The evening times., 1900-10-20
MANY KINDS OF IVORY.
HIppopotamf md Even American
Hogs Can Furnish IT.

CFrom the New York Tribune)
The elephant is Nc longer the only ami
NAL which produce ivory. according
to the official decision of the United States
General Appraisers. Ivory dealers and
those who work in the material have
known this for long time. but the max
ers of the tariff do <sass - to have been
SO well posted - %sSs from ivory
dealers was introduced at the investiga-
ton to show that the trsks of the hippo
potamus furnish just as good ivory as do
any OF the twenty-five different varieties
OF elephants. It was also shown that the
boar, narwhal right whale, and aliga-
tor We're producers of ivory. Even the
Western hog gives up many an ivory tusk
TO the butchers in Chicago packing houses.
The ivory question arose a few weeks
ago, when an importing firm tried TO bring
in a consignment OF umbrella handles
made of hippopotamus teeth. The impor~
ters objected to paying duty at the rate
of 80 per cent ad vaIorem which is the
ivory rate, and contended that the hip
popotamus teeth should be assessed at
90 per cent, as they were not mentioned
in the tariff The decision was against
the impor -ers.
This does not mean that there is no diff
ference between elephant ivory and hippo
potamus ivory. Ivory workers wao under
stand their vocation can distinguish diff
ference even between the various kinds of
elephant ivory before it has been polished
and worked over. When il is carved often
experts can determine from just what ami
NAL the ivory originally came, but the or
dinary purchaser can see no difference
Hippopctamus ivory answers every mer-
camille purpose as far as it goes. That il
is not considered as valuable as elephant
ivory is due to the fact that it can be used
| only for smaller articles. The hippopota-
1
| from one-half round to three or four
| pounds. The elephant tusks range in
weight from 100 to 250 pounds. NarwhaI
| tusks range in weight from FIVE 20 twenty
| five pounds.
When manufactured into small articles
| the hippopotamus ivory brings just as
| much as any other kind. AS far as that
| goes, however the tuslzs of the American
| hog bring more than does any kind of
| ivory if weight alone is considered. If
| they were sold at the regular ivory rat
| of ST pound, they would bring about 4
| cents each. They are sold by the piece
! and average 25 cents each. The bis
| teeth are hollow, but will take a very
| high polish, and can be used in many
ways. It is said that 20 per cent Of the
| hogs killed produce valuable tusks.
The long, thin, yellow tusk of the mar
| whal does not bring nearly as much to-
/ day IS it did $50 years ago This is due
| to the passing of superstitious ideas re-
gardipg this ivory producer OF the sea
| a century ago people believed that The
| walrus was connected with the fabulous
| unicorn, and the horn or tusk was sup
| posed to possess many magical virtues
| Fer instance it was regarded an anti
| dote for all foreign poisons, and kings
| Kept horn in their dining rooms, believ-
| ing that it would warI them if their food
had been poisoned. The tusks were wort1
tnr,,e <f ALL.
/ the whalers and hunters of the North are
glad to sell them today for SIS.