Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-06-28
MAKING CLAY PIPES.
4 CUISINE ss ABOUT WHICH MOST
PEOPLE KNOW VERY LIT
The Process Of Nanufacture Ia N"t
So simple a. Might He Imagined
From the Low Price of the FiHish-
ed ProGurt-HOw They Are Made.

FEe" tuF AoN " '"V
ed Troduct-lIow They Are Made.
Among the little things seen il daily
life about which most people know
very httIe is the common. ordinary
clay pipe II almost every cigar shop
window III Tie mouth of every third
lahQrcr met and even III the nursery
tl5jS snow white little instrument or
tomfort aud amusement may be seen,
yet few know, fer instance. that most
of The clay pipes sold in tins city or
domestic make are manufactured In
New Jersey. Woodbridge is the name
7f the queer little town given over to
thiS odd manufacture. and trip
Trough one Of the factories Of that
settlement, to follow the pipe from the
time il is dug rs clay To the time it
appears ready fer the market is inter.
cStin&
Look inc at the ehuuks and Jumps OF
clay as they are transported from the
banks to the factories, one would
hardly believe that the snowy, cheap
little article could have been mapnfac-
turnd from material SO different III
toIor. The color of TINS clay before II
Is burned is dark gray, like cement,
nor is the process of manufacturing
| one Of these pipes as simple as might
| he Imagined from the ahsurdlN low
price AS the clay comes into the fac
.orv it is divided finely and put to
| soak in water for ten 10 twelve hours
| This soaking is to divide the clay To
its smallest possible particles SO that
| III the ensuing process II viii not cake
or lump and Will work smoothly and
evenly. This attained the clay is put
into a pug" mill, whore it is stirred
| hy ,rachinery until il gets stiffer aud
stiffcr. finally becoming rs stiff as
! dough In this state the clay is rough
ly nodded into Jumps aud distributed
among the pipemakers, who begin the
first step in the life of the hulnhle ere
/ alton.
Grasping a small chunk Of clay in
/ esir' hand. the artist begins work to
fashion roughly two pipes at the same
+ time. Rolling the clay between Il table
and his pallus, be quickly produces
two carrot shaped and pointed rolls
that bear little or 40 resemblance To
/ the article when il shall he finished.
j With incredible speed the taShionlng
Of these rolls continues. for ahead OF
the expert is the problem Of nanufae-
turing something like seventy five
gross of pipes within the week. Then
the rolls are put away TO dry some
what aud for ten or twelve hours they
s1iffcn so that once shaped they Will
not fail readily to pieces. After that
the clay is ready for moldin..
The ordinary mold consists Of two
pieces of iron hinged on the side and
opening like Il sewing box. Most of the
little factories have numerous moidS,
from the common. unadorned sort that
comes In two pieces and is intended
for the ordinary plain pipe to all sorts
Of elaborate patterns that come in six
or eight pieces and are made of brass
and intended to fashion pipes i'll imi-
tation of wooden models that happen
to be in vogue. The pipemaker grasps
one of the shapeless rolls, tits the fat
suggestion of Il pipe, and runs wire
through the pointed end, out of which
: the stem is to be pressed
This roughly fashioned clay is ther
put into the mold. which is jammed
shut. while at the same time plungel
: is pressed to enter the mold and tC
press out the clay so as to form the
bowl With dull knife the clay
pressed out at the side of the mold is
shaved off with single lightning
stroke by the expert and then once
more there must be a drying process
this time in a room heated to about 81
degrees where. as before. the pipe is
kept for twelve hours. Except that the
pipe is of it's original gray color and
r soft and supplied with the 'burs'
where the nodded ends are Joined, it is
now practically finished.
: Then comes the process of shaving
5 off the hnrs At this stage the pipe
still retains considerable dampness. sc
that the clay may be cut smoothly
while at the same time wire is agai'
drawn through the stem SO as to in
sure proper draft. All is now ready
for the pipe in its final state eXcep1
lIldI IL IettlS " Ie ulI utu. vi LIE
purpose it is put into a cylindrical YES
! sci twelve inches high and as much II
diameter This is known rs a sag
ger" Set one against the other. the
pipes are adjusted solidly in the sag
ger, which will hold something like {
gross of pipes properly packed. II
the pipes consist of the more fancy de
sgns--that is, merely pipe bowls thai
= are to be provided with mouthpieces
of wood or rubber-the saggers will
hold as many as two gross of pipes
Nine of these saggers filled with pipe:
are known as stand, and medium
sized kiln will hold twenty one stands
and will burn them all at the same
; time. For five hours the heat in tht
kiln is kept at moderate tempera
ture. After that it is allowed to ru1