The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-08-07
BILLIARD BALLS.
Only the Tusk Of the Wild Ele-
phant Used.

Said q manufacturer OF ivory billiard
balls. "Only the tusk of the wild ele-
plant furnishes ivory hard enough to
make into billiard balls. The fierce tenn.
per OF the Wild beas> hardens and solidi6es
the ,usk, while that Of the domesticated
elephat 10 of no use for this purpose.
Henry Adolph Meyer, Of Hamburg, Ger
many, IL 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 ret the standard for
prices over the whole world"
"How IL the ivory pssparedf"
.For making into billiard balls, those
parts Of the tusks which are Of sufficient
diameter aud 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 il was found
that these blocks are first put into lathe
and IN ivory hafness-ring turned from the
outer edges before work 10 begun on the
ball proper. After these rings Are taken
of along With the bark" Of the tusk IN
eigth Of IN inch thick, the ball cut Ia the
rough Il laid away to season for not lee
than six months, - il 10 liable to crack
and shrink II used without seasoning. To
finish the ball from the rough block Of
hard wood With . socket capable of holding
one-shird Of the ball Il we'll chslkel and
the ball inserted. The rotating motion
causes the ball to adhere firmly to the
wooden socket and with Q steady hand, Q
correct eye and sharp chisel the inselli-
gent mechanic cuts the globe With perfect
symmetry. With sharp pencil be first
outlines . center, then quartering this il cut
with sharp chisel delicate groove to
the exact depth of the diameter OF the de-
signed ball, and with practiced precision
the ball Is cut down 10 correspond with the
depth of this groove: To detect any errors
in the symmetry of the ball sheet of thin
brass has perfectly round hole one-third
the diameter Of the ball cut in it. The hall
is placed in this hole and held to the light
in such manner that the light will show
through wherever the brass fails
to touch the ivory After the
chisel the finest sand paper is used then
pumice stone and water, and the ball is
knally polished with whiting and alcohol.
To make the little black spot on the white
ball, email hole il drilled and . piece OF
ebony wood forced into it. To color the
balls, they are 6st placed in bath of mu-
ristic acid and then in q coloring matter
while boiling hot. The compounds of col
oring matter are trade secrets.
"What should Be the treatment Of bill.
lizard balls ?" asked the reporter.
"They should never Be bought in the
winter" was the answer, "fos ivory, even
after il 10 we'll seasoned, 10 susceptible to
the influence of the weather, expanding
and contracting with each change Of TEN.
perature, and Il these changes are at ill
violent they are sure TO crack the balls.
They should always b kept in . place oil
even temperature. such - Q room Away
comfortable to live in. When they b.
come cracked they should Be we'll rubbed
with sweet oil"
"Whst are the sises and prices"
1--WE make them from 2 SIG to q inches
in diameter. The American standard
among the professionals il q inches. South
America and Cuba require larger ball.
They cost from so 70 so . set depending
upon size"
| .How are the diasrsnt colon put on pool
balls :"
I'VE have tight-fttins brass cups TO pu,
them in, with openings like stencil plates
and the exposed part Of the ball ID touched
with acid and subjected to . bath Of color
ing matter"
The manufacturer had nothing to say in
favor of competition balls They are lsst
elastic and durable than ivory, besides he
ing highly dangerous, - they are compOsel
of g'in-cotton and camphor. This renders
them liable to explode or burn if brought
in contact with . lighted taper. A piece
/ of composition harness ring Was iRnited
and emitted . strong smell Of camphor and
it burned a freely a. fat pine.
In the manufacturers show window oil
the house stand pair Of immense elephant
tusks, the largest in America. They arr
seven feet six inches from tip to base and
weigh III and 123 pounds respectively
and are worth $500. They were taken from
tame elephant from India That had been
made to assist in loading and unloading
vessels, and great grooves were worn in the
sides OF the tusks where the rope had been
allowed to slip in lowering heavy pack
ages.