The Snippet - Past News of the Silver Trade

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BARBOUR SILVER Co.

St. Louis


The Barbour Silver Co., who recently purchased the entire plant of the Hartford Silver Plate Co., have consolidated both lines and will continue the St. Louis store at 307 N. 4th St., carrying a full line for the jobbing trade.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 22nd November 1893

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W.H. WILMARTH & Co.

Attleboro, Massachusetts


W.H. Wilmarth & Company of Attleboro, Mass., will rebuild their jewelry factory, recently destroyed by fire. The old building was 40 x 200 feet. It is probable that, on account of the pressure of business, the new structure will not be started until spring.

Source: The Metal Industry - January 1907

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THE GOLDSMITHS' COMPANY

London


The Goldsmiths Company of the City of London have given £100 to the fund for the purchase of John Wesley's chapel in West-street, Seven-dials. The chapel was re-opened on Easter Sunday under the license of the Bishop of London, and is now in regular use as a mission church connected with the London Diocesan Home Mission.

Source: The Aberystwith Observer and Merionethshire News - 21st April 1888

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THE KROWEN Mfg. Co.

Newark, New Jersey


The Krowen Mfg. Co., manufacturer of jewelry, has started in business at Newark, N.J.

Source: The Brass World and Platers' Guide - August 1915

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JEWELRY FACTORY FIRE

Chartley, Massachusetts


The Sturdy jewelry factory, at Chartley, Mass., was destroyed by fire. The plant was occupied by Engley & Goslln and Commings Co., manufacturers of jewelry. The loss to both firms amounts to $50,000.

Source: American Machinist - 28th December 1911

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GEORGE J. BESSINGER

Newark, New Jersey


George J. Bessinger, at one time secretary of the International Jewelry Workers' Union, and for several years secretary of the local branch of that organization, has established a jewelry factory of his own now, where he intends to make jewelry to order, each piece bearing the double acorn of the jewelry workers’ union. Mr. Bessinger will conduct his factory on the mail-order plan. In addition to the jewelry end of the scheme he has announced that he intends to get into the badge-making business, and that every badge he turns out if necessary will bear from one to three or a dozen different labels, showing the different unions which have had some part to do with the making of the badge. It was the organization of jewelry workers which first had to do with the fight made against the Whitehead & Hoag Company of this city, the result of which fight almost upset the jewelry workers' organization, the nineteen organizations in that factory getting busy when it looked as if the efforts of the jewelry workers would result in their being called scabs.

Source: The Typographical Journal - January 1912

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BENNETT & CRYSTAL

Newark, New Jersey


A new jewelry manufacturing concern known as Bennett & Crystal is now doing business at 38 Crawford St. William Bennett, one of the members of the firm, has been doing business at the same place since last March. George Crystal, the other member of the firm and who represents it on the road, was until a few weeks ago a pattern maker for L. Barnett & Co. Mr. Bennett was superintendent in the factory of Day, Clark & Co. before he went into business for himself. The company will manufacture 10-karat gold jewelry. For the present Mr. Crystal’s trips in the interests of the concern will include visits to the trade in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 25th October 1911

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WILLIAM WARD

London


Tradition says that Lord Dudley, who has recently been appointed Governor General of the Australian Commonwealth, owes his present position to a casual customer, who called in at at his ancestor's-shop in Lombard-street in the reign of Charles the First. William Ward was the ancestor's name, and he was a goldsmith. One day a sailor, who had just come ashore from a long voyage, entered the shop and (so the story goes) offered for sale at a great bargain quantity of magnificent diamonds. The goldsmith did not hesitate, but at once purchased the gems. Soon the Court heard that he had some remarkable diamonds, and Queen Henrietta Maria appointed him her jeweller. The Lord Dudley of the day, requiring the nice little sum of £20,000; came to Ward for a loan, which the goldsmith agreed to advance on condition that his son should marry Lord Dudley's granddaughter. The Dudley male line afterwards became extinct, and the title came to the Lombard-street goldsmith's descendants in female line.

