Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-11
MoNoPoLIzED BY FOREIGNERS
Few native Born Americans Engaged
I'm the Craft of Carving Ivory
and Meerschaum.

The trade Of the carvers in bone, Ivory,
meerschaum and like materials has never
fully recovered from the blow II received
in the hard times beginning in 1898. There
were at that time probably more than 800
such carvers working in New York City.
Many Of them were driven out of the trade
into other and cruder lines Of carving, and
only a few Of those who thus changed
their medium have been able to find work
Of the old kind. Only a very mail part
OF those who do such carving belong to
the class of true artists In ivory. bone and
meerschaum. OF such highly skilled carv-
ers the whole number could probably be
counted on the fingers OF the two hands.
The business grows very slowly. There
are few native Americans who have mas
tered the craft. Possibly a single employ
ing carver, a native American Of German
parentage, is the only one now engaged in
the art. Only two skilled Japanese carvers
are employed In this city, and no Chinese
carvers have come to town. Most of those
engaged in the art are Germans, though a
few Frenchmen have worked hero. The
German American referred to thinks that
most Americans lack the patience to BE-
come skilled carvers. The American haste
is antagonistic to the attitude Of mind that
the successful carver must maintain.
German carvers of taste and skill could
earn much higher pay here than at home,
and IL more should come over they would
find permanent employment, but they are
not attracted by conditions here. On the
whole, they can live more cheaply in Ger
many than here, and amid more congenIal
surroundings. Another consideration that
deters the skilled carvers from coming to
New York is the rumors they hear Of dis
agreements between employers and en-
ployed, strikes and trammeling union rules.
They lave a notion that trades union con-
ditions here are such as to disturb the
serenity of the artist. As a matter Of fact,
the artistic carver would probably be little
disturbed by the wars Of employer and
employed, but the new that reaches Ger
many on this subject is alarming.
Chinese carvers Of real artistic skill
would be very welcome here, but the Diff
f~iculties presented by the Chinese exclu-
sion law help to keep them at home, for
there might be some trouble in having such
immigrants admitted as artists. Then, too,
the Chinese skilled carvers are a contented
body Of men,. earning good pay for China
and enjoying some social consideration.
Few Of them now have the skill OF the
earlier Chinese carvers and many do only
the crudest work.
The skilled carver in this city usually
makes his own tools. forges them in the
workshop, tempers, grinds and polishes
them ready for use. The Japanese carv-
ers use much the same tools, ind almost
exactly the same methods as the rma
who work beside them. The pay OF the
skilled carver is e~xcellent-from SO to $40
a day, according to the character Of the
work and the ability of the carver to i'm
press his worth upon his employer. There
are unions Of the artistic c~arvers, but the
ablest OF them have no need of union aid
In maintaining their rights.-New York
Times