Newspaper Page Text
THE WASHINGTON GAZETTE.
BY JAS. A. WRIGHT AND HIGH WILSON.
THE WASHINSTON GAZETTE.
TERMS.—-Three Dollars a year in advance.
er No Subscriptions taken for a shorter
time than six months.
Gold Beating.
Ths origin of this art is not known,
but it seems to hoof some antiquit}-,
ft was known in Greece, and is men
tioned by Ilomer. The ancient Peru
vians made very thin sheets ot gold',
and railed them together on the walls
of their temples. On the coffins of
the Theban mummies, specimens of
original leaf are met with, where the
gold is in so thin a state that it re
sembles modern gilding. The art
seems to havf been practiced in India,
as there are rude specimens of gilding
at Tippo Sahib's palace at Bangalore.
The thickness of tho leaf is spoken
of by Martial as like a vapor, and by-
Lucretius it is compared to a spider’s
web. From a description by Pliny,
of Homan gilding, the thinness of the
leaf bore no comparison with that of
the modern gold beater. By his ac
count, an ounce of gold was made in
to seven hundred-and fifty leaves, each
four fingers square. This is about
threo times tho thickness ot the leal
now in common use; but some qua! -
ties are so thin, that two hundred and
ninety thousand sheets make a pile
only one inch in height; and speci
mens have been made only one three
hundred and sixty-seven thousand and
live hundredths of an inch in thick
ness, which is one thousand two hun
dred times thinner than, ordinary
printing paper. Tho thinnest gold
loaf ot French manufacture, is not
thicker than the four hundred and
eighty thousandth pact of an inch,
that of the English is about the three
hundred thousandth part.
To prepare the gold for heating, it
is melted in a black lead eruciblo, with
borax, in a wind furnaeo, and as soon
as it is iu perfect tusion, it is poured
into an iron ingot mould, six or o'; lit,
inches long, three qua> tors of an inch
• wide, previous*} yroasej (tWii heated,
so* as to make the gicaso run and
smoke, hut not so as to H um-. When
the gold is fixed and solid, it is made
red h<H, to burn off the unCiUOtis mat
ter, and then forged into a long plate,
which is further extended by passing
it betwoon polished steel rollers, till ii
becomes no thicker than a ribbon, or
a sheet of paper. The plate, or rib
bon as it is eallod, is carefully divid-d
by compasses, aud cut by bheurs into
equal square pieces; each of these
pieces is again worked by hammer on
the anvil tilt it is one inch square, and
is then annealed, to correct the rigidi
ty acquired by tho forging aud Hat
ting mill, each piece weighing about
six grains, and therefore in this state,
being about one seven hundred and
sixtieth of an inch in thickness, one
hundred and fifty of them weighing
two ounces, the quantity commonly
operated on at a time.
These are now to be extended by
beating; and to effect this, it is nec
essary to interpose some smooth body
between and tbe hammer, for the pur
pose of softening the blow, and de
fending the gold from its immediate
action, as also to place between every
one of the plates some intermediate
substance, which, while it prevents
their uniting together, may suffer
them to exiend freely. These ob
jects are attained by means of certain
animal membranes: these are ot three
kinds, and used for different purposes.
Firtt, The outside cover is commonly
parchment, made ot sheepskin. AVe
ondly, For interlaying with the gold
in the early stale of the piocess, they
use fine vellum, made of calf-skin;
aod, Thirdly, For tho latter part of the
operation they use the intestines of
oxen, which are slit open, and pre
pared for this purpose only, and hence
called gold-beater’s skin.
The manufacture of this article is a I
secret, which, it is said, only five men
in the world now know. The art of
preparing it has brought a fortune to
the manufacturers. VVickstead, of
London, attained the highest perfec
tion in the art in tbe last generation,
and promised to leave the secret to a
relative at his death-bed. In bis dy
ing gasp, be called the relative to his
to open the mystery, but died, and it
remained still a secret. F. Puck
ridge, of London, is the most celebra
ted maker now. With great perse- j
verance and expense, he succeeded iu j
perfecting tho art. He has promised, j
it is said, to reveal the secret to his !
nephew.
