New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-30

Il murIrrred, Gently. brother. gently. pray"
One may net stop casually in the doorway of a
modern American pottery-say in Trenton, which
IS tie chief centre Of this Industry in this country
and lean against il 10 DhilosoDhiZe, as Omar oid
in Naishapur nine hundred years ago. The door OF
q Trenton pottery opens. rule, 70 q series OF
Offices wherein numerous clerkly personaSes AT
poljshed desks Office boys rushing to speaking
tubes and telephones and the click Of the type
writer punctuates the racket The explorer VINO
has penetrated 50 far VIII ascertain ~ once that
there is 40 great consideration here for the mys-
tical aspects OF pOttering. clerk will challenge
him politely. and politely regret that 1t IS not
customary 10 admit visitors 10 the pottery without
permission from the superintendent" The super
irtendent however Is likely 10 be a man OF KIND
and unrestricted impulses, VINO gives one permis-
sion and q guide.
one IS led up stairways and down. by intricate
routes. through storerOOms woTlroonls and Kiln
cellars, and finally stands before row OF bins
heaped with white and yellow Cays- Here is pot
terry in iis original siate-the ball clay. which Is
the basic material Of china, fe!dspar. flint and
phosphate OF lime. besides other ingredients an OF
which confer special properties, such as hardness'
pOrcusness o. the opposite Wi4ite-eSs,
and 50 on Inc potter Knows ms mate ldtS ~
accurately. with due regard fc- their respective
Near the bins are to be seen great circular tanks.
I e iO rIc5iic Ite5 Win reoiviDe blades that
knead and mix the clay as bread Is kneaded The
ties S2Tyis 2SeCI e 70 d S5 ana he mass Is
- ploIIee., 3leF , - a ~ e.. 80 Ia !, is fhen
III agator and from there Grihbled into q strain
ing machine. where Il is worked back and forth
between a pair &C shuttles and made 10 ooze
through piece Of fine gauge stretched on frame.
Pipes cars the stun where as much moisture
possible is extracted and the material then N
far cakes almost DRY; IS Ted . the pug mil Here
it undergOes the final preparatory process.
The pug mill IS htted with knifelike blades
which thoroughly cut out TIE air holes as they re-
volve. The cay comes forth Al the lower end OF
nearly its consistency. which elongates along the
by means Of string held iaut and il is then piled
en- a carrier, whence il is taken to the workroom
THE MAKING OF PLATES.
One follows It 70 the room. for instance where
they are making plates Each man has his pile Of
dough" on the bench table at which he is stand
ing. He places a handful apart grips a round
wooden block by the handle AID brings it down
upon The bat Of clay with a sharp smack. Tie
clay is nattensd ont nicely as though with a
rolling pin, and the potter lifts il deity and lays
II IN q mold. To stretch 1t ever 50 slightly IL
The mold is made Of plaster q Paris, which has
Tiafe Tho liver ~ ciaz- IS n +iffens in the roonld
Is pressed thus on its under surface into the upper
cOniOIILati0 Of Il llate. The upper exposed
fsoe of lie CLAW IN tho mould must now be finshed
70 serve as tie bottom Of tie plate. and accord
ingly il is placed mould and al. upon 4 horizon
tally revolving disk Of wood which turns it rapidly
around The potter then presses or the back Of
the plate, u WLTlS under hand. in
strument that caTves il into the proper shape and
thnness He then gingerly removes IL from the
where The mould process and The carving opera
ton meet. and places the article on a shelf with
saucers are made in tie same way. and the
process with cups and bowls and the Ike is similar
that Il revoves vertically and tile worker uses
simple steel blade which he has bent little, ac-
cordng 70 his convenience. and with which he
operation. like nearly every other operation IN the
business. Is delicate one The slightest undue
ana variation in the thickness Of the vessel The
stuck while still soft. Al kinds of dishes
SNAPPED otherwise than round are made exclusively
sectors and Joined together.
When articles have reached a stage in the drying
department. IN which they arc no longer pliable
The kns are great cylindrical furnaces OF brick
y Leet IN diameter and about 30 feet high to the
peaks OF their cone-shaped crowns. Several stand
fired" others are cooling and being drawn
Ground ne base OF each are the openings OF the
ists es which lie beneath is floor Articles to
1s nfea are placed In large. oval shaped eartnen-
white sand. When saggar IS nlled roll OF soft
clay Is laid around the edge Of It to serve both as
@ Il and as an excluder OF smoke and fumes. The
faggars are stacked IN this way in columns reach
their heads. run up tie ladders Without raising a
hand 10 steady their loads When the kiln is
Eeeseq the opening Is bTtcked up, the fires are
seEy az $500 degrees Fahrenheit
The kiln Is cooled by letting the fires die. The
lEied away from the sealed entrance. The scenic
sect q the scarlet fires thus appearing is equal
workers are splashed with orange. light and jet
n Eild shapes leap along the floor and walls and
ceiling. To draw the kiln Is 10 take out the
cooled The articles they contain are dun OF finish.
SaiaE white and brittle hard. and are said 20 DO
~ tne biscuit state"
APPLYING THE GLAZE
Flazed errPaco fs vet IN h anniied Generally
100 some decoration IS required, and this may be
either 'overglaze" OF 'underglaze" decoration. &C
eorong II Is applied after before the article
receives Its glazing. Glaze is creamy looking con-
Soeuon OF various pottery ingredients, IN which ar
from which they reappear pesplendently shiny. In
SiH,eslaze decoration. the oTnamentatlon pelng ap-
4le4 AFTER the glOst firing requires another firing
20 nx = The underglaze process IS largely used
For print decoration the worries. uses. a copper
5.eLe engraved with certain portion OF the pat
smears paint 81 the desired color and scrapes Il
away % leave only that which inheres throughout
then placed ever the pattern and ironed aat upon
y 70 absorb Il. As the design on the copper piats
eeeogaiion as s. Win appear when the article e In.
H-eS nc design has 20 DC repeated on q SUFFICIENT
ts.sse.Nefa on inc china surface eaeh % ~ ths
- . e'09t as1eset D .Sfs @ 80 &C., r' !,
cgoR ne dish which q then eel2ps g. IA glaze
otter tie giost nring ana another firing. a slight
-, IS undergone.
Ageh q the higher Gloss OF compensation Is ap-
" vogue 20 a large extent, for designs over glazs
e considered. A section containing the required
sssa . CT from q ansett.., end eRgee where
100 ~ oF t.teneT WEE tae R@pss, Is 1neleogea VII
oz Us SoleTee msfs ~ y,e ss an,
t-e PRINT process. the dec2lcoInsnie. once ep-
tase eAArot be nsSd ASain AethsE ioSenioni