The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-14
ghe dhita 1aily gage ghursaaY gaoruug ay H. 1891.
LIFE OF A BILLIARD BALL.
The Shining Ivories Have Brief br
Rather Active Existence.

The Shining worries Have . Brief but
Rather Active Existence.
How many persons who WELD billiard
cue are aware of the time, trouble and ex-
pense Of making the ivory spheresf The
billiard ball, in its natural state, IS the
principal means Of defense for an elephant.
In time the elephant falls a victim to the
yenturesome hunter, and he parts with his
tusks, which are the most valuable of all
his possessions to commerce. Mossof the
tusks find their way to London, which is
the great sales mart for ivory. ThsSe, twice
q year-spring and fall-the buyers Of ivory
gather.
There are different grades of ivory, and
only the finer kinds are suitable for max
ing billiard balls. The best comes from
the small tusks. which are from four to
six inches in diameter st the thickest end.
These are sawed into blocks, each section
being large enough to allow OF the turn
ing of single ball
The factories devoted to the billiard ball
industry in this country usually receive
the ivory in this shape, the sections being
marked SO that the turner's know from
what part of the tusk each piece comes,
and in this way can calculate as TO its
grain and quality II takes long time TO
produce perfect ball, and only skilled
labor is employed
The exact center of the ball is first dis
covered by means of measurement. The
block is then placed in socket. and one
half Of the ball is turned by an instrument
made of the finest and sharpest edged
steel. The half turned ball is then hung
up in net for short while, then the sec
ond half is turned, and the ball hung up
as before in a room, the temperature of
which is kept at from 90 dogs. TO 30 dogs.
The roughly turned ball is kept in this
position for about year. Then comes
the polishing. whitening, etc. A great
deal of hard rubbing is also necessary, as
the ball before being used should be as near
a certain weight as possible, and measure
2}5 inches in diameter. 1t has been found
impossible to get two balls exactly the
same weight. Very often they viii be-
heavier on one side than on the other, and
frequently they split right through the
center. This is due TO decay.
In the window of one of the large manu-
factories of billiard balls in this city lies "A
tusk about two feet long. 1t was pur-
chased some years ago, and while being
sawed in two the saw came in contact with
an obstruction. IL proved TO be rife bull
let, which had penetrated the elephant
when quite young for the whole inside OF
the tusk had decayed appearance.
The price of ivory for making billiard
balls has greatly increased within the past
few years, and the demand exceeds the
supply. The Brunswick Bake Billiard
company has offered $4,000 for perfect
substitute for ivory, but nothing thus far
has been invented that com bines the elias
ITCHY and durability of the ivory ball.
Not until after it IS placed on the table is
the real life of the billiard ball shown.
The pores in the ivory may close, and then
if the ball is kept in hot room it is likely
to crack, or it may crack by reason of con-
cussion with other balls. This is one of
the great difficulties TO contend against
To overcome this the balls should be kept
at as even temperature as possible.
When billiard ball is first used 1t occu-
pies the first rank. A crack may soon he
exposed and then it is returned to the fac
tory. The nick is shaved of, and it comes
back slightly smaller in size. It may then
find its way into some second rate billiard
room. After some more hard usage it is
again returned TO the factory and comes
forth again much reduced in size, and
probably becomes cue ball in pool. After
il is found TO be practically useless for the
purposes for which it was originally made
it is bought by dealers in bone and ivory,
and the balls are then turned into buttons
or they are burned and used in the making
of ivory black.-New York Sun.