Source: The Flintshire Observer - 26th March 1908

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STOLEN SILVERWARE

London


In the case of Cheshire v. Bailey, a decision of great importance as to the liability of job masters for losses from carriages let out by them for hire was given. The plaintiff is a silversmith in Birmingham, and in October, 1902, hired from the defendant, who is a London job master, a brougham and coachman to be used for business purposes for taking samples, at £3 5s. 0d. a week. In August, 1903, the brougham was sent with a coachman and took out the plaintiff's traveller who had with him silver articles worth about £1,000. In the middle of the day the traveller left the brougham in the coachman's charge while he went to lunch. On coming back the brougham and man were gone, but shortly after the man returned and said that he had been to have a drink, and while he was doing so the brougham and the silver had been taken away. Afterwards the coachman was tried for stealing the brougham and the goods, and was convicted. The plaintiff then brought this action to recover damages for the loss of the silver. Mr. Justice Walton decided that he was entitled to succeed, and said that the plaintiff alleged that it was part of the contract that the driver of the brougham should use reasonable and ordinary care in guarding the goods in the brougham. It was not clear that the defendant knew that the goods to he carried were valuable, but he did not think there was anything unusual in the nature or value of the goods. The defendant might have inquired what they were, and might have limited his liability, or charged a special price, but he did not do so. There was, then, in his opinion an obligation upon the defendant that the driver be supplied should use ordinary care not merely in driving, but in looking after the carriage when the driver was away. It was clear to him that the coachman did not use reasonable care. The plaintiff therefore was entitled to damages, the amount of which was to be ascertained.

Source: The Chamber of Commerce Journal - August 1904

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STURTEVANT-WHITING Co.

Attleboro, Massachusetts


The Sturtevant-Whiting Co., Attleboro, Mass., has been incorporated to engage in the manufacture of jewelry and metal products. Louis Kurtz is the president of the new corporation, Fred D. Brigham vice president and George A. Whiting treasurer.

Source: The Brass World and Platers' Guide - August 1914

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WATCH CASES NOT PLATE

London


In the King's Bench Division to-day judgment was given in an action taken on agreed facts by the Goldsmiths' Company at the request of the Board of Trade and Commissioner of Customs for penalties against Mr. Wyatt, a London plate dealer, for selling four Swiss made watches in gold and silver, cases not assayed and stamped as was provided for by English law. Plaintiff's contended that the cases came under the definition of gold and silver plate under the Acts, whist defendant urged that the case ceased to be plate when it became part of the watch.

Mr. Justice Channell said that watches in gold and silver cases did not come within the Acts as plate, and gave judgment for defendant.


Source: Evening Express - 6th July 1905

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MELROSE SILVER Co.

Hartford, Connecticut


William Melrose, formerly president of the Melrose Silver Co., Hartford, has severed his connections with the concern. The firm began business March 1, 1903, in the rear of 259 9th St. On Aug. 9 a corporation was formed under the name of the Melrose Silver Co. William Melrose was made president, Seymour Chase, secretary and treasurer, and F. S. Taylor, vice-president. These three and H. C. Hunting and F. S. LeFevre were the directors. The concern did business under this management until Jan. 1, when a directors’ meeting was held and the following new officers were chosen: F. S. LeFevre, president and treasurer ; Henry LeFevre. vice-president, and F. S. Taylor, secretary.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 22nd February 1905

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MEANING OF 'SOLID GOLD'

United States


The term "solid gold" has been the cause of much discussion on the part of manufacturers of gold articles and of much misapprehension on the part of the public for some time, and the recent law fixing the commercial definition is welcomed on all sides.

According to this law, 10-carat gold is the commercial "solid gold," and all the articles containing more alloy than this, or articles with parts which contain more alloy, are henceforth to be known as plated, filled or rolled gold, and must be so marked by the manufacturer. For example, a pin with top of "solid gold," even to the value of eighteen carats, cannot legally be called solid if hinge or pin is not 10-carat gold; while another pin of 10-carats throughout, though of much less Intrinsic value than that of eighteen carats, is legally "solid gold."

