Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-16

their own wants in the way of pipes, and
some very early attempts at clay pipe max
ing are recorded. The aboriginal pipe was
burned in an open fireplace, and so, OF
course lacks the chaste- appearance of the
white mans "clays," which are burned in
sealed crucbes in a kiln similar to an or
dinary pottery kiln.
Vast numbers of white clay pipes are annu-
ally sold here by the agents of the various
European establishments and, with the insg
nificant duty of about two cents 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
degree approached the European scale. Made
from material which costs next to nothing,
the clay pipes owe their value almost en-
tirely to the labor expended upon them; and
when the many landings are considered 1t
It Is remarkable that "clays' can be made at
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
IL has been properly prepared and delivered
to the bench. Experience and judgment on
the part of him who prepares the clay and
certain deftness on the part OF the artisan
who forms the finished product are the quail
ties requisite in the pipemakers staff.
MADE b N,
The art of making clay pipes has eX-
perienced little or no change in centuries.
The pipes are still-as they We're of old
produced almost entirely by hand. A press
this appliance is operated by hand. For
merly screw clamp was employed directly
upon the mods, but a lever press has the
advantage of speed.
The New Jersey clay which is used in the
manufacture of white pipes is of such
fneness that no preparation, other than the
milling or plugging (Which reduces 1t to
a plastic state-is required Having been
''milled," the clay is next cut into pieces of
sufficient bulk to make pipe. These pieces
are then rolled out beneath the palm upon
table until tail is drawn out and knob
left at the end; these pieces are then known
as rolls" and are piled in heaps OF dozen
each, 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 GER
tain temper is obtained; in this condition they
are placed upon the bench and within con-
venient reach of the operator who is seated
by his press,
Taking one of the rolls in his left hand,
the pipe maker inserts wire-which 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
approaches the knob. The whole is then
placed between the castron molds and slid
into the press at the workman's left. The
press itself is rather crude affair. having
two motions-one lateral, the other vertical
The lateral movement squeezes the molds
together; the motion from above forces
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 withdrawn from the press; both
the wire and molds having been previously
well fabricated with oil, the parts are easily
removed from the clay, and the pipe in this
stage Is subjected to a sundrying, after
which the clay is again soaked to prepare
the pipe for the ha ldling necessary to
finish" 1t for the kiln,
THE FINISHING PROCESS.
The finishing" CONF ts-in the case of
Ing the little spurs" about the seams of
the molds. In sraighte the stem or curry
Ing 1t II a 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 a sort of
furnishing process by which the pores Of the
clay are closed on the outer surface OF the
pipe. and hard and glossy appearance Ia
produced. When they are thoroughly dried
the pipes are then placed In 'seggars,"
which are made TO contain about 200 pipes
each. The "seggars' are simply circular
boxes made OF burned clay. and resemble the
ordinary old-style cheese boxes,
The "seggars," before being placed in the
ain, are hermeticaily sealed; the kiln will
probably contain about seventy or eighty
seggars. so days baking will perhaps result
In about $4,000 pipes ready for the market
Some few OF the pipes are slightly damaged
both In the firing and during the subsequent
handling preparatory TO shipping. Those that
have yet an appearance OF being nearly whole
or, merely warped are sold to the shooting
galleries. where they are made to serve as
targets for ambitious marksmen.
The pipemaker apprentices are first put 10
work upon clay birds, which also serve as
targets in the galleries. One boy will beat