Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-25

| paperS-A GOOD many fln.sh;nS Ioucae:
Needed-The Cost.
a paragraph has been going the rounds
of the English press, purporting to be d
| veraciOuS statement of the remarkable
feat of ''young English potter astonish-
ing the United States by an exhibition of
his proves" in making an entire set Of
forty-four pieces in the short time of eight
minutes. The establishment does not seem
to have spread TO any perceptible extent
among American pCtiers. Indeed, they
I do not appear 70 be aware Of any, for the
excellent reason that the alleged feat IS
simply an impossibility. No matter how
young that potter may be, he might be
even younger, and, although English, still
he couldn't do it.
Mr.. Theodore Haviland, whose author
ity as an expert nobody will question,
upon reading the paragraph said: at is
impossible. What the man made was
simply the camise, or shirt, of the several
articles il the tea set. That is nothing
more than a sheet of the dough like clay,
more or less accurate in thickness and
form, that must be put on a mold, and
when IL dries TO a certain point must have
attached to it the other parts required to
complete the article for which it is in
tended. That forty-fOur thin pieces OF
clay may be spun upon a wheel in eight
minutes, or even less is not at all sllrpris-
ing, but when that is done see how far
they are from being finished
TO BE DONE AFTERWARD.
''Iurn up your plate or cup or saucer,
and you will see that it has a foot as it
Is technically termed, which is q crciet of
clay attached to the c8mise when it is
sufficiently dry and is nodded In like
manner, notice that other articles. the
teapot and sugar bowl, have collars at
Their tops, which are also put on in the
same way. Then the lids have knobs and
what is termed the 'bridle'-the part that
sets down in the collar-added to them.
Then the teapot at least must have a
spout, and both it and the cream Jug at
least handles. And all those things have
to be nodded and stuck on the camise 1t
Is prepOsterouS TO suppose even that a
man could do ell this in the time speci-
lied. Hven if he possessed the manual
deXterlty to work with lightning like
rapidity, the clay would not dry suffi-
GENTLY in so few minutes to enable him to
complete the pieces
Similar expressions of disbelief were
uttered by two other experts. They both
sald that while it is true that great ma
Jorlty OF the pottery workers in the United
States are English. the employers are
Americans and have introduced in their
establishments such expediting and labor
saving processes as are ahead of every
thing OF the kind in England. A factory
IN Trenton was spoken of as one of the
most progressive. 1t is often visited by
English pottery manufacturers when they
come TO this country, and they seldom fail
10 lind new points for their own advantage
at home. AT the same time not even
American ingenuity has ever yet found a
way TO turn out a complete set of forty
four pieces in eight minutes. and the
Young tnglshman who could do it would
Indeed astonish them very much and open
up such prospect Of reduction in cost Of
production as would make even protec- (
tive tariff seem of minor Importance.
The QUESTION OF COST.
Touching upon that question of cost,
Mr. Hayiland said: There is very little
difference in the cost of production OF the
actual white material, whether II is for /
the very finest class of goods that are sub .
sequently TO receive the highest artistic
.~NoN'>N4NAA' va AN4 lAlc NcIEUlOn ARTICLES
that pass without decoration TO the con-
hands. That is, of course. with
the understanding that a wide difference
exists between the cost Of the white ma
terlaI OF porcelain, which is composed Of
Saohn and that of china that is made
from clay. The cost of Workmanship on
the white material is about the same. and
there is little difference in the time re-
CURED for production, as the processes
IRE, to great extent, identical, though il
s worthy OF remark that we do do not
IND, as rule, that the workman who is
skilled IN handling one substance. the
LAY, FOR instance, can with equal ability
work the other There is a difference ~
he manipulation that is difficult 10 de-
inc
No man. as the making Of pottery Il
low carried on, makes all OF an article.
Jne makes the csn,ise by rolling it out, as
COOK would his pie crust, OF By spinning
[ on wheel, according 10 the use for
winch II IS intended. Another fits the
lay 10 the mold and trims it. Others
attach to II the several parts required for
Is completion. others decorate it, and so
passes from hand 20 hand until it
caches the kiln. Ii is in the decoration
hat the great cost is added. Awhile Dor
elaln set OF forty-four pieces. that ma,
lot be worth more than from SO to SIS.
an hs decorated an that ssch .,>o> msv