The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-06-26
ALEXANDRIA, La, WEDNESDAY JUNE &C. 1896.
IVORY BILLIARD BALLS.

IVORY BILLIARD BALLS.
How the Spheres Are Made and Prepared
For the Market.
When in the factory, the tusks are
carefully examined by IN expert to
detect any possible flaws or cracks
that may exist, for besides the dan
gers to the ivory from careless han
ding while In transit the original
possessor of the ivory Is by no means
so careful of his tusks as he ought to
be, considering their value. end With
the utmost disregard of the precious
material Of which they are composed
uses them for fighting, for uprooting
small trees and shrubs, for overturn-
ing stones and for grubbing in the
ground without any very definite
purpose that is apparent to the hui
man observer. Of course he often
splits his tuslzs, and a very minute
crack, hardly discerniblo to the eye,
will seriously impair the value of
long and beautiful piece of ivory.
If the crack Is extensive, the tusk
must be devoted to another purpose
than that of making billiard balls,
but supposing the tusk to be found
perfect it Is passed on to another ex-
pert, who measures 1t and marks IL
at proper distances to be cut into
blocks.
1t is then sawed into lengths of
1-2 to 3 inches, according to the
size of the balls to be made, and the
resulting blocks are passed on into
the hands of the turner's. Turning
lathes Of unusual accuracy and deli
cacy are put to work. and the ivory
sawdust begins flying in ell direc-
lions, not to DO lost, however. Ivory
is too precious to be wasted. Every
speck of the dust is carefully gath
cred up at the end of each days
work. When sufficient quantity
has been accumulated, it is treated
with chemicals and by means of a
peculiar cement and the use of a n.y.
draulio press is nodded into com.
pact and apparently homogeneous
mass. From this are manufactured
many email articles, which present
all the appearance of ivory and are
in reality such, though not In its
original state.
On account Of tho value of tho ma
terial tho utmost care is used in the
outing, and the cylindrical shape of
the blocks enables an economy that
would not be suspected. Every one
has seen ivory martingale rings,
but every one does not know that
these como from the two ends of the
ivory block that is boing turned into
shape for q Billiard ball. They are
cut out with as much care as the
ball itself and afterward rounded
and polished with the Same scrupu-
lous attention.
The ball itself, after boing rough
~ turned, is laid aside for at least
six months to season and harden, for
the ivory, when freshly out, is very
soft, or at least very much softer
than 1t afterward becomes, and
when the seasoning is properly Of
footed the turning is completed, and
tho polishing, at first by very In
genious machine. IS continued with
prepared chalk and ohamois, then
with the leather alone and finally
completed with the bare palms Of
tho operator.
The ball is now finished, so far as
the mechanical processes Of manu-.
faoture are concerned, and passed on
| to the wholesale and retail dealers,
but the risk is by no means ended
| when the work is done, for few mate
rails arc so sensitive to atmospheric
and temperature changes as ivory,
and at almost any moment the bal.
may become lessened In valuo by
the appearance on its surface Of tiny
cracks or flaws. If these are super
fetal, they impair only the looks o.
the ball, brit sometimes they extend
far into the interior and tho bal
will then broak in two or chip wi
rough ge.-St Louis Globe Dem
ocrat.