Connecticut western news., 1888-10-10
THE CLAY PIPE.
Moulding an Humble Adjunct of
 the Smokers Outfit.
Three Kinds of Clay Enter Into
 Its Composition.


 Wood bridge and Amboy, N. J. Thsre there aro immense beds and mines, somo open and others reached only by deep shafts, where clay is mined il the sam, manner as coal. Tlreo kinds of clay arc mixed together to give the re- quired rropcrtioe. One kind when maacd is nearly as black as coal. This h"s very tiae grin and givos the pipe the smooth finish. Another kind has an altogether different appeara, co in tho rough state. It i' quite white and resembles piece of cheese. This kind furnishes tho tcnacity. Without this second kind the other two would not bc ablc to hold together, but would crumb'e as th,y dried. The third kiud is brown when damp, and stands the burning process we'll.
 These threc kinds of clay, without any one of which tho composition would be incomplete, are tho only ingredients Of clay pipe. Clay is brought to this city, says the Syracu'e H,rald, by tho canal boat and stored away in the eel lar: Ia preparing the clay for the work shop it is first put into huge vat to soak. About equal parts of the three kinds are used. This is allowed to stand from twelve to twenty hours, ac- cordiug to tho length of time the clay has been exposed to tho air and hardened. When it has been soaked enough it is shovclcd into huge pug mill. The pugmil looks like an old fashioned churn. A horse is hitched to tho end of bar, while the other end is set into pivot in the centre of a hugo upright cylinder. To tho pivot, which revolvcs as the horsc is driven around in circle, is attached twelve heavy knives about threc inches broad. These knives are slightly turned up and, as they pass around throu h the mass, mix the diff rent kinds of clay and force it down and out four Ly six inch hole at the bottom. The clay ooz- ing from tho bottom is cut into huge bricks called ''babbitts," and stored away until wanted. ....
 Great care must be taken not to let these babbitts dry too much, or they will have to be soaked and ground over again. Tie babbitts or bricks of the prepared clay, which look liko black loaves of bread, are taken to the mould ing room and there soaked again to bring it back to the proper moulding temper. Then comes tho part of tho labor that would delight child. A workman takes knife and cuts the babbitts into l i,c ccs about an inch square and six or eight inches long. These he works and rolls them on a board with hi, hands, aad ending up with dcxterous clip turns out a roll of soft, pliablc clay with knob at one end like pipe bowl. These rolls arc laid out on rack and partly dried again. They are again soaked and passed to tho moulding machines. The moulder holds medium sized piece of wire in his right hand, aud sticking the point into tho small end of the roll, with his left ho works the clay on the wire. after the manner of drawing on a glove. The roll with the wire still sticking out the smaller end is put into an iron mould of the required shape and the two sides of the mould snapped together.
 The mould is then put into the ma. chino with the top of tho knob, which vii soon bo the bowl, up. A lever is pulled down. and the smooth, round end of an iron rod forced into the mass, forming tho bowl. As tho lever is lei go of, it flies up of its own weight and spring knife passes across the large end of the mould, cutting eff the waste clay that remains on tho top of the bowl. Tho mould is opened immedi. ately, the wire drawn out and tho pipe placed on rack to dry. These hal
 finished pipes are allowed to stand just long enough to dry tho oil with whicf the moull is fabricated, and arc thcr passed to girl who trims off the seams whero the two halves of the mould come together. The soft, damp pipe: arc then allowed to dry thoroughly.
 The burning kiln IS abou. 8 feet ir diameter and 10 feet high and built o
 fire brick. The pipes arc carefully packed in h,avy carthen sagcrs sbou 10 inches in diameter and 10 or <: inches deep. and thes, sagers are pilce up ia tiers with hot :ir fucs between each tier. About 325 gross of pipe are burned at time The burning proces, requires whito heat and j must be maintained from 10 to IA hours Alb put 36 hours are required to cool tn furnace. A ter the pipe has bccom thorou 3hly cool, the small end i dipped into solution. the composition of which is a secret, 10 glaz, the mouth piece, otherwise, until the pipo had bccI used some time, tho lips would stick t' it unplcaSaatly. The pipes arc packc' in one, two and three gro box,s witt shavings to prevent brcakage, am shipped to tho wholesaler. There ar about 150 different styles of pip and
 as rule 10 diff.rcnt kinds arc packed in box.
 Three of the admirers of brett,
 Burlington girl called on her the sam