The bed on which tho gold is bea
ten, is a smooth block of black mar
ble, weighing from three hundred to
six hundred pounds, about nino inches
square on the upper surface, fitted in
to a wooden fra mo two feot rquare,
so that tho fiame and marble surface
are one love!. Tho back and both
sides are furnished with a high ledge
and tho front, which is open, has a
leather fitip fastened to it, which the
gold beater uses as an apron for pre
serving the fragments of tho gold
which may fall off. Tho only tools
are three hammers, having round and
somewhat convex tacos; tho first, or
heaviest, called ti e cutch hammer, is
about four inches in diameter, anil
weighs from seventeen to twenty-five
pounds; the second is eallod the sho
dcring hammer, and weighs about
twelve pounds, having the samo di
ameter ; and the third, still nearly of
the same diameter, weighs aboutt.cn
pounds. Tho t-quaro pieces of gold—
one hundred and fitly in number—
above mentioned, are interlaid with
leaves ot vellum, about threo or four
inches squat c, one leaf laid between
every two, and about, twenty more
are laic! on the outside. Over these
is drawn a parchment case, open at
bulb ends; ;w and over theso ahother, in
a contrary direction, so that tiio vel-
I inm and plates of gold are kept tight
and close. The whole is then beaten
alternately with the right and left
hands with the heaviest of the threo
hammers, ■ which rebounds by the
elasticity of the skin, and saves the
[ labor of lifting, litl the gold is exten
ded to tho breadth of tho vellum.
Each leaf is then taken out by a deb
ate pair of while wood pincers and
cut into four pieces with a steel knife,
and put between the skins of a “sho
dor,” tour and a half inches square,
and three-quarters of an inch thick,
containing about seven hundred skins i
which have boon worn out in the fin
ishing prpeers.. 'file beating is thcr
repeated with the lighter hammer for
two hours. As tie? gold will spread
unequally, the “blinder” is beaten up
on, suTer uip have reach
ed the edges. Tho" effect of tiiis is,
that the larger leaves coru« out of the
edges in a state of and ist. This allows
time for the smaller leaves to reach
the full size <>f the “shodor,” thus pro
dneing a general evenness of the size
ot the leaves.
Each leaf is again cut into four pic.
ccs, and placed b-tweon tho leaves of
a mould composed of about nine hun
dred of tho finost skins, five inches
square, and three-quarters of an inch
thick; this is the last and most diffi-
cult stage of the process ; and oti the
fineness of the skin and judgment of
tho workman, the perfection and thin
ness ot the leaf of gold depend. Du
ring the first hour the hammer is al
lowed to fall principally upon tho
centre of tho mould. This causes
gaping cracks upon tho edges of tho
leaves, the sides of which, readily eo
alesco and unite without leavifig any
trace of tbe union after being beaten
upon. At tho second hour, when the
gold is about the one hundred and
fifty thousandth of an inch in thick
ness, it for the first time permits the
transmission of the rays of light. In
pure gold, or gold but slightly alloyed
tho green raysaro transmitted; and
in gold highly alloyed with silver, the
pale violet rays pass. The mould then
requires in all about four hours beat
ing with a seven pound hammer, when
the gold will havo arrived at the ordi
nary thinness f r the gold leaf of
commerce. It is then taken out of
the mould, and tho rough edges are
cut off by slips oi ratau fixed in par
allel grooves of an instrument called
a “wagon,” the leaf to bo laid on a
leatbercushion for that purpose. The
leaves thus prepared are placed in a
bock capable of bolding twenty-five
leaves each, which havo been rubbed
over with red ochre, to prevent the
gold clinging to tho paper.
The dryness of tho catch, shader,
and mould is a matter of extreme im
portance. They requiro to be hot
pressed every time they are used, al
though they may bo used daily, to
remove tbe moisture which they ac
quire from tho atmosphere, except in
extremely frosty weather, when they
acquire so little moisture that then a
difficulty arises from their over-dry
ness; the brilliancy of the gold is
diminished, and it spreads very slowly
under the hammer. On the contrary
if the cutch or shoder be damp, the
gold will become that which is techni
cally termed hollow or sieve-like—
! that is, it is pierced with innumerable
mall holes, and in the moulds in its
WASHINGTON, WILKES COUNTY, GA., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, ISGS.
more attenuated state, it becomes re
duced to a pulverulent state. This
condition is more easily produced in
alloyed gold than in fino gold.
