The Red Cloud chief., 1888-10-12
ABOUT INDIA INK.
me Secret ~ 1ts Manufacture EspisSa,
by New York S~sati0ner,

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ABOUT INDIA INK.
me Secret ~ tie Manufacture Esp,ssasd
by . New York ststloner.
''India ink hasn't any moro conncc
tion with Indin than n COOL deal Of the
dairy butter on the market has with
u dniry." said n manufacturing sta.
tioncr. 'Somcbody who didn't know
what he WA, doing named tho useful
articles India ink. but ne n matter Of fac,
II ought To be called Chinese Ink. To
bo sure. before Steamship, md sailing
vessels began TO ply between China
and this country IL used ~ bo shipped
through India, bu, the Indians had
nothing % do with It, manufacture.
Thousands Of years ago tho Chinese
were expert In tho manufacture VI
many articles of which Europeans
knew nothing. Ink was ono Of these
articles. and va, hrs, mads 81 lac.
which Is a rcsinous substances deposited
by n small inscc. and largely used In
tho manufacture ~ shcllac. Ai,orward
u peculiar bl,Gk stone WAS found which
could be- dissolved In water. and latci
on lac ana fir wood were burned aud
the resulting smoke gathered on somo
hard substance, scrapcd Off and rollvl
Into balls. Its m III the Traditions y!
the Chinese TIT ono Ticn Tclien In.
vented tho process " making India Ink
some thousands of years before the
Christian era. However that may b.,
n Mougolian named i.itchao aud his son
Lifting koIoi went into The ink-mntiny
business and turnod out about ~ good
ink ~ has over been made.
Their successors wol" moi ~ -lcrcss.
ful, md for a timc tho business rather
languishc.. Tho process. now employed
by the Chinamcn In the manufacture o'
their lndia lux i, not radically differ
cnt from that la use In ancient days.
III" old principle that burning resin.
Ous material viii throw 81 thick SMOKE
In large quantities Is employed. only
tho smoke thus obtained Il u little
more scientifically handled. In tho
middle ~ u big porcelain dish. about
two feet In diameter and three or four
Inches dcep. they place u stand VI
about ak inches diameter aud tho Same
height a. the dish. Several small
lamps rest upon tho stand. and By
means of arms fastened tn tho stdos ~
the dish. ANAL cOnical dishes nre hold
just Ovor tho lamps. Tho dish IL filled
with water almost up tn the tops ~ the
lamps wicks. and tho lamps ara lighted.
Tho sinok, rondonscs on tho 0Onical
hung ovcr the la.aps and l. col.
lccted In tho form OF u dense. black
powder. This powder Ia placed In "A
vase. aud u warmed mixture Of nino
parts Of fish gluc aud Que Of animal
glue strained into II through u piece of
silk hold over the mouth Of the vase.
Tho content. OF the vase. then being
thoroughly stirrch. are rolled into
balls. wrapped IN cloth and immersed
IN hot wntcr.
''Knoaiing. another imm"rslon and
boating with n hammer follow. the
paste IL scented and In tho form of
long stick, il placed in various SHAPED
moids. Wrapped in paper tho sticks
nrc placed In u dish nllci with ricc-
straw ashes aud In u day or two nrc
thoroughly dried. Rubbing with clothes
md brushes serves IN clean and polish
them and they ara then ready Tor tho
market. The soft p,s,e II OF course
10 nodded in any shape. but n II rule
Is made into short. slender sticks which
arc generally ornamcntcd with moro or
loss Volapuk Inscriptions or Chinese
designs. The peculiar qualities Of the
ink reader 1t Indispensable to sketch
and drnughtsmcn aud nothing
has been found "a take It's placo."-N.
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