Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-02-09
Malta is the port of shipment to r +

Malta is the port of shipment to En-.
gland of ivory that finds its way to Tri-
poll and other points on the north coast
of Africa To Holland ivory is broug hit
from her possessions on the coast oil
Africa. France receives but little, except
what has been purchased in England,
portions of which are sometimes re-
turned. The Bombay, Siam and Zanzi-
bar ivory is bought for the making Of
piano keys, carvings and other expen-
Sive articles of luxury. All ivory from
the east coast of Africa, except the cape,
comes through Zanzibar, and pays a row
atty to the Sultan. 1t is known to the
trade by a mark. arude figure of an ele-
plant, that is put upon it after the pay
ment of the royalty. It's said that this
mark is sometimes erased from tusks
that are to be sent to the United States
from the sales i'm England. Is it to pre-
vent Identification when this ivory an.
riVes in our country, and thus to evade
the duty chargeable upon goods, the
produce of countries of the Cape of Good
Hope. when imported from places, west
of the Cape of Good Hope?" Mammoth
tusks from Siberia occasionally come to
this market, but as they have been lying
exposed for centuries, probably for many
thousands of years, often buried in ice,
the "nature has gone out of them, and
they are not suitable for the cutters use.
The teeth of the walrus and the hippo.
poLamus are used in considerable guam
tity. Being of suitable size they are
used whole for making expensive. carved
handles. Ivory of the best quality comes
from the west coast of Africa, under the
uames CAMERON, Angola and Gaboon.
This is brought down from the Interior
1t retains larger proportion, of the
''fat," or gelatine, from the fact. proba-
bly,, THAI it is more recently from the
animal. In this state it is called green"
ivory. 1t is more translucent, and not
as whise as the Egyptian and other kinds
called "white' ivory, that have been
lying longer time and in more. sandy
region, exposed to the heat of the sun.
until the animal matter has disappeared
The, excellence of abe ''green" ivory
consists in its greater toughness, and in
its growing whittier by age instead of vel
low, as is the case with the whittier varie
ties Yet buyers Of cutlery, through ig
norance of these Qualities, usually prefer
the whittier kinds, which on that account
ofC kfOfO III uClndllu lOI LlI0 SUClliclO
trade, and are said to have nearly doubled
in price since 1890.
When the ivory comes ina0 the handl
Of the cutler, much skill is required tc
make the most of the precious material
Every scrap is turned to account. AT.
ter cutting out the scales Of all sizes foa
the pocket-knives, and tho solid handles
for table cutlery, the small pieces may
be sold to the button makers, or are
made into pearls" Pearls are small
pieces of ivory, pearl, or horn inserted
into the handles of tea and coffee pots
as non-conductors of heat, so called be-
cause originally made of pearl. The
fine sawdust Is sold for fertilizing pur-
poses, for the making of galatine, and
fine white sizing for the manufacturers
of lace curtains and other fabrics. The
refuse still remaining goes to the makers
of ivOry-black.. The proportion of this
residuum, dust and refuse, is about ten
to fifteen pounds to the hundredweight,
and it sells for eighty to one hundred
dollars per ton. Efforts have been made
to devise some method of solidifyine
ivory dust, and vet without success. Skill
is required in the cutting of ivory, as OF
wood, to bring out the beauty of the
| grain. The saw of the cutter occasion.
ally reveals a rifeball that has been
lodged in the tusk and has been com.
pletely covered by subsequent growth
About one-third of the length of the
tusk, where it enters the head of the
elephant, is hollow. This hollow, when
the tusk is in place upon the live animal
is filled with soft pulp or core, which
| cnnnIsoc hn npvaxxyfh Of fha tt,Sl A
ball lodged in the core will in time be-
come imbedded in solid ivory. This
hollow portion is cut off and sold sepa
rately, except the thinnest porti on, a.
bangle ivory, and is in great demand
for bangles or ornamental rings for the
ankles and arms of Indian and African
women. That portion of the tusk to
ward the point is usually more solid anG
of finer grain. This is cut off and sold
by itself at high prices under the name
of billiard-ball points. Small teeth from
len to fifteen pounds weight are called
in the trade scrivelloes. The points o
these small tusks are used in theil
natural state for making handles to ex
pensive carving sets and other article.
of luxury. The large proportion of very
small tusks brought to market indicate.
how many elephants die in early youth
To show to what size many of thes,
might have attained, the well-knowl
cutters, Joseph Rogers & Son, o.
Sheffield, exhibit at their showroom
an African elephants tusk nine fee
long. twenty-one inches in girth, weigh
ing 160 pounds. This is among tn,
largest tusks on record. Its presen
value is $3.50. An animal large ant
strong enough to carry such pair o
incisors would attract more attention