Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-12-27
HOW 10 COLOR A PIPE.
A TobaccunIst Gives "A Reporter some
Points ON Browning "A MecrSchaum

a 1obNccnlist blNes "A IStphfltf some
Points ON Browning a Meerschaum.
Now, have about as good a nicer.
schaum pipe as one wants 10 f,g, sad
the writer 10 a tohaccuuiSt and pipe
maker. a foreigner, WHO lcaua|;, his
trade i'm Vienna. by the way. and !
want Ia know how | shall start in 10
color it,
1T is well you ask me If you don't
know was the reply. 'foYif you at.
tach anything more than a sentiment
al value 10 The pipe YOU can just about
double its value Gy careful coloring.
"McegScAaum pipes need about as
much g.rc&s a baby. First of all you
must ryl q false bowl, that is a bowl
of bricr wood or mcerSchaum which
YOU must iii into the top Of your pipe.
Don't use the lower bowl for smoking
at all. but the false one, or you may
burn your pipe aud almost spoil il.
Then, too, you must keep your pipe
case well brushed out. Ii pieces of
tobacco are allowed Ia get in il they
harden and scratch the pipe all up.
And you must keep the pipe wiped,
TOO, for the same reason. and also 5 o
that it won't have a dirty look. Your
false bowl must be wet just Il little on
the inside before you use ii, and be
smoked very carefully until il gets a
crust, or you will have TO throw il
away and get another.
Plug cut tobacco is the best 10 use,
as il is not rs hot as most i.ne cuts and
is not as likely to burn the bowl"
Isn't q meerschaum pipe ruined
after il has been burned onccl' asked
the writer.
NO. That is a mistaken idea. If
you burn your pipe SO that you find it
won't color any more, bring il i'll TO
us and we will boil it in wax. and
then you can try your luck again. All
meerschslms are boiled in wax; and
when a pipe is overheated hat waxy
polish on its surface disappears, and II
looks dull and chalky. In making a
carved pipe they cut out the design in
the rough and boil the pipe in wax.
Then they finish the carving and boil
it in "a again, and the pipe is ready
for market.
Nov, here is a pipe in the shape Of
"A woman's head, with "A wreath of
flowers across the forehead. The
wreath, you see, is white and chalky,
and tl,e rest has the familiar wax fin
ish. That is because the wreath was
carved after the pipe had been boiled
in wax tine second time; in carving
the wreath the workman cut below the
wax finish. When the pipe Is colored
the wreath will remain white as you
see il now, and the effect will be very
fine
Where are the most meerschaums
madei'
IN Vienna. Pipe making is a trade
there and there are very few first class
pipe makers outside Vienna and Pcsth.
American work is often pretty, but it
lacks the finish of the European.
Foreign pipes ere lighter aud more
graceful than the American.
In 4. first class pipe half Of the
value ought 10 be in tie amber; but
both mcerschaum and ambcrurc of all
qualities. For instance, one bundle of
meerschaum may be worth $50. while
another exactly the same size may be
worth $500. The lighter the better is
the general rule"
Where do you get most Of your
mecrschaum."
I'VE ret most of ours from Asia
Minor, where it is mined, tie town Of
Fouish furnishing the principal sup
plies. Tie Austrian merchant, buy il
al Smyrna. M~crrSchauu is also found
less abuUdantly IN Greece and SOME Of
the GItciau islands: in Muravia and in
Morocco, where il is used when fresh
as a substitute for soap. \ variety
used as "a building stone is found in
South Carolina. IL name, mccr-
schaum, is the German for sea foam,
and is given it only because Of its APP
pCaranCe.
An imitation mcerschaum used for
making pipes is made OF hardened
plaster Of Paris, treated with paraiiin
and colorcd by gamboge and dragons
blood. The French also use as a sub
stitute for -meerschaum a preparation
made Chiefly Of potato. The artificial
mcerschaums cannot easily be distin-
guishCd from the real, but they are
usually heavier and freer from blcm-
ishcs, caused by the presence of foreign
minerals in many genuine nicer.
schaums.
by the way, that new pipe of yours
is now worth from $l2 TO SIS. Color
it up well and in two months you can
sell il for SIS. Yes, this false bowl
will cost you twenty-five cents. Dos
60, I1.In