Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-08-15
Billiard Balls.

hard balls: only the tusk OF the
wild elephant furnishes ivory hard
enough to make into billiard balls.
The fierce temper of the wild beast
hardens and solidifes the tusk, while
that Of the domesticated elephant is
of no use for this purpose. Henry
Adolph Meyer, of Hamburg, Ger
many, is the largest dealer in ivory in
the world. He sends men into Asia,
Africa and India, to buy up supplies,
and there are sales at public auction
every three months in London, which
set the standard for prices all over the
world"
allow is the ivory prepared ?" ask
ed New York Tribune reporter.
"For making into billiard balls,
those parts of the tusks that are of
sufficient diameter and perfectly solid
are sawed into blocks representing the
diameter of the ball, and are shipped
directly to us in that shape"
On visiting the workshop it was
found that these blocks are first put
into lathe and an ivory harness
ring turned from the outer edges be-
fore work is begun ON the ball proper.
After these rings are taken of, along
with the clark" of the tusk an eighth
of an inch thick, the ball cut in the
rough is laid away to season for not
less than six months, as it is liable to
crack and shrink if used without sea-
soning. To finish the ball from the
rough, a block of hard wood with a
socket capable of holding one-third of
the ball is well chalked and the ball
inserted. The rotating motion causes
the ball to adhere firmly to the wood
en- socket, and with steady hand, a
correct eye, and sharp chisel, the in
telligent mechanic cuts the globe with
perfect symmetry. With sharp pen
Gil he firsts outlines a center, then
quartering this is cut with SHARP
chisel delicate groove to the exact
depth of the diameter of the design
ed ball, and with practised precision
the ball is cut down to correspond
with the depth of this grove. To de.
tect any errors in the symmetry o.
the ball, a sheet of thin brass has 9
perfectly round hole one-third the di
ameter of the bull cut in it. Tn,
ball is placed in this hole, and held t.
the light in such a manner that thu
light will show through wherever thu
brass fails to touch the ivory. Afte
the chisel the finest sand paper i
used; then pumice stone and water
and the ball is finally polished will
whiting and alcohol. To make thu
little black spot on the white ball
a small hole is drilled, and
piece of ebony wood forced into il
TO color the balls they are first places
in a bath of muriatic acid, and thel
in the coloring matter while boiling
hot. The compounds of coloring mat
ter are trade secrets.
"What should be the treatment o
billiard balls?" asked the reporter.
"They should never be bought il
the winter" was the answer, $50
ivory, even after it is well seasoned
is susceptible to the influence of tn
weather, expanding and contractin,
with each change of temperature, ant
if these changes are at all violen
they are sure to crack the balls. The
should always be kept in place o
even temperature, such as room al
ways comfortable to live in. Whel
they become cracked they should b
well rubbed with sweet oil"
"What are the sizes and prices p
1--WE make them from 2 5-16 inche
to "a inches in diameter. The Amer
lean standard among the professional
is 81 inches. South America ant
Cuba require larger ball. The.
cost from 500 and $50 a set, depend
ing upon size."
"How are the different colors pu
OH pool balls?"
ave have tight-ftting brass cup
to put them in, with openings lik
stencil plates, and the exposed par
of the ball is touched with acid ant
subjected to bath of coloring mat
ter"
The manufactures had nothing t.
say in favor of composition balls
They are less elastic and durable thar
ivory, besides being highly dangerous
as they are composed of gun-cottol
and camphor. This renders then
very liable to explode or burn j
brought in contract with lighted Ia
per. A piece of composition harness
ring was ignited and emitted a strong
smell of camphor, and it burned a
freely as fat pine.
In the manufacturers show window
of the house stand pair Of immense
elephant tusks, the largest in America
They are feet 6 inches from tip t.
base and weigh III and 123 pounds