The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-21
CAREER OF A BILLIARD BALL
From a Good Position in Gracefully
Drifts Downward

N~AAA1o wv IL " al
From The Ne,o York Mol and Erpresa
There are few mon or things that are
called upon to roll into more close corners
or queer situations, than is billiard ball.
That Is, Of course, after 1t has become a
full-hedged billiard ball. Its career, prior
TO TINS Is, OF course, rather monotonous. An
elephunt, either in Africa or Asia, carries it
with him in his wanderings very near to his
trunk. 1t Is then known as a tusk, and has
been the cause OF same tall lying in the way
of elephant stories told by various persons.
of whom Rider Haggard is now the
foremost representative. The transit
ton from being an elephants tusk
TO being billiard ball in coed standing is
not sudden. 1t takes time TO effect it. In
the first place, it is not every tusk that is
suitable 10 make billiard ball from. There
are several factories in New York city, aud
they say that it takes a good while to turn
out perfect ball. The firms here, however.
have to do but part Of the work, for they
get the tusks that are of the proper quality
sent to them cut into sections, each section
being large enough to allow of the turning
OF single ball out of 1t. Most of this ma
terlal comes from Hamburg. The ivory is
so marked that the turner's here know what
part of the tusk each piece comes from, and
II this way can calculate as to the grain
and quality of the article
1t requires skilled labor to turn out a bill
lard ball One-half of it is first turned. an
instrument of the finest steel being used for
the work. Then the half-turned ball is hung
up IN net and is allowed to hang there for
year to dry. Then the second half is
turned and then comes the polishing.
Whitening and water and a good deal of
| rubbing are necessary for this. 1t is neces-
sary in the end that the ball shall, to the
verlest fraction of gran, be of a certain
weight,
1t is after being placed on the billiard
table that the real life Of the billiard ball
commences. There are pores in ivory. lust
as there are in the epidermis These NAV
close, and then, if in hot room, tho ball
is likely to crack, or it may crack bv rea-
son OF conclusion with other balls. During
the first stage the billiard ball may mix in
almost any society. 1t may gyrate under
the magic cue of a Slosson, a Schaefer. a
Vignaux, or some other champion, or it
may be toyed with by fair danes In private
billiard rooms in swell houses on MURRAY
Hill.
When it cracks it drops step lower. It
is sent to factory and q small fraction of
nick is shaved off from it, You next see
1t IN some second rate billiard room on
Sixth avenue. Finally it rolls even lower
and into some secondhand store, and thence
inio bowerv saloon. where CROOKS
manipulate it, to the dismay and discomfit-
ure of visitors from the rural districts. The
rest is soon told. The balls become cracked.
decrepit and practically useless for the pur-
pose for which they were made Then thew
are bought up by dealers cut I'D and made
into smaller articles. If the worst comes to
the worst, they can be burned and used in
the making of ivory black.
A checkered life enough is that Of a bill
lard ball.