The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-10-14

| pug. n W!uc uil'S' e'e1o1 'P'"
ion exists among amateurs and
experts in the art as to which
is the best. By the first method
meerschaum button, made TO fit
the lower part Of the cavity OF the
pipe, with four or five small holes
bored perpendicularly through it,
is placed in the bottom and upon
it the tobacco. The smoke, pass
ing through the button, soon sat
urates it with the essential oik or
nicotine, and thence it is absorbed
into the body Of the pipe, which
soon acquires that dark, cherry
brown color so much admired by
counoisseurs. The plug" method
is very much on the same princi
pie. A wad of moist tobacco is
placed in the bottom of the pipe,
and the tobacco to be smoked is
put in loosely on the top. The
"plug" must not be taken out un-
til the pipe is fairly colored. 1t
acts as the button does in absorb
! ing the nicotine and transmitting
it to the pipe. He decides that
he will try the "plug" process,
and with great care moistens q
sufficient quantity of tobacco, and
after fixing it in its place proceeds
to fill up his pipe very carefully.
lie then gets match, and taking
great pains not to allow the fame
10 touch the white edges Of the
virgin meerschaum, begins to
smoke. He knows what he is
about, evidently, for he smokes
his pipe tendcrly and consideratc-
! ly. He takes care not to heat it,
for he knows that if he does it will
never color properly. When the
tobacco has burned down to the
"plug" he gently scrapes out the
ashes, and, giving it a parting
glance Of affection, puts it back in
its case in order to let it cool off.
Half an hour later be smokes it
again, and when bedtime comes he
takes it up stairs with him and
puts it on his dressing table with
his watch, so that he can save it
| in case of fire. And so he continues
smoking it little while each even
| ing, and at last is rewarded by see
iug delicate straw color make It's
appearance on the bowl on a line
with the "plug." Then he feels
happy. He polishes his pipe with
his handkerchief and shows it to
his wife, and she expresses a due
amount of admiration. And so
he goes on until it is of a beautiful
cherry-brown from the top of the
stem to the middle Of the bowl,
and he has something to be proud
of, and which docs him credit as a
smoker and the man be bought II
Of as a manufacturer. But there
are few alas, who know how to
color a meerschaum. The aver
age citizen takes his pipe home,
fills it with tobacco, and smokes
like a house a6re all the evening ;
overheats it, or burns it, as it is
technically called, and it never
colors properly. He then obju,
rates the manufacturer for selling
him IN imitation meerschaum or
wonders why it is that his pipe
will not color, for he knows that
1t is genuine and cost him $40 and
was made to order. OF q good
meerschaum, it may be truly said
that it is q JOY forever, for it will
last = man lifetime, and changes
from color to color like q chame-
leon. When it grows old in the
service a man feels an affection for
his pipe. He has a new mouth
piece fitted to it, and silver rim
put around tho top Of the BOWL
He likes to talk about it. and eX-
patiates on its merits. He shows
where it got bruised the time he
let it fall from the second story
window, when the only wonder
was how in the world it was not
broken into a thousand pieces
! He tells about when and where
he bought it, and is as much pleased
with admiration and praise as if it
were one ofhis children that was be,
iug talked about. Some people are
to coin word, pipomaniacs. They
abound in France and Germany
and in many other parts of Europe
and some are to be found in the
United States. One gentleman
a Captain Bragg, who formerly
resided in New York, and who now
lives in Birmingham, England
had, when here, q collection ofsome
400 meerschaums, all beautifully
colored. This is rather an expen
sive taste, however, for besides
the first cost of the pipes, Captain
Bragg has to keep two men con
tinually employed, whose sole duty
is to smoke and keep the 400 pipes
in order. Mr.. Northrop, of this