The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-03-12
Miscellany.

Bayard Taylor ON MecTsehaum Pipes
Bayard Taylor has recently visited the lit
tie town of Ruhla in Germany which until
within a few years has had monopoly in the
manufacture of meersctaum pipes. His ac-
count of the visit will interest all lovers of to-
nacco:
Meerschaum is found on the shores of.the
Baltic and Black Seas, but the most OF that
used in huhla comes from a deposit near Eski-
Shehr, in the Interior of Asia Minor, The
German smokers seem to have been guided
by instinct to the right material, long before
chemistry was directed to the interests of
common lite. Recent analyses show that this
substance, more than any other, absorbs the
essential oil of tobacco and thus purlfies the
smoke. This fact, with the other equally es-
tablished one, that the harmful qualities of
tooacco decrease in proportion as its flavor
improves, must be gratifying to every refined
smoker. A genuine meeTschaum pipe, well
colored, and nlled with The fne-t LatakIa or
Lynchburs, will furnish a smoke in which
scarcely trace OF nicotine can be detected
While coarse common cigar, between the
lips, Is never free from it. Whatever may be
the theories OF Psychologists, the tobacco ques-
ton is one when each Individual must settle
for himself, according to his private physical
laws. 1t may act either as an extitant or a
Sc lative; IN the former ease it is certainly in
furious.
IA Inc manufacture of pipes a lumber OF
otner maiersis must be used. The next in
importance Is amber, for the mouth-pieces.
Inc turks first adopted this article, in the
pe'lei that no infectious disease could be com
municated through il the Germans now pre-
Ter IL ior its rich color, and its soft, waxy
leeiln5 III the mouth. Its value differs greatly,
according to lis tint and opacity, and herein
a novice would be easily deceived. The bright
ye'loW, transparent amber is least valuable
However 1t may catch the eye Dark, evenly
opaque yellow has a much higher value,
and the best oil ali is the Opaque lemon color
ed. Then, Tor the pipe stems, particular
kind OF Wild cherry is preferred, and the
amount OF business done in supplying half
inch sticks OF the tree is astonishing. Jas
mine-stems are Considered the best OF all, but
they are rare and expensive. A great GUAM
tlty OF horn is also consumed in making
mouth-pieees Tor the cheaper pipes. More
over, the bowls. especially OF false meerschaum
are BOILED In wax or talloW.
Figures will give the best idea of the ex-
tent OF the manufacture, Ruhla contains
about 1900 inhabitants, more than half of
whom are concerned, in some way, in this
branch oil industry. The average annual pro-
duct was thus gwen to me by Ziegler:
Mountings in brass, German silver and
pure silver Ior ppe-bowls, 81 600 COO
CAS- s, chains, &C., or pipes, I9OOO,OQO
Plpe stems, M M 0n0
Pipeso al. Kinds completely finished. 10000
M0uih-pieces an cgar-h lue s, lO20OOOO
Mounted POI eelain pipe-bowls, 9,6 OOOO
n hss meerschaum pipe-bowls, g. 100000
6lpe-poWiS OF WOOD, 4,sUO,O0O
pe-boAls OF clay aud la7a, 27OOOOv
9E Nu1NG NEE scnaum pips>bowIs, 54O,y d
You will see, from these figures, that only
one meerschaEm IN ten IS genuine. Nine
smokers o.. Of ten, therefore, will strain their
cheeks and trouble their souls in desperate
e0oT.s to obtain a color which, alas the, can
never get. They may obtain beautiful brown
or chocolate hues, and rejoice over them, but
1t will not be like the song oil the finch, the
rea ization OF an established ideal. 1 have
heard hundred theories in regard to the col
orng OF a meerschaum. 1t should be smok-
ed In a case-without case-never touched
with the hand-rubb with the hand-slow-
ly, at intervals-always kept burning-in
still room-out OF doors; in short, there is no
end to the instructions. Now, either the plpe
Is the servant and friend of the man, or the
man is the slave OF the pipe, and the former
relation seems to me preferable. Lille is too
short and too valuable to devote to a half
inch OF color, which only few persons can
appreciate So | asked the manufacturers.
who ought to know best, how pipe could be
most easily and successfully colored, and /
give their answer Tor the benefit OF many as
piring young Americans. 1T makes little
difference" said they, provided the howl is
not touched by the hand while it is warm
AS general thing it is better not to smoke
new bowl 10 the bottom. The color is surer
to be fine when not produced too rapidlv. hut
the main thing is that the meerschaum shouId
cool without being touched. This is the onJv
use OF smoking with the bowl in case: ex
posure 20 the air does DO injury"
The value OF the annual production in
kinla IS upward OF two millions of dollars.
Inc whoNsale price of the genuine meers-
chaum varies from $3.50 to ST 20 per dozen
but there are single choice pieces, of unusual
size upon which the carver has expended all
rs ss..i, w--icI are valued at SlOO apiece.
The pipes made in Paris and Vienna NAV en-
hibit more elegant workmanship in this res
Ject, but the kuhla manufacturers say that
the use of the pipe is the best part of its Quail
lily. They showed me bowl, six incnes
long. upon which the battle OF Nachod was
represented in high relief (price S60), but [
snonlG not consider 1t convenient or COM
portable luxury. There are flaws and pieces
OF grit IN the raw material, and large and
faultless pi zee Is as rare in meerschaum as It is
in Carara marble.
Ruhla. in addition to Alexander Zienler
has produced Ludwig Storeh, the poet. and
Stum6f, manufacturer of harps and one of
the early friends OF Beethoven, 1t has a
mineral spring, strongly impregnated with
steel, with large Curhdus, which was for
erly hunting-lodge, and favorite resort of
Karl August OF Weimar and Goethe. On a
Knoll above the center of the town, there is
an ancient church, with two paves, in the
form OF right angle, with the pulpit in the
intersection, different In this respect from all
other churches in the world.
Instead OF returning over the mountains.
we kept on, down the lnterminable Que street
10 the further end OF the town, beyond which
the road issues into the open and smiling val
ley OF lnal. Thence eastward, over the spurs
OF the fhuringian Forest, by rock and ruined
lover, until we saw the last flush of sunset
ieHecCe9 IN the lakes OF Reinhardtsbrunn.
his pipes, and informs me that the Indications