The morning call., 1891-04-05
TIE CARRYING OF
FINE MEERSCHAUM.
Some Interesting Facts About Pines
Made Of Sea F0an,' 50 Called.
Very Unique Examples of the Art of Carving.
A Bust of Yankee Doodle-A Mephis-
topheles Representing Hunter.

topheles Representing Hunter.
There is curious little tobacco-store on
one of the leading South End thoroughfares.
1t has been there for many years. and is SO
small that one might pass by hundred
times without ever noticing it, The door
opening into this little shop Is Just off the
sidewalk, aud suspended over the door Is
large glded wooden pipe, which serves as
sign to indicate the character of the place.
There is little narrow show window
facing the sidewalk. and In this the pro-
prietor displays his goods. The window is
tull of pipes of all kinds and sizes. cigar
holders, cigar-eases, and a variety of knick-
kDacks more or less useful to smokers. There
are some good old fashioned brierwood
pipes in the display, but the most noticeable
things in the window are several handsome
meerschaum pipes Of very unique design.
They are beautifully carved, and it seems
too bad that they could not have more con-
spicuous place. When the -bycatches
sight of these pipes he is sure to stop and
admire them, and also some Of the other odd
things to be seen in this window.
While sauntering down this street the
other afternoon the writer's attention was
attracted to this little shop by noticing two
three men gazing interestedly into its
narrow window, and he paused to see what
thep were admiring. Being interested in
meerschaum pipes the young newspaper
man thought he would like to look more
closely at some of those in the display. So
he opened the door and stepped into the
place.
1t was a curious little room, perhaps 20
feet long by Z or s feet wide, and near the
door was a small showcase, one end of
which cop taned a few boxes of cigars and
the rest was filed with pipes, mostly of
ineerSchaum, many of them in very odd
patterns. The shelves behind the show
case were piled high with all kinds Of
smokers articles ami small boxes contain
ing pieces OF raw meerschaum and amber.
And on the opposite wall were hung several
very quaint pictures. At the back OF the
shop was small lathe with n foot pedal,
and beside it was kit OF tools
PECULIAR TO THE WORK
OF pipe-making. At this lathe the proprie-
tor of the place was lndustriouSly working
on a piece of amber. to be used as the mouth
piece of pipe. and he looked up as the door
opened and the young man approached him.
When meerschaum carving was spoken of
he became enthusiastic, ana was very will
ing to talk.
ibid you make those pipes in the win
dow ?" was asked.
'Yes, sir; and those in the showcase. too
But those pipes are quite plain beside some
of the carving l have done. There is very
little meerSchaum carving done III Boston,
and, in fact. there are but few first-clsas
artists in meerSchaum in this country. and
even those came from some foreign place.
There are good many workmen here who
cut plain pipes out OF meerschalm, because
that WORK, like any other trade, can be ac-
quired; but in order for a man TO do any fine
carving he must he 4 born artist. In this
country men learn only part OK trade, but
where [ came from young man Is obliged
to learn his trade from beginning to end.
My father was turner to the King OF
Prussia, and So you see, he must have been
a fine artist My brother and myself were
brought up in the art of carving, and my
brother was the finest carver | ever saw,
either in meerSchaum or wood. | wish you
could see some examples of his work. How
ever, | will show you some specimens of
carving that have made and try and tell
you what you want to know about meer-
schaum."
where does it come from?"
''MeeIschaum is imported from Asia
MinoT-thatS what We used 10 call the |
place, but believe it's q part of Turkey |
now. As You probably know, it is a mag |
uesia deposit, and is, therefore, quite soft. |
Some people imagine that the mines are |
deep, like coal mines, but they are only |
from thirty to seventy or eighty feet in |
depth. according as tile land is level or |
hilly Most of the companies working the |
mines are Austrians although understand |
that some other natiOnalties are interested |
there now. The meerschaum is imported |
in boxes, saw thirty inches in length, q foot |
wide and fifteen OF eighteen inches high, |
and hold about fifty pounds. box costs |
from SIS to $500, and | have paid as high as
S22j. The price depends upon the quality. |
Some meerschaum is very soft and Of |
course is not suitable for nice carving; con- |
seQuently it is less expensive. Frequently |
the best quality has cracks and airholes
in it.
Hero is a large piece of raw meer- |
schaum. You see it is very Irregular but |
polished. Well, when it is taken from the |
ground there are various impurities in the |
meerscbaum, and these havs TO be cut out. |
THE PIECES ARE THEN WASHED
And smoothed off, and thus the blocks are
irregular and smooth. like the one you see |
here. When an order comes for a pipe l |
sometimes have TO look through an entire |
box to fiud piece of meerschaum that will |
suit the design | wish to make I then soak |
the piece in cold water until it sinks, which |
will take from fifteen to twenty minutes. | |
then saw the block as nearly rs possible to |
the size required, so as not to waste the |
meerschaum. and rOugh out the pine with a |
knife. Placing the block on the lathe. cut |
the plain part of the pipe and bore the stem |
to the bowl. II the pipe is to be carved | |
lay it away until thoroughly dried.
1.-The meeTschaum has to be hard in order |
to carve it. When the carving is completed |
the pipe is boiled in beeswax and then |
polished. After the amber stem has been |
inserted the pipe is finished and ready for |
the customer. 1t is not generally known, |
but a meerschaum pipe would never color |
SO beautifully if it were not boiled in wax. |
''An ordinary meerschaum pipe can be |
made in three DAYS, but II it is TO be carved |
of course 10 specified time can be stated. |
An artist might be many weeks or even |
months on single pipe.
''Do you have many orders for elaborate
designs?"
Mot SO many as l used to have years ago.
suppose if l had a nice shop downtown l |
should get more orders for fine work. But |
Americans who can afford to pay several |
hundred dollars for beautiful piece of |
meerschaum carving will, as rule, buy it
abroad, Oftentimes as a souvenir of some |
country which they have visited. / have
been in this country over twenty years and
at first worked for the largest meerschaum-
dealer in New York. A first-class artist can
carve meerschaum into almost any cOnceiV-
able design.
~ haven't any very large specimens of |
my work here now, but here are a few
small ones which l think will Interest you.
OF course you remember Yankee Doodle |
Sawtell? Certainly; everybody knew him. +
Well, here is a pine, the bowl of which is a l
bust of Yankee Doodle. did the carving
at various times while he was standing |
right where you are now"
Tho carving was splendid reproduction
of the features Of Yankee Doodle" rs the |
writer remembers him. The same old
title" hat which he always wore; the full
chin Whlskers, without mustaehe, and even |
the two warts on his cheek; a pair of lady's
boots strung over his shoulders; the exact |
expression he used to wear, and the mouth |
twisted up as if in the act of whistriug. 1t |
is fine piece of workmanship. and would |
certainly be a great curiosity to those who
remember the original.
Another example was bust of Hermann
as Mephistophees, made from a photo
graph, and the expression of the features is
maryelously correct An exquisitely carved
pipe
REPRESENTED A HUNTER,
With his gun Ieveed, stealing cautiously
around the stump Qhe bowl. and ready to
fire at three deer, which are placed in real
istic poses over the stem. 1t was the work
of weeks to make this pipe. A bulls head,
with horns uf amber, was notable eX-
ample.