Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-12
HOW MEERscHAUM IS MINED.
Where It Is Found-Process of Max.
 ing It Into Pipes.

ing It Into Pipes.
 Despite our familiarity with meerschaum, as used in pipes, 1t Is safe to say that few of us have more than a vague idea of the peculiar properties of this substance, or the condition in which it occurs in na- ture. The ancients believed the sub stance to be petrifled seafoam, hence the German name meer- schaum, meaning seafoam; and a very apt name it is, for the mineral is very white and so light that 1t twill float when dry. Pieces of meer- schaum have been found floating in the Black sea which were evidently washed out of their matrix by the waves. This may also have had its influence on the seafoam theory of its formation.
 Meerschaum is found in best quail ity and most abundant quantity in Asia Minor, though it also occurs in Greece, Spain, Moravia and Morocco, and even in this country in South Carolina. The richest mines are on the plains of Eskishehr, 250 miles southeast of Constantinople. One of these mines is said to be thousand years old, and consists of about two thousand pits within an area of six miles, all but about 150 of which have been exhausted. The mineral occurs in nodules or Jumps of various and irregular sizes, buried in the all luvial deposit of the plain. Anoth- CT mine comprises 5000 pits, only 100 of which are being worked.
 The material is mined by the in- habitants of the surrounding vil- lages and transported in the rough to Eskishehr. The meerschaum is soft when mined, but soon hardens when exposed to the air. For this reason the Jumps are roughly scrap ed off at first and then laid aside to dry. When dry they are subjected to thorough scraping and clean ing, and are finally waxed and pol ished. The Jumps are now sorted according to size in four classes and packed in boxes. In this condition the meerschaum is shipped to the pipe manufacturers.
 In a meerschaum pipe factory the larger pieces are cut with band saw to convenient size, after which the meerschaum is soaked in water until it becomes quite soft. Nicer schaum when wet becomes very soapy, and will produce quite lath- CT if rubbed. In fact, the material serves as a very good substitute for soap, and is thus used in Morocco. Meerschaum dust makes an excellent cleaning powder for removing spots from fabrics. After being thorough ly soaked, the meerschaum can be cut like cheese, and it is then rough ly shaped with knife to the form of a pipe When dry the bowl and stem shanks are drilled, and then, if the pipe is of plain pattern, it is turn ed on a lathe to the desired form. If a square stem shank is desired, 1t is shaped with a file. The shank is now shouldered and threaded to re- ceive the amber stem piece. These stems are cut from plates of solid amber, most of which is imported from Germany.
 Amber occurs in many parts Of Europe and America. but in largest quantity along the coast of Ger many. This fossil gum is found in Jumps or grains and is melted at $50 degrees F. and refined.
 There are two qualities of amber, the transparent and the opaque or cloudy, the latter being much tough CT, and. therefore, more serviceabie. The pipe stems, after being fooled t. ts,.nd ho They are first immersed in oil and heated until they lose much of their brittleness. Then they are held over an alcohol flame and bent as desired. The threaded ends of the stem are protected while bending by an arbor screwed therein.
 The pipes are now carefully smoothed with pieces of American rush. or shave grass. The stem of the grass. owing to the natural de- posit of silica. has a fine roughness which perfectly adapts it for this service. After the pipes have been properly finished with the rush, they are immersed in melted wax for a short time. depending on the density of the meerschaum, and then they are given a high polish with chalk precipitate.
 Meerschaum is an excellent ma te: ial for artistic carving. and some carved tobacco pipes are perfect gems of art.
 In the selection of a meerschaum pipe. one should be careful not to pick a dead white specimen. That which is of a slight creamy color will soonest take on that beautiful rich yellow brown shade which so delights the smoker. Nor should the meerschaum be too light, as that is an indication that 1t is too porous to .color properly. while on the other hand a very heavy meerschaum may be almost too dense to absorb the coloring nicotine.
 A great many so-called meer. schaum pipes are made from arti- fcial meerschaum, a material com posed of the chips and dust of meer- sehaum bonded with some solution and moulded into blocks. The arti- fcial product is somewhat heavier than the genuine. There are still other ways Of initiating meeT- schaurn. and a novice will find much difficulty in successfully selecting genuine meersehaum pipe of good auality.-Scientifc American.