The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-11-11
MEEESCHAUM AND AMBER.
Facts About Both Articles that Most
Smokers DO Not Know.
New York Sun.1

into this country has steadily increased. |.
In former years pipes and smokers arti-
cles comprised the sole entries of meer-
schaum and amber at the New York
Custom House. The Government
levies duty Of $I.5o per gross and 20
per cent. ad valorem on the manufac.
tured article, while the raw material
is admitted free. Vienna is the head
quarters Of the meerschautn industry.
Five years ago Chambers street firm
brought over, as an experiment, Aus
trian artisans to fashion the crude
meerschaum blocks into pipes. The
experiment proved Il success, and now
there are five or six New York facto-
ries, employing about 200 workmen
that turn out first-class meerschaum
work.
The crude meerschaum comes from
Kiltschik and E5k-Schehr in Anato.
bia, in Asia Minor, where it is found
loose or embodied in chalky, serpeu-
tine rocks. In size it varies from the
dimensions of walnut to that of a
mans head. When it is first
mined it is soft, but it becomes
hard when exposed to the air.
In its virgin state it cracks very easi-
ly. The business of mining and
marketing meerschaum is entirely un-
y
are shrewd traders, and can discount Il
vender of wooden hams and nutmegs
at his own trade. For self-protection
buyers have insisted on the putting of
the raw product into marketable shape,
SO that some idea of the value of the
goods can be ascertained on sight. The
crude blocks Of meerschauIn are, there
fore, slightly waXed and polished so
that the grain can be readily seen.
The market is at Vienna, where the
Armenian producers have established
agencies, and where the whole world
goes to buy. In marketable shape,
meerschaum is assorted in four sizes.
The largest size has about thirty-five
pieces to the case, the second averages
seventy-five pieces, the third about
175 pieces, and the fourth from 800 to
500 pieces. Each size again is graded
notion is that meerschaum is sold by
weight. If such were the case the
:light" pounds would be in great de-
mand. Connoisseurs prefer a block
neither too light nor too heavy. If too
light, the meel lSchaum is porous and
will absorb too much nicotine. If too
heavy, it vii! not color we'll. Aineri-
can workmen have not yet been found
to successfully manipulate the raw ma
terial. AL! the workmen employed in
the industry have been brought over
from Austria. They earn big wages
and are secretiVe with their handi-
craft.
TIE process of nanufact lring meer-
scham pipes requires both Skill and
practice. The blocks are first roughly
cut into the shape of a pipe. They
are then dipped into water, and while
tot a lot
is the only guide to produce evenness
and symmetry. After the lather has
completed his work the pipes are rubb-
ed smooth,a a reed found in the mar
shes of Hoboken, with fine veivety
SUI face, being used as a file. When all
the scratches are removed and a per-
fdctly smooth surface is presented, the
article is dipped into hot wax, left a
few minutes there, and then polished
with rag. Right here is point for
smokers. When purchasing meer
schaum article always select one hav-
ing yellow tinge. "A yellow shade
shows that the meerschaum is suffi-
GENTLY porous to absorb wax, and
therefore it will readily color from mic
otine. 4 white meerschaum pipe or
cigar holder shows density sufficient to
resist absorption. The best article is
not 100 Scllo", Dut " "istt may NC 'Si III
ed just yellow enough.
If the Government imposed duty
on amber in its crude state, the Custom
House receipts would De considerably
increased. The authoritiC1, however,
class amber as a chemical and admit it
free of duty under the heading of gum.
For the fiscal year ended June 80, last,
Sl2, 400 worth of amber was brought
into the port of New York. The best
authoritic8 in the t,adc gree in assert
ing that amber is fossiIized rosin. In
course of time, it is said, with our inn
mensc pine forests, it is possible that
amber will be found in this country.
At present the deposit of amber is al
most wholly confined to the shores of
the Baltic Sea. Some is washed up by
the sea free of crust, but the ma ajority
is mined from the cliffs adjacent to
Dantzic. Amber is sold by weight.
The smallest size number about $50
pieces to the pound,and costs $3.50.
Where there are two to four pieces to
the pound it costs $50 to S35. Amber
of greCnish hue is the most valuable,
and q black gem, supposed to be am
Der, comes next in value. The pOpu-
lar supposition that cloudy amber is OF
more value than clear is not supported
by fact. Cloudy amber is stronger
and it obscurcs nicotine stains, and is,