
his partner SO. Neither looked so old,
for their eyes are bright and young
with the strange light of youth that
always seems lurking in the Russians
eyes. All their lives they have been
brass beating. One found out that 1t
is not Of necessity that they come
every day to the cellaf for one owns
several tenements in The Bronx and
the other has a good round bank ac-
count. 1t Is for the love of this work.
They cannot leave it.
In another cellar, scarcely less inter-
esting, works an old man and a young
boy. The old man stopped in his work
to answer some questions.
Brass beating will never die here"
he said; mot as long as there are Rus
SLAMS. Americans are using beaten
brass and copper more every day
Your big hotels use 1t in their kitchens,
and It is also used in homes and for
ornaments.
az came here young. 1 was edu-
Gated here. Mr.. father had brass
heating cellar and taught me how. Ny
grandfather too was brass beaten. /
taught my son. He has big shop up
town, and now teach my grandson.
I am a good American. but will not
stop brass beating until the boy here
knows how. 1t cannot go out of the
family as long as there are boys"
So here in little Russia" the tradi-
ton Of the family trade is carrying on.
The Cameo Cutters.
II Russian brass beating was the
first of the Old World handicrafts to
flourish here, cameo cutting is the
second. The cameo that you prize SO
highly and that belonged to your
grandmother or your great-grand-
mother was undoubtedly carved on the
southern shores of Italy. The cameo
you buy to-day may well have been
carved here by expert workmen from
that land Of sun and blue skies.
Canoes are still being imported, but
many large and fine ones are cut here.
Shortly before the beginning of the
war canoes began to appear In Amer
lean markets again. In fact there was
a great demand for them. When 1t
became impossible TO import them the
jewellers saw a serious time ahead.
They had on hand many OF the very
large and expensive canoes, but they
were far short OF the medium sized
kind that the average man could af-
ford to buy. 1t seems that at his time
Signor Taliercio OF Italy visited Amer
lea. In Italy he has a cameo cutting
atelier in Tore del Greco. In making
the rounds Of the jewellers he discov-
cred the shortage In canoes. Among
She Italians here he found many expert
workers in shell and coral and pro-
ceeded to open a cutting shop. There
are now three of these in New York
city.
I'VE are proving that cameo cutting
can be done here successfully" he says.
There is no doubt about it that con-
ditions are more favorable for the
work, as it now stands, over in Italy.
There our places for cutting are down
by the sea. We build long, low ateliers
and the workers draw their inspira-
tion from nature. II would he ideal 10
have such places as this down on Long
Island or other shores.
Nearly all OF the cutters in Italy