This law was made to protect the manufacturing jewelers against the makers and sellers of "phony" jewelry, and has been heartily endorsed by the legitimate trade all over the United States.

The law now requires that the manufacturer mark the article itself or on the card to which it is attached the exact value of the gold in all its parts, just as the food manufacturers are now obliged to state the ingredients of the package on the labels, and a heavy penalty is attached to the use of the word "solid gold" if any part of the article contains less than ten carats of gold.

There is a bill now being prepared to be Introduced at the next congress to abolish the use of this term and substitute the karat stamp for it, and both wholesale and retail jewelers over the country will work hard for its passage.

This bill if passed will require manufacturers to stamp all gold articles with the number of karats registered. Half a karat will be allowed for errors, but the manufacturers will have to see to it that the gold comes within this limit. This will be a great help to the buying public.


Source: The Southern Merchant - 4th May 1908

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THE NEW COINAGE FOR INDIA

Birmingham


Messrs. Heaton and Son, of the Mint, Birmingham, have received an order for a new Indian copper coinage. The order is to the extent of 400 tons of "pice," or quarter-annas," sixty-four pieces of which go to a rupee, of 2s. value English money. The piece is a handy little coin, in size between a farthing and a halfpenny, and bears on the observe side the inscription, "India Company," and on the reverse the India arms and motto. Messrs. Heaton believe that the order will be completed in about six months, The dies will be prepared under the inspection of the officers deputed by the Secretary of State for India, who will visit the works at Birmingham for that purpose.

Source: The Welshman - 26th July 1861

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FIRE AT JEWELERS

Iola, Kansas


Iola, Kas., May 13.—A lighted match thrown into a can of gasoline in George A. Leffler’s jewelry store, Monday afternoon, caused an explosion which came near setting fire to the store and which painfully burned Alvin Leffler about the hands and face.

Mr. Leffler was at work on his bench with his brother Nathan next to him. Alvin Leffler, who was doing some soldering, threw a lighted match to the floor and it dropped into a gasoline can which Nathan was using. The cause of the accident, before he knew what had happened, was immediately surrounded with flames. He broke a glass in the show window and then plunged through a glass in the window out into the street. In doing so he received a severe cut on his right arm and several lesser cuts about the face.

Nathan Leffler, who was on the other side of the fire, escaped without injury. The damage to the store is considerable.


Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 20th May 1908

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PRESENTATION GOLD AND SILVER PLATE

Chester


The solid silver tea tray which was presented to Dr. Bridge was supplied by Mr. A. W. Butt, silversmith, of this city. It will be on view at his establishment during the next few days. Mr. Butt has also been entrusted with the order to supply a solid gold cup by the tenantry of the Duke of Westminster for presentation to his Grace's son and heir, Earl Grosvenor; also with a very beautiful silver tea tray, which is being presented by the Plas Teg tenantry to Mr. C. C. Trevor Roper on attaining his majority. The latter articles will be on view at Mr. Butt's establishment shortly.

Source: The Cheshire Observer - 11th February 1905

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NATIONAL ELECTROPLATERS' ASSOCIATION

Bridgeport, Connecticut


Emanuel Blassett Jr., of Bridgeport. Conn., foreman plater for the R. P. K. Pressed Metal Co., and J. M. Dunn, foreman of the plating department of the Holmes & Edwards Silver Co. of Bridgeport, are endeavoring to form a branch of the National Electroplaters' Association in this city and report very encouraging success. The large number of platers in this section should be sufficient to indicate the feasibility of the plan.