It is necessary that each skin of tho
mould should bo rubbed over with
calcined gypsum each time tho mould
may be used, in order to prevent the
adhesion of the gold to the surfaceol
the skin in tho process of beating.
Gold used for beating is never quite
ptiro, because pure gold is too ductile
to be worked between tho gold bea
ter's skin; tho finost gold for the pur
pose has threo grains of alloy in tho
ounce, and tho coarsest twelve grains.
But in general, the alloy is about six
grains to tho ounce, or ono-eigbtieth
part. The alloy is silver or copper, or
both, and tho color produced is of va
rious tints accordingly. T.vo .ounces
and two pennyweights of gold are
delivered by tho foreman to tho work
man, who, if skilful, will return twen
ty thousand, leaves, or eighty books,
together with one ounce aud six pen
nyweights of cuttings.
The loaf in this perfection is so
thin that a hair of tho head falling in
between tho leaves and tho tool will
cut ton or twelve of the leaves. And,
although this leaf is thb thinnest sub
stance known to science, it is perfectly
air-tight.
lion. B. H. Hi'l on the Georgia Riots.
In nothing is tho unscrupulous
charactor of tho present dominant
party more clearly seen than in tho
persistent efforts which they are ma
king to provoko disturbances at the
Snuth, or tho unblushing falsehoods
wiih which they pervert nt.d aggra
vate all the details of pretended rebol
outrages, t'lioir object is to make
political capital in tho present Pros!
denliul campaign, and this object is
equally accomplished by the incendi
ary agitator who seeks to’ alionato
the deluded blacks, or the lying now»-
puper oorrespondeut who' inflame*
equally the Northern mind by tales of
pielerffied -outlay?**. ! Wre"'
am! untiring efforts of tho one aro only
equalled by the unblushing mendacity
of tho other, mid any failure on tho
part of the first to furnish material
sufficiently stimulating, is more than
atoned for by the fruitful imagination
ar,d facile pen of tho second. Thus
they arc equal participators in advanc
ing tho common cause of tho party—
tho one by inflaming the antlpalhios
of race, and exposing Southern life
and propeity to tbe hazard of the
torch and tho sword, and tho other by
embittering tho bate of sections by
calumny and falsehood. The wisdom
and forbearance which has been exer
cised by the Southern people has in a
great measure disappointed the hopes
of the agitator, and wo havo less than
the usual crop of disturbances; but
this has only tho more stimulated the
ingenuity of tho newspaper corre
spondent to pervert every potty inci
dent and dish up tho plain record of
events into a narrat.vo sufficiently
spicy and horrifying.
Tho late negro riot at Camilla, Ga.,
has been tho fruitful theme cl' more
than thb usual Radical misrepresenta
tion, and tho columns of the Tribune.
have teemed with tho most distorted
perversions of tho real facts of the
case. To correct these falsehoods, the
Hon. B. 11. Hill, who is now in New
York, has addressed an able and inter
esting letter to that paper, in which
ho fully and clearly sets forth tho
truth of the matter, and which must
carry conviction to every unprejudiced
mind. Wo will briefly indicate tho
points made in the letter.
| Ho shows that Radical agitators,
j under tho pretext that the Democratic
i party intended to rc-enslave the ne
groes, had beer; encouraging thorn to
arm themselves and to hold nightly
drills in military style. This had boon
done with a two-fold object: first, to
place them tho more fully under Bad
ical control ; and second, to provoko
collisions which might influence the
Northern people, by the story of “reb
el outrages.” The policy of the South
ern whites was precisely the reverse,
since in the first place, their lives and
property would be endangered by any
outbreak; second, it would load to the
ruin of the crops; third, fry exciting
the passions of the Northern people
it would prejudice the interests of tho
Democratic party in tho coming elec-'
tion. Hence, they resolved first, 10
boar tamely every insult, and second |
to invoke the aid of the civil aulbori-!
lies iu repressing these armed meet
ings. A proclamation of tho Govern
or was obtained, prohibiting these
military drills i ad armed assemblages;
and in pursarfcc© of that proclama
tion, tho Sheri! met tho rioters and
begged them 0 desist from holding
their armed melting. Thoy persisted,
and the Camit-% riot was tho result.
