The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-29
OF HUNDREDS
OF ELEPHANTS
Ivory Production of the World
on the Decrease.
HOW IT Is OBTAINED
Great Industry of the indian
Countries.
HOW 1T is OBTAINED


In the world. He has recently written a
series OF articles on the ivory industry,
which have just been published IN LIE
Movement Geographique, says the Chi
cago Inter-Ocean. Some of the most in
teresting facts, particularly those which
are not widely known are reproduced here
from his exhaustive treatment Of the
subject.
Ivory Is derived from the secretion and
solidifcation OF gelatinous matter, called
dentine, which is contained in the hollow
part pulp cavity of the tusk This mat
ter is conveyed through minute veins sx-
tending radically TO the surface Of the
tusk, where it hardens in concentric lay
eds The surface of the ivory is covered
with a Gust, about tire millimeters
thick. which is removed before the ivory
is turned into any industrial product
An intimate relation exists between the
age Of the elephant and the rapidity Of
ivory growth. The young animal secretes
a much larger quantity Of dentine than an
old elephant It's tusks are hollow almost
to their point.
This hollow part or pulp cavity gradu-
ally decreases in size with advancing age.
About three-fourths or four-fifths of each
tusk of old animals Is solid ivory.
Another way to tell whether the tusk
comes from a young or an old animal is
TO examine the hollow part of it. If the
hollow is of the same diameter where the
tusk energies from the head as at the fur
ther end Of the hollow, the tUsk is that
of an adult animal.
Some writers have referred to the large
number of small tusks in the market as
proof that elephants are killed for their
ivory before the tusks mature The fact
Is that more than two-thirds OF the ivory
sold is that of adult animals.
II is from the older tusks of solid or
nearly solid ivory that billiard balls are
made Most of the elephants are killed
by the natives and ivory hunting is with
them secondary consideration. Their
chief reasons for killing the elephant are
chat he destroys their plants tons and that
his flesh is regarded as an excellent food
resource.
Elephants have not been so recklessly
destroyed in Africa as in India, where the
wild elephant is now almost unknown. 1t
will he remembered that in India, on &C
count OF their destruction Of crops, wild
elephants were for a time poisoned in
large numbers.
Many tribes which organize great ele
plant hunts in the Mobani region of the
Congo. impair the value of the ivory by
driving herd into an enclosed space and
then setting fire to the tail grass so that
the animals are nearly burned to death
Iii Cd NTH
The tusks are thus more or less calcined,
and their value is greatly reduced.
The elephant is found in all the we'll
watered and fertile parts of equatorial
Africa. The finest and most transparent
ivory is obtained from the humid and low
lying regions.
In the higher and colder districts the
ivory is coarser in texture. Along the
Frontiers Of the animals habitat. his ivory
Becomes very hard and brittle, as, for ex-
ample, the ivory coming from Senegam-
bia.
About one-fifth of the tusks coming from
Central Africa are affected by some
strange disease. the results OF which are
seen in little masses or threads of a sub
stance that differs from ivory in structure
ivory. darker in color and evidently
originate in some interference with the
secretion Of the dentine The Germans
call this disease ivory smallpox"
The tusks that come into commerce
greatly var- in weight with about two
pounds as the minimum. The maximum
weight IS not definitely fixed. One pair
OF tusks from the same animal that re-
Gently came TO Europe weighed a little
over S1s pounds or about los pounds to
the tusk.
Tusks are occasionally found Of even
greater weight. One enormous tusk. for
example. Weighing 9O6 pounds. was sold
few years ago TO the late King OF Bavaria
TO serve as the principal piece In a chan
delier
The most remarkable pair Of tuslIs that
has yet been obtained In Africa was pur-
chased at Zanzibar two and a half years
ago. for the price OF 5000 They were
taken from an elephant that was killed
near Mount Kilimanjaro. German East
Africa. by an Arab after he had chased
the animal for many weeks.
His intention was attracted 70 this par
ticular elephant by its enormous size but
much time and patience were expended
before he got near enough TO put in a
killing shot. The tusks weighed ass pounds.
one weishing about % pounds more than
the other. One tuSk was slightly longer
than the other and measured 1016 feet
One OF the classiacations Of ivory IS
based upon the weight Of the tusks A
heavy tusk weighs twenty-five Kilograms
n mo
twenty-five Kilograms The smaller tuslxs
are adapted for bangles. bracelets. bill
lizard balls. and other such purposes.
About 50 per cent of the stock imported
into Antwerp is heavy tusks and about u
Der cent medium tusks. the smaller tusks
msking w more than half of the total
The form Of the tusks also varies great
ly. The longest tusk Yet obtained meas
ured 1oIs feet. AS regards their form.
tusks occasionally come into the market
that are absolutely straight but they are
very rare
Sometimes tusk Is found which has
ourled around, forming almost a perfect
c,rcle. Such pieces are defective and
their unusual form IS apparently due n
- me disease f. the ivory They are
usually without any hollow Interior. and
II they continue TO grow must necessarily
pen trate into the flesh Of the head.
Frequently an elephants tusks are not
Of the same length or weight. This is due
20 the tendency 81 most Of these
pachyderms 70 give preference 70 one or
the other tusk IN defending himself IN
digging up the soil. or In any other use
OF his tnsFs.
The Ds:ucuiar tusk that Is used more