Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-01-24
sgash'n9toa Standara
CHAPTER ON BILLIARD BALLS.
How the ivory Passes From the Tusk Of
the Elephant to the Manufac-
turer of the Balls.


Few per-ons who WELL billiard
enc are aware OF the time, trouble and
expense Of making the ivory spheres.
The billiard ball in its natural state is
the principal means OF defense for an
elephant. In time the elephant falls
"A victim to the Venturcsome hunter
and he parts with his tusks, which
are the most valuable OF all his pos
sessions to commerce. Most of the
tusks find their way to London,
which is the greatest sales mart for
ivory.
There are different kinds OF ivory,
and only the finer kinds are suitable
for making billiard balls. The best
comes from the small tusks, which
are from four to six inches in dame
ter at the thickest end. They are
sawed into blocks, each section being
large enough to allow Of the turning
of a single ball. The factories de-
voted to the billiard ball industry in
this country usually receive the
ivory in this shape, the sections being
marked so that the turner's know from
what part OF the tusk each piece
comes, and in this way can calculate
as to its grain and quality. 1t takes
long time to produce perfect billiard
ball, and only skilled labor is employed.
The exact center of the ball is first
discovered by means Of measurement.
The block is then placed in q socket,
and one-half the ball is turned by an
instrument made OF very fine and
sharp-edged steel. The half-turned
ball is then hung up in net for a
while; then the second half is turned
and the ball hung up as before in a
room the temperature OF which is kept
from GO to 70 degrees.
The roughly-turned ball is kept in
this position about year. Then
comes the polishing, whitening, etc.
A good deal of hard rubbing is also
necessary, as the ball, before being
used, should be as near certain
weight as possible and measure two
and three-eighths inches in diameter.
1t has been found impossible to get
two balls exactly the same weight.
Very often they will be heavier on one
side than ON the other, and frequently
they split right through the center.
This is due to decay.
Not until after it has been placed
on the table is the real life OF billiard
ball shown. The pores of the ivory
may close. and then, If the ball is
is kept in hot room, it is likely to
crack, or it may crack by reason OF
conclusion with other balls. This is
one Of the great difficulties to contend
against. To overcome this the balls
should be kept in a. even tempera.
ture as possible.
When q billiard ball is first used it
occupies the FIRST rank. A crack may
soon be exposed. and then it is re-
turned to the factory. The nick is
shaved off and it comes back slightly
smaller in size. 1t may then find its
way into some second rate billiard
room. After some more hard usage it
is again returned to the factory, and
comes forth again much reduced in
size, and probably becomes cue ball
in pool.
After it is found TO be practically
useless for the purposes for which it
was originally made it is bought by
dealers in bone and ivory and the ball
is then turned into buttons or burned
and used in the making of ivory
black.