166 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ever. Frequently the engraver originates his pattern as he goes 

 along — a species of improvising which is quite full of interest to 

 an on-looker. In time the men become very skillful in this sort 

 of work, and are quite ready in thinking out new designs. It is 

 entirely a matter of experience, the work depending largely on a 

 nice sense of touch, since the glass is for the most part obscured 

 by the spattered emery and oil. In this way geometric designs 

 of considerable complication, wreaths and flowers, birds, fishes, 

 and dragons, are traced on goblets and other table-ware, as well 

 as on globes and similar articles. It is also the process by which 

 initials and monograms are cut on glass, and its frequent appli- 

 cation for this purpose is familiar to every one who is not near- 

 sighted. 



The tracery is accomplished sooner than one would fancy. As 

 a rule, it is used in connection with some other form of ornamen- 

 tation. Frequently in the case of globes there is a light tracery 

 around the central portion, and plain bands at the top and bot- 

 tom. These are put on very expeditiously, and, consequently, at 

 little cost. The process is known technically as " obscuring." 

 The globes are mounted on a lathe over a sand-box, being fastened 

 between plates of cork in order that they shall not be fractured 

 by the jar. The workman presses a bundle of soft, annealed 

 iron wire against the surface of the quickly rotating globe, and, 

 almost in less time than it takes one to tell about it, the band is 

 completed. The band at the other end of the globe is put on in 

 the same way. If two parallel bands are to be put on near to- 

 gether, the bundle of wire is in two parts, and both bands are 

 made at the same time. The wires simply determine where the 

 obscuring shall be. The real grinding is done by the sand and 

 water with which the surface of the globe is kept constantly sup- 

 plied. By using a larger bundle of wire, and passing it over the 

 entire surface of the globe, the obscuring is made complete, and 

 we have the so-called ground-glass globe. 



The obscuring process is used in connection with both cutting 

 and engraving, a design frequently being brought out much more 

 beautifully by reason of the obscured or translucent background. 

 In this case, however, the cut pattern must not be subjected to 

 the final brushing process, for the glass brush would smooth the 

 obscured surface and give it the almost transparent character 

 displayed by ground glass when moistened with oil or water. 

 The effect would be to make the portion of the glass around the 

 cutting look constantly wet — an undesirable form of decoration. 

 Some of the most pleasing designs are thus produced by a com- 

 bination of two or more processes. However fully and artistically 

 a plain glass globe may be decorated, there is apt to be an un- 

 pleasant effect of thinness of design from the unrestricted pas- 



