The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-11-17
INCREASED COST or IVORY
Causes which Have Led TO Advance
In Price Are very In
tsrestinR.

= &1N toua A8lt Nu4I uUIWII0s
standing tho marked advance In the
price Of ivory IN recent years. the vol.
ume Of sales has not diminished, but
has actually increased. Tusks have
e selling In the markets Of London
and Antwerp At an advance Of about
30 per cent. lei the prices charged .
few yeau ago. says the jewellery Cir.
cular Weekly.
The causes which have led TO this
advance In price are very interesting.
II In not due to any artificial manip-
ulation Of the markets In the great
centers. nor IL Il due TO Increased de-
mand or scarcity Of elephants. For
the cause we must look to the heart
Of Africa. where q spirit OF genuine
commcrcial.sm Is manifesting Itself
among the natives. Their wealth 10
In ivory. and they have learned TO
value II as such. Indeed, the wealth
OF leading men among the natives wa
once commonly counted In tusks.
They would say OF a dusky capitalist
Of this kind that he was worth 70
many tusks. Just as one In this coun.
try would say that a man IL worth "a
many dollars. OF course. that was Q
natural phase In the development Of
q primitive people. The red man
estimated his riches In wampum. and
tho Laplander In furs. They often
would part with their possessions for q
few beads or trinKcts. They did not know
tho value OF n dollar. Certainly Il can
no longer be said OF the natives Of A.
RIGA that they do not knox the value
OF money. They have learned. Thus
II omo that the heather In HE
blindness" Ia o 40 blind as has been
supposed.
Increased transportation facilities
aud telegraphic communications have
brought Africa Into closer touch with
the rest OF the world. II il said that
Q native may be working 1000 miles
IN the Interior, and yet he can quote
you the cash value Of tusks In the
Antwerp OF London market.
OF course. II Is a far cry from A.
rica to the United States. and yet
there Is a very good market for ivory
In this country. Alert End enterpris-
Ink buyers are always on the lookout
for opportunities TO pick up good tusks.
II Bos,ock or Darnum n Bailey ever
chance to have an elephant die On their
hands In this country. II IL not q dead
loss TO them by any a II 10
likely that an energetic luycr Of
ivory will be bidding for II tefore tho
carcass Is cold.
American manufacturers confnc
themselves mainly. though rot cxclu-
sIvely. to such workings Of ivory rs
are appropriate for toilet goods. The
process Of manufacture Ia n delicate
one. requiring considerable skin. A
tusk Weighing. say. from 70 To 1875
pounds Ia bol,ed to n moving table.
on which II Is sawed into plates. Dur
Ing this stage the tusk has Ia be kept
thoroughly wet down to prevent burn
Ing as Ivory Is very hard. and q good
deal Of heat Ia generated by the frio-
ton.
From these plates. or nat pieces. vari.
ous rough shapes are sawed out. ac'
cordIng to the forms or designs whlsh
are to be perfected later on. In saw
Ing ont these shapes care has 10 b
taken to avoid spots or blcmishes Ia
the ivory. and at the same time guard
against wasting valuable material. To
be able to do tbs with good judy
ment and discrimination Is n test
Of a good workman In worry. and the
number Of men WIN are co rpetent 10
Il ~. ll-l - s,-A A.. .H..x n..ltAA