, 1885-09-03
nAkna elags u mssascaAyA.
A Description Of the rrooss, OF Wording
la tho Famous Turkish Clay.

A Description Of the Process, Of Wording
in tho ramoa. TarRI.l clay.
thicago Sews
\ young Frcnchman presides over tho
mccrsohaum- pipe mandatory on CLARK
street. In tho place are several mass
i've lathcs fastened to the floor; hang
ing within reach are several hundred
files, drills. aud chisels OF all sizes. The
outfit for each workman, not including
the lathe, is worth about $500. How
long have you been in this business
the proprietor was asked.
II was torn to this business, lac re
piled. MY father was born in Met. in
the province of Lorraine, France, which
was also my birthplace. lie had a
mandatory there which he gradually
extended until he employed about forty
men. He anne TO Chicago the latter
part OF 1871. lie was the first man who
started tho manufacture OF m%eerschaum
goods in tho west. lie had q hard strug
gle for a time, but finally succeeded In
establishing a good business. was a
partner for some years; now | am sole
proprietor, my father having retired
about two years ago
What Is meerschaum, and what Is
the process of manufacturing n pips or
a cigarholderf
The proprietor exhibited several cases
Of meersshaum in the rough, Just as il
Is imported. The meerschaum re-
sembled limestone in color, but the
pieces we're OF the most peculiar shapes
imaginable. Each piece was a strange
combination Of circular lines. In all
those examined o n single angle or
point could be seen.
"Meerschaum," said tho proprietor,
n ho took up a piece, lisa fine clayey
substance found mainly in the blue-rock
district in Turkey. Ii is a popular error
that it Is the foam of tho sea, which.
] suppose, originated from its pc
culiar, wavy appearance. To make
a pipe n piece is chosen that In some de
gree approximates the shape required.
This would seem Il very simple thing,
but some workmen make 20 per cent.
more waste than others. The piece is
soaked in water for some timo. This
softens 1t and it can then be cut with "a
sharp knife. a rough outline of the
required shape is then penoiled on the
block, and is roughly shaped with tho
knife. Then n small holo Is drilled,
reaching the part where the bowl lie.
gins. IL is filed down with files until il
is almost OF tho required shape. One
Of these reeds-which are finer 'han
any file we can procure-doos all the
rest except the finishing.
The finishing is done with pumice
stone and Vienna lime on q revolving
wheel This gives the fine polish 50
well known and valued in these goods.
The hole is then drilled the full size.
Then comes the boiling In wax. This /
always do II, self, as II is q most
ticklish process. There IS no uniform
time, but each piece in the caldron re-
quires separate attention IL is a most
unpleasant process, and the smell aris-
ing from the caldron is sickening TO a
degree. After the boiling the meer-
sohaum Is put In the furnace for about
eighteen hours. IL is then polished
again. and is a complete pipe, or tube,
except that the screw and mouthpiece
is to be put 0
what is the reason for boiling in
waxf'
IF the material was not boiled it
would crack as soon as used. Besides
the wax is the medium which combines
tho nicotine OF the tobacco and the
meerschaum and producessthe beautiful
brown colOrlng so much admired. Ny
father some years ago invented n pro-
cess by which fine meerschaum can be
colorcd when new and improved by the
process. | use it a great deal for i'm
proving the appearance of pipes or
tubes that have been carelessly or badly
smoked
'If it is not n trade secret / should
like to know how this is managed
"Wcll, it Is a very tedious process
and takes between four and five days.
Here is an old pipe have Just finished
for n customer. You see the beautiful
color it has now. When il came in you
would not have picked it off a dust
hoap. first put it into the furnace and
gradually sweated out o. it all the nico-
tine. This took about two days, rs il
must not be left in the furnace too long
at one time. When it was perfectly
clean it was boiled in a cauldron of the
finest olive oil. This must also be done
gradually, as 1t would spoil the pipe to
absorb too much at one time. When
su GENTLY saturated with oil it was
gradually dried in the furnace and the
open air, and then finished as you sec
now. In addition to the improved ap-
pearance, this process greatly hardons
the m~eersehaum. / have known pipes
colored by this process to be dropped OIL
the sidewalk without doing them the
slightest in ury, though | would hardly
recommend the experiment.