The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-04

they have confined themselves mostly
ferent kinds of clay. They went at the
matter methodically and now have re-
cords of experiments with clays from
all parts of the territory.
The implements of the craft are
simple, being much the same as in
the days of Pharoah.
The sweep to which the horse is
hitched is simply a part of a device
for stirring, mixing, puiverizing clays
those used in the manufacture of
adObeS
The potter's wheel is a simple de-
vice. One is rather disappointed with
1t on seeing it for the first time. So
much has been written and sung and
painted about 1t that one naturally
looks for something more elaborate.
1t is, however, merely a fiat disk,
connected with treadle so that lying
nat it can be made to revolve rapidly
or slowly On it the potter places a
lump Of clay and works the treadle
He holds his hands over the whirling
lump OF clay which gradually as
sumes a smooth round shape. Then
he presses the top making a cavity
within the mass and finally shaping
II into flower pot, jar, jug, vase or
NhtsNSNSl VESSEL ne may OSSlTe.
Clay in the hands of the potter"
has new meaning after a person has
seen it there
The vessel being shaped the potter
runs thin wire between it and the
wheel, then deity lifts it, by means
OF two thin instruments thrust under
1t, to drying shelf and goes on max
ing others.
So much for the turning of pottery.
A Ioe ,o;o
tura1 evaporation the vessels are
placed in the kiln. Some of them
that are to wear a certain kind of
glaze are painted with a certain mix
true in which lead is small con-
stituent. Another glaze is put on by
a certain kind of clay which comes
from New York.
There is, say Mr.. Tyrrell and
Mr. Ramsey, only one streak of it
known Ut is a thin streak running
through THE region about Albany, and
the mining of it has made the fortune
of many a man through whose farm
1t may chance to cut. 1t is shipped TO
all quarters, but these two Ogden gem
tlenen think they have discovered
some out here which is just as good
and from samples Of the varieties
treated by the Albany and the Utah
which THE gentlemen showed a Herald
them. The glazing seemed ITO differ
only in color the eastern variety be-
Ing a darker hue than that of the
Utah clay. Just where this variety of
clay is located the gentlemen natur-
ally do mot care ITO disclose. Its loca-
ton, with other valuable trade Sc
crets, is recorded only in the note
books containing the data of their
many experiments.
But let us follow the pottery, glazed
and unglaZed, to the kiln. 1T is ranged
in tiers inside the structure until the
same is filled with unburned ware.
Then the doors are closed, the fire
kindled and kept burning for a certain
number of days and nights. The heat
must be kept steady. The kiln is so
/ constructed that the heat goes up and
down the walls. under and over the
floor and ceiling, but the blaze must
never come in direct contact with THE
ware. After the ware has been burned
sufficiently, the fire is put out and in a
| few days the ware is cool enough to
handle and good enough Ito put on
| dairy shelves or in parlor and shop
windows
Unfortunately for the complete sue
cess of the experiment the bricks in
/ the fiues of the kiln built by Messrs.
| T'yrrel and Ramsey were not fire brick
! ana burned out Detore the neat mao
! become intense enough to properly
harden some of their choicest ware.
They are now building another kiln
with flues of fire bSick. The gentle
men have, they claim, already demon
strarted their ability TO make success
| fully the coarser kinds of ware, such
as flower pots, jars, crooks and certain
! varieties OF earthenware, and they
! think that in time they will be able
| to make the more choice kinds of pot
| terry. The greatest enemy of the pot
! ter, said Mr.. Ramsey, who worked at
| the trade many years in Ohio, is lime.
! The more free that THE clay is from
| lime THE better it is adapted for pct
| terry A curious fact has been devel-
oped by the interest of the gentlemen
! in this industry. Tt is that there is no
| publication in this country devoted ITO
the interest, of pottery making. Bee
/ keepers, stamp collectors, brick max
ers, have journals in some profusion
but not so with pobters, which goes ito
! prove that the art is yet young in this
/ country and that that single potter
wheel I'D there near the corner OF
! Twenty-eighth street and Jefferson
avenue is but foreTunner Of larger
/ wheels and extensive machinery
plants that will one day come to work
/ into articles rich in commercial and
artistic value Utah's countless tons OF
common clay.