Читать книгу The Employments of Women: A Cyclopædia of Woman's Work - Virginia Penny - Страница 58

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I was told by a lady in Philadelphia, that had been engaged with her husband for some years in chasing the backs of gold watches, and had laid by quite a snug little fortune, that from $5 to $6 is paid for engraving a watch case. It requires many years to render one a competent gold or silver chaser—I think about five years. A general engraver told me he thought women could very well engrave jewelry, silver, and card plates. The superior taste of women could be exercised to advantage. He thinks a woman of good abilities could obtain sufficient practice to earn good wages at the expiration of six months. It is a very confining business, but one that pays well. It requires more skill in drawing than beauty of penmanship, though the last is a desirable item. A good engraver calculates to earn $1 an hour. The kinds most suitable for a lady are so clean that she need not have her clothes soiled by her work. Mr. C. knew a lady once in New York who was a beautiful engraver. She learned the business with her father. A watchmaker can soon learn to engrave, because he uses similar tools, and knows how to handle them. A person that can engrave watches could easily engrave coarser work. Engravers, when employed by the week, earn from $12 to $25; and $15 a week is a fair average of an engraver's wages. An engraver cannot well work more than nine hours a day. Ornamental engraving is done in some jewelry manufactories by women. Engraving is done with gravers, but chasing is executed with punches and a small hammer. Engraving is more on the surface than chasing. An article chased is indented on the inner side, one engraved is not. It requires some time to excel in chasing and engraving. There are two kinds of watch engraving—that of landscape and that of borders. I was told by an Englishman that some silver-plate chasing is done in England by women. A jeweler writes: "We occasionally employ women in engraving—on brass, and we do not find any difficulty. In this branch of business, we believe, they are more suitable than men." Mr. S., who engraves on gold, silver, and other bright metals, told me that a long time back all the engraving in his branch was done in England by women. It is light work. The designing is like a lawyer's work—hard on the brain. Most engravers in this country do their own designing. His father was the first engraver in New York. He takes apprentices for five years, not paying anything the first year, the second, $2 a week and clothing, and increases according to the attainments of the learner. There are two kinds of engraving in his branch: the line engraving can be done with one tool, the other kind requires several. He can obtain foreigners who can do both kinds (usually called mongrel engraving), and who would be glad to get work. Chasing and polishing are about as good mechanical pursuits as a woman can follow. Some silver chasing is done by filling the article with sand, and striking with proper tools; some is pressed with heavy machinery. Soft chasing is done on metals, but the chasing of plated ware requires some strength in the wrists, and is done before being plated. The patterns are placed before the workers. It requires a long time and application to acquire proficiency. More women could find employment as chasers, if they would apply themselves long and closely enough. A chaser, who employs eight girls in Providence in making and chasing jewelry, writes: "They earn from $4 to $5 per week, but men from $15 to $18. Women cannot do their work as well as men. Men spend from two to three years learning, women from one to two months. Spring and fall are the best seasons. The prospect of employment for women in this branch is good. There are other parts of the jewelry business in which women could be employed, and I think they will be. I prefer to employ women, because they are cheaper." A jewelry engraver writes: "In some branches of our style of engraving, women are employed in France and Germany. The occupation is sedentary. The average rate of workmen is $12. I think women could command the same prices as men. It requires about one year to learn. There are but few first-class engravers. A bold and steady hand, a ready and quick ingenuity, which would qualify a person to be a good draughtsman and designer, are the qualifications most needed for an engraver. About fifteen years ago there was no demand for engraving, but it is now on the increase, and considered a necessary finish to jewelry. About the Christmas holidays are the best seasons for work. Ten hours a day are required. In the Western and Southern States are openings—in large cities a surplus. I think, women are peculiarly adapted to engraving, but they would be likely to marry, and then we would have our trouble to repeat in teaching new learners."