Camilla is a end! village, of not moro
than three hui.ired inhabitants, and
with a largojmsemblago of negroes,
all armed, aud exeilod by inflamma
tory speeches from their leaders,
Pierce und Mi ijihy, would havo been
sufrjeciod to ah ffio dangers of pillage
and arson. '"T'
Mr. Hill, in the concluding para
graphs of his letter, prssses upon the.
attention of Mr. Greoly certain con
siderations which to the Southern peo
ple arc al! controlling, but w hich the
advocate if eqp.d rights and univer
sal phi hint bbopby studiously ignores.
Says ho:
“ Tho Camilla riot, properly under
stood, will exhilit to tho -Northern
people more cl.'arty than a thousand
speeches could, the exact reason why
tho Southern whites are, at present,
unwilling to ext'ind universal, indis
criminate suffrage to the negroes. It
is because they can bo taken posses
sion of by a very few bad white men
seeking office at thi-ip hands, and make
terror to society, and destroyers of
nullity for pi op- riy and' security for
families, Man} i tho moro intelli
gent understand apd topuUiato these
influences, butts n groalcr numbor do
not.
“ In these very counties of Leo and
Dougherty, in w Huh Pierce and Mur
phy resido, I do .(ersonally know (for
I plant in both tlVono counties) that in
1806—after tho surrender, mark you—
lands wore seilingjfrom §lO to §2O per
aero Immediately alter the passage
of theso rccoßstrrtfcon measure 4" these
very lands oorarqjpiccd declining, and
1 d>. know that or-mo of them havo
recently been soft (with cotton as
!;:gU as.it *n ~ jiy : ' :A ) at one dol
lar per aei’ i’iT.
“ To hateQ**' live
iiiitrJ* jmt&rrtxd-Srwr
property ilei>wteM|M is,, certainly a
fearful and sad t; cun;,"on. Lot every
man in tho North place hitflsolf, his
family and his preqerty in this condi
tion in his nativo country, and then,
wlion ho makes-the most peaceable
efforts possible, in a lawful way, to
avert theso dangers, iot him hear him
self denounced ns ‘ a robcl,’ ‘ an ene
my,’ and ‘a traitor,’ and guilty of
‘rebel outrages,’ and ho will have
some idea of tho exact condition of the
Southern whites many of whom did.
all in their power, like tho writer, to
| prevent secession-, and who have never
seen tho day wheh they would not
[ give their lives to preserve the Con
stitution.
“ Our people hear these evils. Is
thcro any other peoplo on earth who
would bear them so patiently ? Why
do they bear them ? Because they
look hopefully to tho Northern people
to rescue them. They love every
man North who is willing to rescue
them. They want, above ail things,
peace. They will make any other
sacrifice, accede to any other demand
the North can make, to sccuro peace.
But they can not and they will con
sent, by- their own act, to dishonor
themselves by disfranchising their
wisest and best men, arid agree to a
scheme which must place their wives
and their ehildion and their little
remnant of property under liio dom
ination of ignorant, semi-barbarous
negroes, excited and led on by a few
bud white men, who have no dosiro
but to got office at the hands of these
negroes. Why should they, for peace,
consent to that which must destroy
all peace?”
llow to Fit Collars to Horses’
Shouloebs. —It is very important to
have a collar fit nicely and snugly to
tho shoulders of tho horse. It enables
him to work with a great deal moro
ease and to apply a great deal more
strength. It prevents galling and
wounding, as the friotion is avoided.
