The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-27
you what you want to know.
THE AEERSCHAUM

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SOAKING THE sEERSCHAUM
When an order comes for a pipe some
times have to look through an entire box
to find a piece of meerschaum that will suit
the design wish to make Ithen soak the
piece in cold water until it sinks, which
will take from fifteen TO twenty minutes
then saw the block as near as possible 10
the size required. SO as not TO waste the
meersehaum, and rough out the pipe with
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 CARED
lay it away until thoroughly dried
The meerschaum has 10 be hard in order
TO carve it. When the carving is completed
the pipe is boiled in beeswax aud then
polished. After the amber stem has been
inserted the pipe is finished and ready for
the customer. 1t Is not generally known,
bat meerschaam pipe would never color
SO beautifully il it were not boiled In wax
IAN ordinary meerschauu pipe can b.
made in three days, but II it n 20 ne carved
of course no specified time can be stated
An artist might be many weeks, or even
months, on a single pipe.
do you have many orders for elaborate
designs"
Not 50 many as | used TO have years ago
| suppose II had a nice store down town
should get more orders for fine work But
Americans who can afford 10 pay several
hundred dollars for a beautiful piece OF
meerschaum carving will. as a rule, buy IL
abroad oftentiues as n souvenir OF some
country which they have visited / have
been in this country over twenty years, and
at first worked for the largest meerschaurn
dealer in New York. A first class artist
can carve meerschaum into almost any con
ceivab!e design.
Il haven't any very large specimens Of
my work here now, but here are few
small ones which think Will interest yoC. -
EXQUISITE ExAaPLEs-
An exauisiteIy carved pipe represented a
hunter with his gun leveled. stealing eau
tiously around a stump ftha bowl, and
ready 70 fire at three Gser, which are
placed In realistic poses over tie stem II
was the work Of weeks 20 make this pipe
A bulbs head with horns Of amber vas =
notable example.
Some Of bis best work, the artist said,
was made from photographs. shortly
after the war be made great many
raeerschsum pipes, on which we're carved
the busss OF the leading generals. such as
Grant, Sheridan ssd Sherman Nowadays
a customer often wants carving Of thu
bust Of his faEorits actor. ssngsr or public
man. and also of the head CT MS horse OF
dog. etc One OK the largest carvings he
ever made vas q war piece. II = z.cl
twelve figures were represented
Another design consisted CT Ere birds
arrssticaIly arranged about tbs pipe a
unique design represented baseball
pitcher and catcher n playing Attitudes
A tine piece Of carving represented q snake
curing around skulI. IN the latter beng
hole for . cigarette.
This would seem to paint 9 r1oral, and u
Certainly very unique Idea.
4 medallion About the s.xs II q kais
dollar Is really the finest piece Of carving
Of ali Il Representa- the piazza Of house,
CT which IL table wiki a man and dog
standing beslde H. TIE tgur-s co1Ad not
be bronght cut by the naked eye, bat za-
der the microscope they are En2rTe-c1s-y
clear and cs-tnc--Bo~.cn fskoes-