Year: 1875

dulness in business matters that of the manufacture
of jewery does any remain completely pros
traed throughout tho continuance OF That depression
affairs. The making of personal adornmcnts had
grown through the years Of our prosperity to large
proportions, and the shutting down of the establish.
ments where it was formerly manufactured is keenly
felt in those cities and whore numbers OF skilled
artisans depended upon the trade for their
sustenanco Skilled workmcn commanded very high
wages and, in tho loodttde Of commercial success,
Providence, Atleboro and Newark prospcred with the
prosperity of the trade To the smallest place of the
three mentioned it was its life blood may say, for
nothing else Of any consequence was carried on there
Young men sought their earliest employment at tho
jewellers bench and girls earned fairly remuneratve
wages in the lighter branches Of the manufacture or in
sorting, carding and packing tho jewelry after il was
hnished An artisan possessing taste and skill was
in good demand and even had capital opportunities Of
obtaining speedy interest in the nrm for which he
worked, for in market rulod entirely by caprice new
and taking design in earrings, breastpins or sloovo
buttons became at the rage and the ntroducer OF
succession Of such novelties the fair road to
fortune. The workmcn lived we'll; the prudent saved
money and invested 1t generally in roa estate and
when the manufacture OF ewery was thriving IL would
have been hard to find in the United States a more
prosperous cluster ofvages than those generally known
under the alIembracing to of Attleboro To-day the
majority of tho jewellers have left It, but the town is
struggling pckily along, waiting for revival OF trade
and renewal OF its former activity. Providence and
Newark have varied interests and do not fool tho
depression Of this branch of trade SO much, but
yet there are thousands in each city who depend
ent upon 1t for their daily bread and who have been
forced to seek other and less congenial employ
mcnt OF the three localities named, Newark made
the most expensive quality of jcwelry, compared
with that manufactured in the other two places Provi-
denoe the next best and Attcboro the poorest The
agents of the manufacturers assert that the latter
quality only meets with any sale, and that therefore
Attlcboro is doing better than hor larger competitors
in the trade although there is nothing being done to
boast of thoro


The VERY BEST KINDS OF JIwELRY


either imported made to order by response
BILE firms this city whose workmen are on tho pram-
sos The commoner kind exposed in the shops If less
we'll known establishments is purchased at the ouyers
peril and too frequently proves a deusion snare
The honor of the dealer tho only guaranty which
the purchaser trust. In England there is hall
mark for godsmiths work. and in France the seller of
imitation jewery Is obliged to plainly pacard it so.
great deal of the work made in Atteboro
is so undisgusedly brassy tnat none but infant
could be deceived by it; but some of the thiny plated
jewery manufactured there Is elegant in form and will
stand any test but wear 1t is ensnarng to the eye,
and in better times Immense quantities Of 1t sold
to Western and Southern merchants. Tho negroes
heavy purchasers Of the most snowy patterns, and
every crossroads store keeps stock Of 1t hand for
the delecta,on of tho colored beaux and bellies %
solid work OF yore that was so sacredly
handed down from mother to daughter is rarely
now, and many quito wealthy people buy
privately the cheap products of Attleboro and Provi
denco. II cannot be detected from the costly,
by close nation and the known respectabty
and position in life of the wearer prevent all suspicion
from being aroused. After having been few


times il is discarded and set is introduced TO tho
dismay and hoartburning of less cunning rivals It has
been maciousy reported that Atleboro manufacturers
dispose of their products by the bushol, throwing
another scoopnil two If the customer complains of
tho measure but this lacks confirmation. To any one
however, who has seen


THE PRODUCTION OF CHEAP JEwELRY,


the sight is sad disenchantment The plate is gener
ally purchased from the god-paters who distinct
class thin slice of fourteen or eighteen carat gold is
sodcred to thick bar Of composition Of different
and the reinforced bar is rolled and rerolled until
it attains length OF some thirty feet or
more 1t is then struck up In dies by
alled with lead or left hollow as desired,
arc attached by means OF the blow pipe Tho film Of
gold on the outside Of each half is nnitcsmally thin
and will barely stand tho necessary polishing. This Is
done In most instances by brush wheels, fed with rot
ton stone and oil crocus The polisher covers head
and clothing with hood, jacket and apron avoid tho
rod and penetrating dust which nils the atmosphere,
and renders him in the course of his labors any.
which is simply struck up from sheet
brass without any pretcnce of plate oven, is
sometimes nregt ana Is quite paSsaOo- looking
it has been subjected to handling when the character
Of it's composition betrays itself By the aid Of
machinery in the establishments the quantity manu-
factured Is enormous that may we'll wonder
what becomes of it ALL and readily believe that the
market is likely to become gluttcd and the demand
stopped at the first symptoms Of financial distress
Men retrench, first of all, their superfutes, and
the most thoughtless Of the gencr sex speedily
become aware that


TUE BILLS OF THE BUTCHER AND BAKER


must be provided for first of all That thcro any
quest at all for jewery and that the sale in any guam
titles strictly confined to the cheapest kind would
indicate that the pressure is most severely felt
by persons with limited incomes and that those OF the
very poor who at work at all enjoy the same wages
as usual and afford well as ever their little eX
trayagances There some firms In Attleboro that
make good work, but they are fcw IN number and
prGSSnty prefer TO nr SaS tba ogav
of their work to deterioratod Taxing together At
tleboro proper North Attloboro Aleboro Falls South
Attcboro and Painvc there are, exclusive Of silver
waro manufacturers sxtyseven establishments for the
manufacture of jewery employing, when running with
full force, some 900 hands, male aud female Nearly
all of these are poddng along, with from one TO 1vo
hands, the number employed being probably less than
200.


IN PROVIDENCE


there are 102 manufactures OF iewery employing in
good times about 500 hands of both sexes Of whom
hardly 300 arc at work now and these are producing
goods Of inferior quality In Newark there sixty
shops Of the kind the owners OF which say that
they are doing nothing. II would be, perhaps safe
say that hardly 100 out of fifteen times that number
at work Then there numerous trades which depend
upon the jewclry business and rise or fall according as
IL is active depressed There godpaters, whose
product is sold altogether TO the Jewelers. lapidares
for whose stock of imitation or precious stones there is
demand when no settings are being manufactured In
which to place themi engine turner's die stnkers,
chasors, engravers and smcltcrs-all Of whom look
directly to the icwolry establishments for business.
Nearly all manufacturers have their specialtics, for
which they are known and to which they generally
counne themselves Some firms mako rings, others
ocxcts only; manufacture nothing but chains
Others STILL only bracelets, and some sleeve buttons
and studs earrings and bracelets.


THE DEPENDENT TRADES


are indebted TO these for employment in different
degrees The apday looks TO the ring maker chiefly as


buyer OF tho goods in which he deals although sud
den caprice Of fashion may create sudden demand Tor
cameo earrings and necklaces and render hts trade
douby lively The die snkor Is ndinerenty employed
by manufacturers of all varieties of goods The engine
turner looks the maker Of ockets, studs and sleeve
buttons mostly the and chasors TO the ring and
bracelet makers who tho ro1ner and smeter gathers
the humble looking but valuable material from wl9h
he extracts his living from the floors benches and sinks
Of all The enamollor too may perhaps be considered
in connection with tho jewellers business; tor though
ttsI hocf on