The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-03-06
s.INpfA INK SECRET.
rhss .ss win al,l

issmethins That the West, With All.
Itsi Science, Cannot FAITH d
With MI sthctf mo 1crn fmproy
and all their scienee; none Of the lad !;
|TanEell nations has been dblez to pro-
luce the equals OF 4 the Chinese and
Japanese "a eqnersi orSintlialiniss. Cllenie.
lists. Ink manufac tures ana artists
lave tried for generation 10 discover.
tile secret that enables tile Chinese
with primitive processes, to produce
these materials In such perfect FORM,
ibutitnc secrets still are secrets.
Tile nlanufgetureSof india ink in
particular hns bhtiied all foreigners. 1t
is made. in China today practically. as
| ii was made four centuries ago. when
Chen HI Sonen invented the process.
Tie oils pressed out OF tile seeds Of
q certain plantSand then set to slmmer,
while the workman adds n mixture OF
powdered redwood. grated sandnlwood
hand seeds of almonds and otllcrEpow;
,ders. 4 q 3 iit1
After the sinmering is ended the re-
sultlis filtered and set aside for q long
time TO settle. Then 1t is put into tiny
eartlcn dishes. each OF which has a
wick made out Of a reed. 4 great
quantity OF these little dishes are set
on bricks, and over each is placed a
funnel shaped clay cover. THEN the
wlcks are lit, and the SCOT produced by
the burning mass Is caught on Its In.
side.
This Is SO delicate IN operation that
the workInen watch the slightest
Change in the weather, for Il small diff.
ference in temperature will make a
big difference in the quality OF the
SCOT. The finest SCOT Is prepared in
rooms that are absolutely alright. II
there are any windows in them they
are covered with paper pasted over
them as TO close every crack in the
walls.
Every little while the workman goes
cautiously TO II dish and dusts the gath
cred SCOT Off with a feather. Although
1t is so soft AMI fine that it iIill noat
In the air, 1t still is not line enough for
the. Cinnamon. They put it through
sievcs. and only after 1t has passed
through them is 1t considered fit for
mixing with the liquid material that
turns it into india ink. Nobody out.
side Of the Cinnamon In tile secret
knows what this liquid substance is.
After II has been mixed 1t is kncad.
ed for many hours and then ground
fine again IN mortars, which stand In
water baths, so that there shall not be
the slightest change in. the temperl-
turc.
Then the stun is shaped into the
sticks that we know, and 1t Is beaten
with little hammers until each stick is
perfect. After this the sticks urc pluc.
ed Into wooden forms to harden. The
forms have raised letters carved on
them, mud these impress themselves
Oh the sticks. making the trademarks
which arc familiar TO all users of In.
| dla ink.
Even after the sticks are ihard and
lappcar perfect tic Chinaman is not
satisfied. Each stick Is wrapped with
fine silk paper, and then they are laid
Into y box. The spaces between them
are filled with ushes obtained from
rice straw. Every day the ashes are
taken ont and new ashes put in until
every bit of moisture has been ex-
tractcd. Then the sticks are unwrnp-
ped, brushed, rubbed and finally pol.
lshed with polisher made of agate.
After that the ilullu ink is consld-
cred ready for the market.-Louisvlllc
Courler-Journal.