The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-03-24
Where Heerechaum Pipes are
Made. and iIott.

Germany, the headquarters for the
manufacture Of meersehaum pipes. and
his account Of the business will luic.
rest smokers, Il no one else
For d long time Buhla was the only
place Ia Europe whore this peculiar
branch 81 industry was carried, bat OF
late years Paris and Vienna have usur-
ped a good deal Of IL The demand,
however, has SO rapidly increased that
the interests II the little mountain town
have not yet materially suffered, and
Wlll not when certain advantages Of
the RuAla pipes come 10 be generally
known. Tho color which maersohaum
takes with use gives the pipe It's value
in the eyes of All amateur, and the Par
isian aud Nlonnese pipes, though SO OIL
egantly carved aud mounted, do not
tlke tie same rich golden brown hue
as those manufactured here. At least
this is the opinion Of German smokers,
| know little about the subject myself,
bat it is coirmed by friend who does,
The real prosperity Of the business
dates from the discovery, about hun
drod years ago, Of the art Of making
false meerschaum out OF the dust aud
chips lelt after carving aud boring the
real article into pIpo-bowls. This pro-
cess was kept secret for a long time,
and the skill attained IN making pipes
from the artificial paste became SO great
that few persons were able 60 dlstin-
guish them from the genuine. The po-
rous character of the native meer-
achaum is partly lost in the grinding
and baking process, and the color Of the
false pipes never has the semi-transpa-
rent, mottled character OF the true ar
tcle. II is generally n dull brown,
nearly Opaque In Zeiglers establish
ment they assured me that IL is often
only possible to distinguish between the
two by certain difference to the touch,
which none but experienced work
man could detect. Meerschaum is
found ON the shores OF the Baltic and
Black seas, but the most OF that used
in Ruhla comes from deposlte near
Eski-Shehr, IN the interior OF Asia Ali-
nor The German smokers seem to
have been guided by instinct TO the
material, lohg before chemistry was di-
rectej to the lnterests OF common life.
Recent analyses show that this sub
stance, more than any other, absorbs
the essential oil OF tobacco and thus pu
rifles the smoke. This fact, with the
other equally established one, that the
harmful qualities of tobacco decrease IN
proportion as it's flavor improves, must
be gratifying to every refined smoker
A genuine meerschaum pipe, well coli
oYed, and filed with the finest llataka
or Lynchburg, will furnish smoke in
which scarcely trace ofnarcotlc can be
detected, while coarse common cigar,
between the lips, is never free from 1t.
whatever may be the theories Of physl-
ologists, the tobacco question is one
WEIGH each individual must settle for
himself according to his private physi-
cal laws 1t may act either as an ex-
citant or a sedatiye iii the former case
it is certainly injurious.
In the manufacture of pipes a num-
Der of other materials must be used.
The next in importance is amber, for
the mouth pieces. The Turks first
adopted this article, in the belief that
no infectious disease could be commu-
mcated through it the Germans now
prefer it for its rich color, ann It's soft,
waxy feeling III the mouth. Its value
differs greatly according to its tint and
opacity, and herein novice would be
easily deceived. The bright yellow,
transparent amber is least valuable,
however it may catch the eye Dark,
evenly Opaque yellow has much high
er yalue, and the best Of all is the
opaque lemmon-colored. Then, for
the plpe-stems, particular kind OF
wild-cherry is preferred, aud the
amount Of business done in supplying
half inch sticks Of the tree is astonish-
ing jasmine stems are conridered
best Of all but they are rare and expen-
sive. a great quantity Of horn is also
consumed in making mouth-pieces for
the cheaper pipes. Moreover, the
bowls, especially Of false meerschaum
are boiled in wax or tallow.
Figures viii give the best idea of the
extent of the manufacture. Ruhla CON
tains about 1000 inhabitants, more
than half OF whom are concerned in
some way, in this branch Of industry.
The average annual product was thus
given me by Ieigler -
Mountings in brass, German silver
and pure silver, for pipe
bowls, 27000, 900
Cases, chains, etc, for
pipes, 100000
Pipe-stems, 100000
Pipes Of all kinds, com
pletely finished, 100000
Mouth-pieces and cigar
holders, 100000
Mounted porcelain pipe
bowls, 100000
False meerschaum pipe
bowls, 100000
Pips-bowls Of woods, 100000
Pipo-bowls Of cIuy and
lava, 2 100000
Genuine mecrchaum pipe
bowls, $4,000
You will see, from these figures, that
only one meerschaum in ten Is genuine
Nine smokers ont Of ten therefore, viii
strain their cheeks aud troubn theiT
souls in desperate efforts to obtain a
sf.w i, Etat, ataa 4 tl,...t s.sy. ,,.,.e.,. ,y.t