Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-03-23
MAKING CLAY PIPES.
a BUSINESS ABOUT WHICH MOST
PEOPLE KNOW VERY LITTLE.

PEOPLE KNOW VERY LITTLE.
The Process OF Manufacture l. Not
SO simple rs Might BE Imagined
From the Low Price 81 the Finish
cd Product-IIosv They Are Made.
Among the little things seen in daily
life about which most people know
very little Is the common. ordinary
clay pipe. In almost every cigar shop
window. I'm the mouth Of every third
laborcr met and even i'm the nursery
this snow white little instrument Of
comfort and amusement may Ice seen.
yet few know. for instance. that most
Of the clay pipes sold I'm this city OF
domestic make are manufactured I'm
New Jersey. Woodbridge Is the name
Of the queer little town given over TO
this odd manufacture. and trip
through one OF the factories Of that
settlement. To- follow the pipe from the
time IL is dug as clay to the time IL
appears ready for the market Is inter
cStiug
Looking at the chunks and Jumps OF
clay us they are transported from the
banks Go the factories. one would
hardly believe that the snowy. cheap
little article could have been manufac-
tured from material So different in
color. The color ot this clay before it
is burned Is dark gray. Ike cement;
nor is tho process 81 manufacturing
one az these pipes as simple as might
Ice imagined from the ab>urdly low
price. As tie clay comes into the fac
tory IL il divided finely and put To
soak i'm water for ten to twelve hours
This soaking is % divide the clay to
IT'S smallest possible particles So that
in the ensuing process 10 viii not cake
or lump and viii work smoothly and
evenly. This attained. the clay is put
into a pug MILL where It is stirred
10y machinery until &c gets sitter and
sitter, finally becoming as stiG as
dough. In this state the clay is rough
ly nodded into Jumps and distributed
among the pipemakers. who begin the
first step in the life OF the humble Gre
alton.
GraSpins a small chunk of clay In
each hand. the artist begins work 10
fashion roughly two pipes M the same
time. Rolling the clay between table
and his palms. he quickly produces
TWO carrot shaped and pointed rolls
that bear little or no resemblance IN
the article when il shall be finished
With Incredible speed the faShioninS
OF these rolls continues. Tor ahead OF
the expert is tie problem of manufac-
turing something like seventy FIVE
gross OF pipes within the week Then
the rolls are put away 20 dry some
what ana for ten or twelve hours they
stifcn 80 that once shaped they viii
not fall readily 10 pieces. After that
the clay is ready for molding
The ordinary mold consists OF two
pieces of iron hinged ON the side and
opening like a sewing box. Most Of the
little factories have numerous molds.
from the common. unadorned sort that
comes I'm two pieces and is intended
FOR the ordinary plain pipe To au sorts
Of elaborate patterns that come in six
or eight pieces and are made Of brass
and intended To fashion pipes in imi
tation OF wooden models that happen
10 be in vogue. The pipemaker grasps
one Of the ShapeleSS rolls. tiltS the fat
| end upward. which at once gives the
suggestion Of pipe and runs a wire
/ through the pointed end. out Of which
/ the stem is 20 be pressed
This roughly fashioned clay j. then
put into the mold. which is jammed
/ shut. while at the same time a plunCcl
! is pressed 10 enter the mold and Ia
/ press out the clay 50 as to form the
bowl. With dull knife the clay
| pressed out 0t the side Of the mold is
| shaved OF with single lightning
stroke 10y the expert. and then once
/ more there must be driving process
| this time I'm room heated 10 about =
/ degrees. whore as before the pipe i,
! kept for twelve hours. Except thar IN,
pipe is of its original gray color and
soft ana supplied with the "burS'
| where the nodded ends are Joined. &c is
now practically finished
! Then comes the process OF shaving
/ on the hurS At this stage the pipe
| still retains cOnSidCra BILE dampneSS. Sd
/ that the clay may be cut smoothly
while mt the same time wire is again
/ drawn through the stem. 50 as 10 in.
/ sure proper draft IN is now ready
/ for the pipe liz its final state except
/ that il needs 90 De burned. For this
| purpose 10 is put into a cylindrical YES
/ sci twelve Inches high and as much In
/ diameter This is known ais a sag
/ ger Set one against the other. the
/ pipes are adjusted Solidly i'm the sag
/ ger, which Will hold something like =
/ gross ot pipes properly packed II
( the pipes consist OF the more fancy de
signs that is. merely pipe bowls that
are 40 be provided with mouthpicce>
Z OF wood or rubher-the Saggcrs VII
/ hold rs many as two gross Of pines
/ Nine of these SagGerS filled with pipes
are known aS stand. and medium
sized Kiln viii hold twenty-one stands
ana will burn them all at the same
\ time. For five hours the heat in the
kiln i kept at moderate tCmpcra
ture. After that il is allowed 10 rur
up until at the end Of twelve or four
teen hours it is driven To Il white heat
/ which gives the pipes their Spotlcs,
white tiniSh.-\cw York Times.