The Jasper weekly courier., 1905-11-17
INCREASED COST OF IVORY
Causes Which Have Led 10 Advances
in Price Are Very In
teresting.

II Is a curious fact that notwith-
standing the marked advance In tho
price OF ivory m recent years. the VOL
ume OF sales has not diminished. but
has actually increased. Tusks hare
been selling in the markets OF London
and Antwerp at an advance OF about
50 per cent over the prices charged a
few years ago, says the jewelers. Cir
cular Weekly.
The causes which have led TO this
advance in price are very interesting.
IL Is not due to any artificial manlp-
ulation OF the markets in the great
centers, nor IS II due TO increased de-
mand or scarcity OF elephants. For
the cause we must look 10 the heart
OF Africa. where a spirit Of genuine
commercialism is manifestlng itself
among the natives. Their wealth is
in ivory. and they have learned TO
value II as such. Indeed. the wealth
OF leading men among the natives was
once commonly counted in tusks.
They would say Of dusky capitalist
Of this kind that he was worth so
many tusks. just as one in this coun-
try would say that a man is worth so
many dollars. OF course, that was a
natural phase in he development OF
a primitive people The red man
the Laplander in furs. They often
would part with their possessions for a
few beads or trinKets. Theydid not know
the value of dollar Certainly IL can
no longer be said OF the natives Of Af-
rica that they do not know the value
OF money They have learned. Thus
II comes that the heather in his
blindness" is not so blind as has been
supposed.
Increased transportation facilities
and telegraphic communications have
brought Africa into closer touch with
the rest of the world. II is said that
a native may be working 1000 miles
In the interior. and yet he can quota
you the cash value of tusks in the
Antwerp or London market
or course, IL is a far cry from AZ
rica 10 the United States. and yet
in this country. Alert and enterpris-
ing buyers are always on the lookout
for opportunities 20 pick up good tusks.
If Bostock or Barnum & Bailey ever
chance TO have an elephant die on their
hands in this country, il is not dead
loss to them by any means. 1t is
likely that an energetic tuyer OF
ivory will be bidding for it before the
carcass is cold.
American manufacturers conhne
themselves mainly. though rot exclu-
siveiy. to such workings Of ivory as
are appropriate for toilet goods. The
process of manufacture is a delicate
one. requiring considerable skill. A
tusk weighing. say. from 75 TO l25
pounds is bolted TO a moving table.
on which il is sawed into plates. Dur
ing this stage the tusk has To be kept
thoroughly wet down 10 prevent burn
ing. as ivory Is very hard, and a good
deal OF heat is generated BY the fTic-
ton.
From these plates. or fiat pieces. vari-
Gus rough shapes are sawed out, ac-
cording to the forms or designs which
are TO be perfected later On. In saw
ing out these s~apss care has to be
taken to avoid spots or blemishes in
the ivory, and at the same time guard
against wasting valuable material. To
be able 10 do this with good judg-
ment and discrimination is one test
of a good workman in IVORY. and the
number of men who are competent 20
do this kind OF work is very limited.