Collars aro so made, or should bo so
made, as to throw the chief force on
tho lower part of the shoulder. The
horse can apply but little strength on
the upper part, and for this reason
breast collars are coming greatly into
vogue—as tbe strength is exerted on
th'- lower part of tho shoulder. But
wo startod out to tell our readers how
to make a now collar fit tho shouldors
of the horse. The collar should be
purchased of the proper size; just be
j >rc putting it on for the first time,
mmorse it in water, lotting it remain
about a minute, and immediately put
it on tho horse, being careful to have
tho bames so adjusted at the top and
bottom as to fit the shoulder, and then
put tho horse to work. The oollar,
by being wet, will adapt itself to tho
shoulder, and should dry on tho horse.
When taken off it should be left in tho
samo shape it occupied on tho horse,
and ovor after you will have a snug
fitting collar and no wounds. — Valley
Farmer.
Sorrows of Childhood
There are parents who deliberately
lay themselves out to torment their
children. Thcro aro two elassses of
parents who are the most inexorably
cruel and malignant; it is hard to say
which class excels, but it is certain
that both classes exceed all extraor
dinary mortals. One is tho utterly
blackguard: the parents about whom
there is no good no pretense of good.
The other is the wrong headedly con
scientious and religious.
You may find parents who, having
started from an humble origin, having
attained to wealth, and who, instead
of being glad to think that their 'chil
dren aro bettor off than they them
selves were, exhibit a diabolical jeal
ousy of their children. You will find
such wretched beings insisting that
their children will go through need
less trials and mortifications, because
they themselves went through the
like. Why, Ido not hesitate to say
that one of tho thoughts which would
most powerfully lead a worthy man
to value material prosperity, would
bo the thought that his boys would
havo a fairer, happier start in life
than lie had, and would be saved tho
many difficulties on which lie still
looks back with pain; You will find
parents, especially parents of the
Pharisaical and wrong-headedly re
ligious., class, who seem to hold it a sa
wed duly to make t he liitle things urn
(nippy.'; who sjslcmntiq|)ly ondeuvor
oti‘a thing as possible'; who never
praise their children when they do
right, but punish them with great se
verity- when they do wrong; who
seem to hate to sec their children
lively or cheerful iu their presence;
who thoroughly repel all sympathy
or confidence on tho part of their
children, and then mention as a proof
that-their children are possessed by
tho devil, that t heir children always
like to get away from them; who re
joice to cut off any little enjoyment —
|rigidly carrying out into practice tho
|fundamental principle of their creed,
which undoubtedly is, that “nobody
should ever please any body else, be
cause in either case he is sure to dis
please God.”
Then a great trouble, always pres
sing heavily on many a little mind, is
that it is overtasked with lessons.
You still see hero and there idiotic
parents striving to make infant phe
nomena of their children, and recor
ding with much pride how their chil
dren could read and write at an un
naturally early ago. Such parents
arc fools beyond question. The great
use to which the first six or seven
years of life should he given, is the
laying the foundation of a healthful
constitution in body and mind ; and
tho instilling of those first principles
of duty and religion which do not
need to be taught out of any books.
Even if you do not permanently in-
Ijurc tiio young brain and mind prema
turely overtasking them,—even if
you do not permanently-‘blight the
1 bodily- health and break the mind’s
cheerful spring, you gain nothing.
Four child at fourteen years old is
not a bit farther advanced in his ed
ucation than a child who began his
years after him ; and the entire result
of your stupid driving has been to
overcloud somo days which should,
have been the happiest of liis lifo.
Who is it? —He is not Noah, nor
Noah’s son, nor a Levite, nor
John tho Baptist, nor yet tho wander
ing Jew, for ho was with Noah in the
ark; the Scriptures make mention of
him particularly in St John, St. Mark,
St. Luke, go that we may believe that
he was no impostor, lie knows no
parent, he never lay upou his mothers
breast, his beard is such as no man
ever wore; he goes barc-footed and
bare legged, like a grave old friar.
Ho wears no hat in summer or winter,
: but often appears with a crown upon
'bis head. His coat is neither knit
nor spun, nor hair, silk, linen or tvool-
VOL. in- >O. 25.
on, bark nor sheepskin, yet it abounds
with variety of colors and fits close
to tho skin. Ho is wonderfully tem
perate ; ho never drinks anything but
cold water; ho would rather take his
dinner in a farmers’ barn than in a
kings palace, no is very watchful;
he sleeps not in bed, but sits in a sin
gular kind of chair, with his clothes on.
