Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-01-28
MEERSCHAUM CARVING,
IT is A DIFFICULT AND ALMOST uN.
KNOWN ART IN AMERICA


About the suhJect-some Examples of /
HIS work-something About Himself \
and M. BusIness-How He Proceeds.
There's curious little tobacco store on |
one of the leading South End thorough
fares. II has been there for many years, !
aud IL so small that one might pass by n
hundred times without ever noticing IT,
The door opening into this little shop Is
Just Off the sidewalk, and suspended over
the door il a large gilded wooden pipe,
which serves as IA sign to indicate the char
acter Of the place.
While sauntering down the street the
other afternoon the writer's attention was
attracted to this little shop by noticing two
or three men gazing interestedly into its
narrow window. and he paused to see what
they 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
II was a curious little room, perhaps %
feet long by or s feet wide, and near the
door was a small showcase, one end Of
which contained few boxes Of cigars and
the rest wss filed with pipes, mostly OF
| meerschaum, many of them In very odd
patterns. The shelves behind the showcase
were piled high with all kinds of smokers
articles aud small boxes containing pieces
OF raw meerschaum and amber
THE SHOP.
And on the opposite wall were hung sew
eral very quaint pictures. AT the back OF
the shop was small lathe with foot
pedal, and beside it was Kit OF tools pc
culiar to the work Of pipe making At this
lathe the proprietor of the place WAS indus
J triously working ON piece of amber, 20 be
used AS the mouthpiece OF pipe, aud he
looked up "a the door opened and the young
man approached him. When meerschaum
7 carving was spoken OF he became enthtlsi
aatic and was very willing To talk.
{ did you make those pipes in the win
: dowf'' was asked.
h Yes, sir; and those in the showcase. too
;, But those pipes are quite plain beside some
q OF the carving have done. There IL very
3 little meerschaum carving done in Boston
@ and, in fact, there are but few first class
artists In meerschaum in this country,
J. aud even those came from some foreign
place. There are good many workmen
{ here who cut plain pipes out OF mcer-
n schaum, because that work, like any other
4 trade, can he acquired but in order for n
!. man 10 do any fine carving he must bc a
= born artist In this country men learn
IT only part of trade, but where | came
20 from young man is Obliged to learn hi.
n trade from beginning TO end.
r MY father was turner to the king o.
Prussia, aud so, You see, he must have beer
Of a fine artist My brother and myself wer,
z brought up ia the art OF carving, and IN!
no brother was the finest carver ever saw
in either in meerschaum or wood. | wish yoJ
at could see some examples of his work. How
CO ever, will show you some specimens .
IN carving that | have made, and try and tel
n you what yon want to know.
ed SOAKING THE MEERsCHAUM.
- when AN order comes for a pipe ! some
y times have TO look through an entire DO.
ed To find IA piece of meerschaum that will sui
the design wish TO make. then soak til
piece in cold water until Il sinks. whic
he will take from fifteen to twenty minutes
10 then saw the block as near "a possible [
ur the size required. so as not to waste til
nm meerschaum. and rough out the pps wit
zee n knife Placing the block on the lathe
he cut the plain part Of the pipe, and bore th
he stem 10 the bowl II the pipe is to be carve
at lay II away until thoroughly dried.
re ''The meerschaum has TO he hard ia orae
TO carve it, When the carving il complete
. the pipe is boiled in beeswAX and the
Try polished. After the amber stem has bee
ng inserted the pipe is finished and ready f
tue customer. IL - nut EcheTalAg huoA
but n meerschaum pipe would never cole
in 30 beautifully il il We're not boiled IN wa
ng An ordinary mecrschaum pipe can
he made in three days. but IL il IS to he carve
nd OF course no specified time can he statet
An artist might he many weeks, or eve
tfy months. on "A single pipe.
DO you have many orders for elaborai
designs''
Not so many as used TO have years ag
1 suppose II had a nice store down town
ere should get more orders for fine work. Bl
lad Americans who can afford TO pay sever
nat hundred dollars for beautiful piece
meerschaum carving will. as IA rule. buy
rly abroad, oftentimes ~ souvenir OF son
I'd. country which they have visited. | ha'
been in this country over twenty years, an
Nh at first worked for the largest meerschau
10 dealer in New York. 4 first class arti
en- can carve meerschaum into almost any CO
,sr- ceivable design.
II haven't any very large specimens
VIII my work here now. but here are fe
small ones which think will interest you
,er. EXQUISITE EXAMPLES
An exquisitely carved pipe represented
ing hunter with his gun leyeled. stealing ca
NOR tiously around stump (the bowl, al
ready to fire at three deer, which a
IL placed In realistic poses over the stem.
mr. was the work OF weeks To make this pip
an A bulls head with horns OF amber was
notable example
ore Some of his best work. the artist sal
ace was made from photographs. Short
DO after the war he made a great maj
er. meerschaum pipes. on which were cary
IL the busts OF the leading generals such
ORR Grant Sheridan aud Sherman. Nowadl
a customer often wants carving OF I
bust OF his favorite actor, singer or pub
man. and also Of the head Of his horse
ave dog. etc. One OF the largest carvings
cen ever made was u war piece. IN viii
ia twelve figures were represented
- Another design consisted Of five Dir
in artisticaiiy arranged about the pipe
ind unique design represented baseh
Iral pitcher and catcher in playing atttua
he'd A fine piece of carving represented a sna
ere curling around skull. in the latter bel
.ht, a hole for "a cigarette,
ms This would seem to point a moral. and
; 20 certainly very unique idea,
wa A medallion about the size of h
dollar is really the finest piece of cArvi
OF all II represents the piazza OF a hoa
on which is a table with man and
IA standing beside IL. The figures could !
rith be brought out by the naked eye, but |
ime der the microscope they are marveloui
.ive clear and distinct Boston Globe.
uch -----------------