Source: The Brass World and Platers' Guide - February 1912

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THE JEWELLER AND THE SILVERSMITH'S WIFE

London


SORDID STORY

Scene at a Coroner's Court

A FREE FIGHT AMONGST WITNESSES PREVENTED


Yesterday Dr. Westcott, coroner, held an inquest at St. Luke's, London, on the body of Robert Anderson, aged 42 years, a jeweller, lately, residing at 10, Thomas's-place, St. Luke's.

Frances Anderson, widow, of Clerkenwell, stated that she was married to deceased when he was sixteen years old, and he lived with her until eight months ago. He then left her and went to live with a married woman named Taylor. The latter lived with her husband and two children at Thomas's-place.

The Coroner: Didn't Taylor object to your husband living with his wife?

Witness said no, and added that her husband, had supported her up till four weeks ago, but since then she had had nothing from him.

Henrietta Taylor, wife of a silversmith, stated that she had been married twelve years. Deceased had lived with her for eight months as man and wife.

What about your own husband? We turned him out. (Laughter.)

How did you manage that? He was always out of work and could not keep me.

Was he willing to go? Yes.

Why did Anderson leave his wife? He thought I was better than his wife.

Witness added that deceased had been drinking heavily lately, and on Friday last got off the bed, went to a cupboard, and took a bottle and glass. He then screamed out, "I have done it, Hetty. I have taken poison." Witness struggled with him, but he seized her by the wrists, and bit her fingers. The police and a doctor were called in but death ensued shortly afterwards. Witness concluded by saying. He was a, good man."

The Widow: He was too good for you.

Dr. Thomas Kearney, of Bartholomew-close, stated that death was due to cyanide of potassium poisoning.

The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity brought about by intemperance and immorality." Outside the court the police had to interfere in order to prevent a free fight amongst the witnesses.


Source: Evening Express and Evening Mail - 30th April 1903

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P. A. COON AND H.N. GALE FORM NEW SILVERWARE COMPANY

Syracuse, New York


Syracuse, N. Y., June 27.—A company have been organized for the manufacture and sale of silver plated ware and metal goods by P. A. Coon, formerly connected with the Oneida Silverware Mfg. Co., and H. N. Gale, formerly associated with the M. S. Benedict Mfg. Co., East Syracuse. The business will be located in the Hier factory building, in N. Clinton St. The company are now making up samples and say they expect to have five or six men out by July 15 for Fall business.

Mr. Coon negotiated for some time for the purchase of the Oneida Silverware Co. factory, but finally decided to locate the business in this city.


Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 3rd July 1901

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THE HALLMARKING OF WATCH CASES

London


CORRESPONDENCE

HALL-MARKS

Sir,—Many years ago the Council of the Horological Institute addressed the Wardens of Goldsmith's-hall with a view to the adoption by them of a less obstructive method of impressing the Hall-mark than the relief stamp then and still in use. The impress of such a stamp on the cases of gold and silver watches distorted the cases, and gave great additional labour in the manufacture, with consequent extra cost. The correspondence on the subject is contained in one of the earlier volumes of the Horological Journal. The Council advocated a linear stamp, which, simply cutting an outline in the gold, would not have distorted the shape of the case, and thus would have saved cost in the manufacture. The measures of the Council were defeated by the action of the case-makers, who feared that foreign workmen might come over to make cases and so lower wages, against whom the present custom of disfiguring the work when formed is a sufficient barrier. The case-makers held a public meeting in Clerkenwell, and voted that the present law and custom in force respecting Hall-marking cases was most desirable, and that change would be injurious. With such a resolution the members for Finsbury were disabled from Parliamentary movement.

The Horological Institute also complained of the disfigurement of the work caused by the scraping which the assayers practised in order to obtain material for the assay, which rendered it necessary that the gold should be thicker than the finished article required, so that the hollow formed by the assayer's scraping tool might be obliterated by the reduction of the whole surface to the level of the lowest point of the hollow which the assayer made. The Council referred to the practice of the Paris assayers, and through our ambassador at Paris were able to confront the custom of Paris with what the Goldsmiths'-hall alleged was the law of France. The organised opposition of the case-makers, however, availed to check any further action on the part of the Horological Council.

