Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-09

something Else fiuSt It .'n:n tot .,ai.ir:
Ehi1s FAR 9IgLig.

something Else duSt Dt I'n:1. toF :.aisii.
Rails Far 9ig.is,
indianapolis ~
within Or, tho you are going
20 see bow u, take big jump in
pri;o,'' 10 Indianapolis alley
owners L. -tiy. "Lh only wood suit
BILE iot o".,e balls 10 lignum
gite," he Continued, land the game
!is increas 10 popularity so rapidly
in the lastfew years That the supply Of
he wood that 10 easily available has
ust about been exhausted. Either
rev lignum yite forests must be dis.
covered or some better method OF
Getting the wood to market must be
ound.
1.-The best lignum Vita in the world
is in Venezuela, but one must go miles
into the Interior before The wood Is
found. The wood is 81 heasy that the
tree trunks must hs sawed In short
pieces, about three feet in length.
These piects are then STRAPPED to pack
mules and carried 10 this way to the
coast. OF course, in those places nearer
he coast, or where the wood is more
accessible, larger logs can be handled.
Another danger ia in shipping the
Sood. Sam Karpf, The bowling
authority, told me the other day that
Vessels do not like to take lignum VITAE
IS even part of their cargo. When
4 ship loaded with the wood gets tc
Shere Is dagger OF the ship sinking.
The record OF lianuln vita cargoes thar
ave been lost in this manner is worse
than the record of any other sort OF
freight.
"The lgnum vitm that is the most
easily reached now is that of Africa.
African lignum vitm is yellower than
| any other kind. / use an African wood
jall. The wood checks badly, and for
hat reason the wood turner's dislike &c
| handle it, as there is danger of the
| cunning lathe getting caught in one oil
he or ecks aud breaking tho ball to
pieces The African ball sells for SO. 80,
70 cents less than that OF the other
| grades of the wood. | believe the
African wood is harder, If anything,
| 5han any other, and d ball made of the
African wood will not become lop.
sided 80 soon as one made of other
| 9uod.
"1he Dutch East Indies yield a GOOD
| luality OF lignunl Vita, but such
heaVy demands have been made on the
orests there that the wood is GETTING
scarce. The big trees are all far inland.
| San Domingo vitg ia more blush than
| he East Indian kind and more brittle.
at is impossible to keep bowling
oall from getting op sided. The ca use
4 this lies ia the finger holes. When
oalls had no finger holes, the bowler
lever threw ball twice in succession
the same way. Now bowler holds the
pail the same why every time, and the
same part of the ball strikes the alley
irst every time. AS the ball slides TO.
few feet before taking a rotary
motion, the ball is gradually fiattened
IN one side.
"a fellow eamo here the other day
and said: Why must such heavy balls
Oe used in bowlIner'' Why can't some
other kind OF wood be used?' have
a bowling ball made Of mahogany here,
and l handed it to him. 1t felt as
light as paper after he had been
handling one Of the regular balls. ]
told him that IL he would bowl score
of 100 with the mahogany ball l woulc
make him n present of tbs finest bal
that could be bought You can't bow.
with light ball. That's why thinH
'lne can mako better scores with the
African wood ball. 1t Is heavier,
George Seidensticker has yellow bal
that weighs II pounds and 200 scores
are getting common as dirt with him.
understand that new composition
ball is about to be put on the market.
lt is aimed for the new ball that ii
\ answers the purpose as we'll as if moi
better than the wooden hall, though j
have never seen it. 1t has weight, 1T il
claimed, and elasticity, and the add.
lional advantage OF not warning OF
chipping. But it will cost much more
than the liguum Vita ball.;'