The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1888-09-14
Clay Tobacco Pipes.

There are few industries the processe s
of which are more interesting. asserts
the New York Sun. than that Of the
manufacture of clay tobacco pipes. The
reporter recently wandered-more by
chance than interest-into a factory
where many bushels of the popular clay
pipe are daily made and shipped to all
parts Of the country. Over 5000 gross,
or nearly a million cheap clay pipes, are
annually sent out from this factory alone.
sand the proprietor of the establish
ment visited when asked by the writer
for some information concerning the
manner in which the pipes were made
1--WE manufacture more than dozen diff
ferent varieties and designs of clay
pipes
THE clay used in making the pipes, ~
went on the manufacturer, sis obtained
chiefly from pits located in New Jersey,
although there is a large bed of clay
being worked at Glen Cove, Long Island.
The clay costs 80 ton at the mines,
hut, with freight charges, etc, it
amounts to s. ton before it is landed
at the factory. Ae soon as it arrives the
clay is spread out and seasoned By being
exposed to the heat Of the sun, which
generally occupies several days. 1t IS
then mixed with water and passed
through a mill. which brushes it and re-
moves the stones and grit which cling
to the crude clay. 1t is then kneaded
with the hands in the same manner
in which bread Is kneaded and freed
from all foreign substances.
after the clay has been brought TO
the proper consistency ii is carried to a
workman called 4 roller, who sits be
fore a bench, on the top Of which lies a
smooth. square board. In making pipe
the roller takes in each hand a small
lump of the fresh clay and deity rolls it
out to the desired length and thi kness,
leaving a knob-like lump at the end of
each piece, which later is formed into
the bowl of the pipe
AT this stage of its manufacture the
half-made pipe is laid upon a measure,
which marks the regulation length OF
the stem, If the latter has been made
too long it is then clipped off. When a
dozen pipes have been thus formed, they
are passed to another workman, who
sits at a complicated machine, in which
the pipes are further manipulated. The
man at .fhe muchine first oils the cla.,
after which he places the rudely shaped
pipes in mold and inserts an oiled
and polished wire through the stems,
making the aperture through which the
smoke is drawn in using. The mold is
then placedl in the machine and the
superfiuous clay is forced out.
"Ths pipes have now taken on heir
final shape and are laid in the sun .. Try,
after which they are polished and 10 il
large earthen receptacle called 'sas
ger, which is covered and arranged with
a dozen other saggers in the kiln. The
door of the kiln is then securely fastened
and the fire, which Is fed with char coal
and coke, is started and kept at a white
heat for fifteen or twenty hours. The
fire is then allowed to die out slowly,
and when quite extinguished the doors
are opened, the saggers allowed to cool
and their contents examined The pipes,
which before were of a dull blue color
and very limp and soft, have become
perfectly white and hard The finished
pipes that hive been examined and
found perfect are carefully packed in
barrels and boxes, and arc then ready
for shipment