Gold Leaf

Gold leaf is manufacturad in about twenty shops in New York and itssuburbs, says the New York Evening Sun. It is estiniated that 20,800 ounces of gold are consumed nnnually hore in making gold leaf. Gold leaf can be beaten so fchin that it will take 1,200 leaves to equal the thickness of the sheet upon which t his paper is printed. An ouncecan bebeatendownto2,500 leaves, 33-8 niches square. At an establishment in Hudson treeta reporter was told that thegold is bought of broker3 in Rmall ingots, which are melted into bars about a quarter of an inch thick. These are roiled into a ribbon as tlrick. as note paper. After passinz through the hands of the beaters it is put in books, interleaved with manilla tissue, and twenty books are put in a package. The ordinary sells for $7 a package, and the best $7.50 to 7.75. No dross comes from the gold as it is beaten, but there are ragged edgea tbat drop off. The leaf isused byguilde-s. boekbinders, dentists and sign painters. The wages of goid beaters are $11 a week. Piece hand gets $5 a beat ing. A good one can possibly do two a week, and as manyas nina in a nionth have been done. Extra is paid if the worknian beats thegold below 5 grains to a book. Sonie can go to'4 1-2 and even 4 grains per book. "IIow thin can yoiiget it?" a beater in Broome street was asked. "It is beaten to one three-hundredthousandth of an inch thick at five grains to the book. Jf it gets down to lour grains it is one three-hnndredand-sixty thousandth of an inch. The New York system employs men only, with girlsto dothecutting. The Germán syatem employs children of eight or nino, which system Hastings, of Phidelphia, tried to introduce here, but his workmen struck, and he lost his lead. On that system men do the beating and girls do the primine and fillinc." "How ia the gold beaten?" "It is beaten in moulds made in London from the intestines of cows, cleaned and varnished with a secret preparation manufacturad by Puckridie & Nephew, of London. The skins are put in packages of 900 skins each, and three of these moulds go to a beating." "How much gold is there in a beat ing?" "Fifty pennyweïght in a beating. The ribbon of solid gold is divided into one hundred and seventy or one hundred and eighty pieces, each about an inch square. These are put into a cutch made of Frenen paper four inches square. That 3 beaten until we get the gold to the edges. It is handled with pincers at that time. It is beaten half an hour. The pieces are then piled twenty on top Of each other. They are then cut in four and doubled over, making seven hundred and twenty. Ttey are then put in a 'schoder,' or finer inould cut down. Wefill the schoder with those leaves in the middle, and break it out to the edges. We beat it about two hours, until we draw about ten penny weights o ffthe schoder." "Does it have to be kept dry?" "We haveto keep the windows shut; but the cutches, schoders, and mould take up so much moistura that they have to be put in a hot mould to pre3s the moisture out." "Does that finish it?" "Oh, no. The leaves ar cut again into four with a tooi called a waion, making 2,880, but the moulds hold only 2,700. The moulds are beaten four hours, at the end of each hour there being what is called a close, wben they areheated. Then the beater is through with it and the cutter takes it. Th ia is the only work done by the girls in New York. They can cut trom 30 to 64 books a day at 2 1-2 cents a book. The leaf when it gets in a book is so thin that it is handled only with the breath." "How is the work testedT" "Only with the eye. There is no rule about the business, but it ie purely a matter of skill and judgment. The best is the kind used on" glass, whicta shows all imperfections." "I notice goldbeaters usually work in basements. Why is that?" "A firmer blow can be giren. If on thefirst story, there is a jar, which deteriorates the quality." there any adülteration ín the business?" "The Germans beat what is called a metal leaf with an a'loy. It is sold very eheap. It is the oloomararins of gold leaf, and will tarnish. Much of it is used by bookbinders." "When did the trade start?" "It is very ancient. It is mentioned in the Bible. Gold leaf was used on Solomon's temple. The Chinese beat gold leat, but it cannot compare in quality with American leaf. Some of the Chinamen had trouble with their employers, but they soon ended it. They got their employer into their Iodge room, and then one after another took a big bite out of hia flesh."