There was, it must be admitted, some force in the propositions of the Goldsmith's-hall, that any alteration in the character of the stamp would put a doubt on the genuineness of the stamp until a generation had learnt the reality of the new type, and that the competition between England and Switzerland in the race of cheap production could not but be affected by the admittedly more expensive system enforced by the Hall.

Many of the elements of the question of Hall-marking are involved in this special instance of watch cases, but by no means all of them in respect of jewellery. There can be no real objection to any alloy of gold being adopted, either in respect of hardness or colour or cheapness, that the consumer may choose to use.

To limit the alloys to some definite ratios seems to interfere with a natural right. To give protection as to quality of material is well enough, but this becomes unimportant when the material is the least item in the cost of the article, and on all the other items the consumer is at the mercy of the seller or the law of caveat emptor.

If a person has confidence in the seller or in his judgment as to the quality of any article he wishes to buy, to subject such a one to the cost of an independent valuation, and the process of stamping with its costly obstructiveness, seems to interfere with the liberty of the subject, and to savour of arbitrary taxation.

The French manufacturer of jewellery is limited to the use of 18-carat gold. The ornaments he produces are therefore for the most part so fragile that their use in this country is limited to a small class. The French jeweller strengthens his tinsel fabrics with cement, but even then they are too frail tor the bulk of the English population.

The English manufacturer alloys his gold sometimes largely, and is able to produce cheap jewellery of sufficient strength for general service.

There are many objects of jewellery that cannot be Hall-marked; the blow would destroy them. There are others so compounded of parts that the idea of certifying to the whole article being genuine is childish, so far as stamping avails for such an end, and unless a oomplete certificate can be produced like all half truths, an object partly Hall-marked is doubly treacherous.

The trade over which the Goldsmiths'-hall presides is not now as of old ; its magnitude is now such that it has passed the bounds of personal supervision. The freedom of import from abroad still more dissipates the authority of the Hall, and the fertility of ingenuity in foreign cities to which our work may be sent invalidates the authority of a stamp which does not cover every part of the article, even if the stamp itself is not imitated, against which there is no protection. Compulsory Hall-marking, therefore, has too many objections to be admissible. Voluntary Hall-marking may well be tolerated, as between the manufacturer and the retailer it provides a security that the latter, who may be desirous of acting fairly, shall be able to authenticate the quality of his material if he shrinks from the unfortunately severe necessity of cutting indiscriminate samples of the articles he is buying and sending them for assay, a step to which there are many obstacles, first, the cost of the injury done to the finished work, next, the unpleasant relation it creates between men dealing together, the more difficult when one is pecuniarily indobted to the other, yet it is a step which no retail dealer should shrink from if he would preserve his own honour unblemished before the public.

For the public the easiest security is, first, the purchase of their jewellery from persons of established character, or if the temptation of prices or importunity of new men endeavouring to gain a footing be yielded to, then the careful claim of an invoice describing the character of the article sold from the vendor. Whether such facility as this is the only protection society should offer against fraudulent dealers is a question rather of Government than Hall-marking.

To check frauds in trade none are so competent as those in the trade, yet, except in the case of those who have retired from business, the power of punishing rivals is too dangerous for the hands of ordinary men. Yet in a well ordered organisation of society the exercise of such a power seems proper, for no class of the state from the court to the cottage is worthy of being invested with unchecked power.

For such an office I know of no better material than the courts of the City guilds, always providing that they shall contain such a proportion of trade members as shall give validity to their opinion. The inspection of the quality of work offered to the public is one of their ancient duties, and adapting themselves to the altered condition of things, the same office might be usefully exercised.

The struggle for the appointment of analyst would then have been avoided, for the functions of the several guilds would have already covered the ground. —I am, &c,

Jno. Jones

338, Strand.


Source: Journal of the Society of Arts - 10th September 1875

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