Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-21
Primitive Methods That Are Still
Employed,
BUT One FACTORY IN THlS COUNTRY
Turns Out More Than Half a Million
Every Year.
AN ABORIGINAL INDUSTRY

The humble white clay pipe is attract
ing attention because of the attempt of
the American manufacturers to secure Leg
islation regulating the importation Of Eu-
ropean made goods. The only clay pipe
factory Of note in this country is a one
story affair with single kiln. located up
a side alley in a New York suburb. hence
the special need Of governmental logroll-
ing may not strike the average person very
foreibly. Yet. as over $4,000 pipes are an
nually made in the little shed and as many
milliers are imported, 1t will be seen that
the industry is not such a small one after
ALL The contention Is that a revised tariff
would broaden and extend it and make 1t
a means Of support for many thousands.
AS 1t now exists in New York 1t Is perhaps
the most picturesque of the still surviving
ancient trades.
The making Of clay pipes was an alb
original industry in this country, and many
really artistic specimens made by the In
dians are preserved in our museums and
in private collections. The colonists, too,
finding the proper material at hand, took
to supplying their own wants in the way
of pipes, and some very early attempts at
clay pipe making are recorded. The abo-
rfginal pipe was burned in an open fire
place, and so, of course. lacks the chaste
appearance of the white mans "clays."
which are burned In sealed crucibles In
kiln similar to an ordinary pottery kiln.
In Vast Numbers.
Vast numbers Of white clay pipes are an
nually sold here by the agents of the vari-
GUS European establishments, and with the
insignificant duty of about 2 cents per
gross, the American makers have of late
been able to keep up only because of the
low price of labor. which, during the recent
depression. has in a degree approached the
L. 10 rfol vx,ht DH
costs next to nothing, the clay pipes owe
their value almost entirely to the labor
expended upon them; and when the many
landings are considered 1t Is remarkable
that "clays'' can be made at a profit in
view Of the low price placed upon them.
Fully dozen landings are required to
fashion a pipe from the mass of clay after
1t has been properly prepared and delivered
to the bench. Experience and judgment on
the part of him who prepares the clay,
and q certain deftnesS on the part of the
artisan who forms the finished product are
the qualities requisite In the pipemakers
staff.
The art of making clay pipes has ex-
perienced little or no change In centuries.
The pipes are still-as they were of old
produced almost entirely by hand. A press
is now used to squeeze the molds, but even
this appliance is operated by hand. For
merly screw clamp was employed directly
upon the molds, but lever press mas the
advantage of speed
The New Jersey clay which is used in
the manufacture of white pipes is of such a
fineness that no preparation, other IMAM
the milling or ''pugging'-which reduces
1t to plastic states required. Having
been "milled,'' the clay is next cut into
pieces of sufficient bulk to make a pipe.
These pieces are then rolled out beneath
the palm upon a table until tai! IS drawn
out and a knob left at the end; these
pieces are thea known as rolls and are
riled in heaps of a dozen eacn, resembling
punches of radishes. The rolls are next
placed upon boards and left in the sun TO
dry When thoroughly dried the rolls
are soaked in water until a certain temper
is obtained; in this condition they are
placed upon the bench. and within con-
venient reach of the operator, who is seat
ed by his press.
MOlding the Clay.
Taking one of the rolls in his left hand,
the pipe maker inserts a wira-wnich he
holds in his right hand-into the end of the
embryo stem, and carefully draws the clay
over the wire until the point nearly APP
rroaches the knob. The whole is then
placed between the cast-iron molds and
slid into the press at the workmans left.
The press itself is a rather crude affair,
having two motions-one lateral. the other
vertical. The lateral movement squeeZes
the molds together; the motion from above
forces a plug into the open space in the
mold, where the bowl is to be formed; by
this combined movement the cavity In the
bowl is formed and the clay made to fill
all parts of the mold. The wire is forced
home against the plug within the bowl.
the lever released, and the molds with
drawn from the press; both the wire and
molds having been previously we'll lubri-
Gated with oil. the parts are easily removed
from the clay, and the pipe in this stage is
subjected to a sun-drying, after which the
clay is again soaked to prepare the pipe
for the handling necessary to finish" it
for the kiln.
The "finishine'' conss4s-in the case of
the common sort of pipes-in merely re-
moving the little spurs" left about the
seams in the molds. in Strengthening the
stem, or curving it if curve Is desired
and filling up slight defects. In the finer
grades of white clays all the accessible
parts are gone over with an agate or glass
tool; this is sort of furnishing process
by which the pores of the clay are closed
on the outer surface Of the pipe, and a hard
and glossy appearance is produced. When
they are thoroughly dried, the pipes are
then placed in 'seggars" which are made
to contain about 100 pipes each. The seq
gars' are simply circular boxes made Of