Ho was alive at tho crucifixion.
Nearly all the world hear him. Ho
once preached a short sermon, which
convinced a man af his sin, and cans,
ed him to weep bitterly, 110 never
was married, yet ho has favorites
whom he loves dearly, for if ho has
hut one morsel of meat ho divides
among them. Though ho never rides
on horseback, he is in somo respects
equipped as horseman are. He is an
advocate of early rising, though ho
never retires to bed. His prophecies
are true that tho moment you
hear his voice you may know what is
approaching.
Now who is this prophet, and what
did lie foretell?
Conditions Necessary for Successful Ag
riculture.
It is becoming and more ap
parent every year that in order to
succeed well in agricultural pursuits
there must bo certain favorable indi
cations for the best success, in farm
ing. Hence tho doctrines of mixed
and special husbandly must in a cer
tain degree yield to llio latter condi
tion of tilings. It is illlo lor tho cot
ton growing Status to compote with
the northern farmer iri raising winter
apples, and because a man may raise
cotton in the Middle States, it is no
reason why he should do it.
Special localities are adapted to
special productions. The animal
kingdom bus its fixed geographical
boundaries, and so does tho vegetable
kingdom. But this is not all, nor is
it by any moans the most important,
consideration. In order to succeed
well in cultivating any production of
value at tho present day, thoro must
bo iidilNgeneo. Iloricc when any one
community laUos up sheep husbandry,
we find thut ,whole population fiuaii-
I_; „>• 4£jjj£4 --aa-lri.t, ‘ . .fja—?”* • .
nptner w’erds, they nave. Been euu
eated to the btflinoss. Let -a nor tec
in the businoss take a flock of five
hundred sheep, and the chances aro
as to ten to one that bo would/mute
an entire fui.'uro in the businoss ot
sheep raising, u nless he the
fit of bis Vicighbn «»’ experience.
same is truo of orcharding, SofiSe
poisons suppose it a.’ 1 easy thing ti>
raise an orchard, but w o would rath ®
undertake to fit a boy for college than
to teach him bow to plant a.n orchard
with tho right kind of trees, and taken
cate of them in all their details till lio
had a handsome and productive or
chard. In a community where or
charding is mado a business, one
neighbor has tho benefit of the others’
expernneo, and thereby avoids mis
takes that would otherwise interfere
with bis success.
Mon frequently havo groat fears
that if the town in which they rcsido
should dovoto its w hole energies to
somo speciality tho market would bo
overstocked. But one town or one
country is only an item exceeding
small in this great, country. Still ar
other advantage arising from this
community of labor is tho acquired
reputation a place may havo for good
articles, and thus an extra price may
be obtained for everything it may
have for sale. Orange County butter
had a reputation that demanded a
great advance in price over other but
ler tquully good. If a man now-a
days buys a Vermontit buck or horso
ho must pay a round price for it. If
a man wants u Jcr.-oy cow ho must
go to Winthorp lor her arid pay a
great price. A Jersey cow from any
other place would hardly bo worth
looking at so long as ono is for sale
from that town.
Hence we still argue the propriety
of making a speciality in firming
whore the conditions are tavorablo.
Such communities aro always more
independent as farmers. Thero aro
somo towns in this State best adapted
for orchards, and the more tiio people
devote to it the better. Jf sheep have
proved a success, pursue tho business.
A few towns in tins State can do well
at hop culture. Olhors aro superior
grass districts. Now there are many
towns in this State where a man can
raise two tons of bay to tho acre, and
sell it at a good prico vyitli a ready
market, more easily than other towns
can raise one ton to the aero with a
poor market.
There aro many farms whore mixed
husbandry is best, and probably thoro
are but lew farms where exclusive
utlemion to ono thing would 60 advi
sable. A man may have a good farm,
vet it is not adapted to tho raising of
fruit; still it tnay be desirable for him
to have a few apple trees for bis own
use, and he would do well to muko
special effort to secure a low trees tor
this purpose. We believe the future
development of our agricultural re
sources and tho wealth of our farmers
hereafter must largely depend on this
careful adaption of each locality l’or
its be„t production. Maine Farmer.