Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-04-26
MEERscHAuM AND AMHea-
'"me facts Relating to Them ana a..
Manufacture Of Pipes.

'eT'~Ntuk 20 Them and et.a
Manufacture of Pipes.
Replying TO some questions BY a "a.
porter, large manufacturer =,
smokers materials said: .JJpon TIE
whole, the demand for meerschan,n
pipes has Increased of late years. VI
emma Is the headquarters OF the r,aor
schaum industry, and until within ten
years but comparatively few mines
were made from that material In tbis
country. There are now a n,mber =,
factories In this city which turn ont
hrst-ciass meerschaum work. Crude
meerschaum comes from various places
In Asia Minor. where it is mined from
serpentine or chalky rock, in which Il
is embedded by nature. When first
dug out it is very soft, but it becomes
hard upon exposure to the air The
Armenians control almost entirelv n.
business of mining and marketing this
species OF clay. The crude blocks Of
meerschaum are slightly waxed and
polished before being put in the market
SO mat some idea Of the value of the
raw product can be ascertained nv
sight The central market for il is
Vienna. When offered for sale meer-
schaum Is assorted in four sizes OF the
largest size there are about thirty-fiye
pieces to the case, of the second seventy
live. OF the third one hundred and
seventy-five and of the fourth three hun
dred tofive hundred pieces. Purchasers
VINO are experts prefer the blocks
which are neither very light nor very
heavy. If too light, the material is
extremely porous. and in a pipe will
absorb too much nicotine. An i'm
portant quality in determining the
value OF meerschaum is freedom from
haws. 1t is comparatively easy to
secure perfect blocks Of small size. but
very difficult to get as perfect large
ones.
"Ihe process OF manufacturing meer-
schaum pipes requires great skill and
all OF the workmen employed in the in
dustry are Austrians. American work.
men have not yet become trained in
the art. The first process in making a
pipe is to cut the clay block roughly
into the shape of the bowl. 1t is then
dipped in water. and, while soft.
turned on lathe. From the lathe the
bowl is rubbed smooth, reed with a
fine velvety surface being used as a
tile. When the surface has become
perfectly smooth. the article is dipped
in hot wax, left there a short time, and
then rubbed smooth again with a
cloth. The rich brown hue so highly
priced by smokers is produced by the
nicotine driving the wax, which it at
the same time colors, to the surface OF
the pipe. In buying meerschaum
bowl, one with yellow tinge should
be selected, as the yellow shade shows
that the meerschaum was porus enough
> to absorb wax. A white meerschaum
pipe indicates too much density for
8 proper coloring.
CLOSELY connected with meerschaum
$ is the amber from which the best
r mouth-pieces are made. At present, sc
far as is known, this wonderful resinous
: deposit is confined to certain parts OF
= the shore of the Baltic Sea. Some OF
J it is found in loose fragments, which
are washed ashore aftera heavy storm,
y but the greater quantity is secured by
n mining in the cliffs. Amber is sold by
e weight, an average price being S4.5t
o per pound. The smaller pieces sell as
low as 81 50 per pound, and the largest
k sometimes bring as high as $40 for the
o same weight. The green-hued amber
y is the most valuable, and the cloudy
As it obscures the nicotine stains, il
n generally preferred for mouth-pieces
d The clear quality is, however, Away;
in demand for jewelry. Amber i:
readily worked into shape by sand
II paper and Furnishing wheels. 1t car
be softened by heat and easily bent
If For mouth pieces, the great waste il
If working amber makes it expensive
# and rubber, celluloid. and other com
, positions have been found to be goo'
substitutes, though for first-class pipe
nothing can take its place. N. \
Evening Post.