The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-22
CENTERS OF IVORY CARVING IN INDIA Tusks From Africa Best Suited for Purpose SNARING ELEPHANTS Big Beasts Are Useful in Transport ing Goods and Army Supplies.
 Tusks Require Cutting
 Once . Year

s<1 pounds of unmarufactured ivory valued at $66S,61s. and re-exported of this amount 41.ss2 pounds. valued al about $70.000 It also. exported 746s pounds of locally produced ivory un- manufactured to the value of abou, &20.000. and manufactured ivory to the value of about e20o0.
 The carving or ivory Is an import ant industry in some rArts of India and the statistics of export trade ap- rarently fail to show It's true import ance. as carved ivory is bought to a great extent by tourists. who take 1t away with them without it's export be ing recorded at the various chipping ports: moreover. carved ivory is often Incidental to other articles classed as jewelry. furniture. brushware. etc There is very large local purchase of Ivory articles by well to do natives of the country.
 The principal centers of ivory carv- ing in India at the present time are the native states of Mysore and Trav- encore. in the south Of India. Burns the town of Murshidzpad. in Bengal. and Delhi, the new Imperial capital Of India It is intresting to note that the craftunien of these places, with the exception of those of Burma. all use African ivory in preference to that q India or Ceylon. The. reason for this 1s that African ivory iB closer In the grain and not 90 likely to turn yell low and appears to he superior ar tlcle in many ways: the general epin- ton Of experts Is that the quality of this ivory is due almost entirely to the better food of the African elephant.
 Although Ivory is obtainable from ura far r.a rf of the Ivory manufactured in India Is tmported from Africa. The Indian ele-. pnants have important uses, for the purposes of display by natives of rank in processions. for assisting in the movements of troops, for transporting timber from the forest to river banks snc for shooting purposes. but the rsoducticn of ivory h not their spe- clsIty.
 Wild elephants are found in most of the large forests of India. from the foot of the Himalayas to the extreme south of the Indian peninsula and th, cuEhout the peninsula to the east of the Bay of Bengal into Burma and Siam. They are also found in Ceylon. There 10 said to be only one species Of elephant throughout these tracts. In the native state of Mysore In south eln India they seem to be especially numerous as shown by the fact iha, during the visit of the viceroy of India to that state in November. 1913. there wss an elephant drive at which about .I3a were caught. of which number 24 were later invoiced at the American the United States for circus purposes i. Tho declared export return of these elephants showed prices ranging from $16e for a baby elephant three feet high up to s5sS for a female elephant s feet inches high. Most of the con-
 zf< ah aqr r1l price and the 24 elephants cost alto gcther S11.757.
 Capturing Wild E'eDhants
 The chief methods adopted for the cap- turing of wild elephants in Inda are as follows: Ddrivins into "kheddahs' or en- closures. hunting with trained females, pitfalls, noos'ng from trained elephants used at the recent drive in Mysore. Is the only one adopted for the capture of whole herds, the others being for single elephants It is a method in vogue where- ever there are government hunting estab- Ishments h India
 About s70 men are usually used for such work, and attached to each party there
 must be | number of tame elephants to deal with the wild elephants when cap tured. for not only have the wild e'enhants to be led out of the jungle and taken to drink and bathe daily, but each requires , an elephants load of fodder. which the tame ones have to bring. consequently two wild ones to each tame one is the
 ma ximum that can be managed.
 When the elephants are driven into a
 particular space. which may be from six
 to ten miles In circumference. and within
 which there must be good fodder. thin fence of split bamboos is placed around it and this investment may be main-
 tained for week or so until the elephants
 seem to become accustomed to 1t. F'nally \ the elephants thus enclosed are guided by K beaters to q gate from which two lines
 of strong pailisades run out. The gate
 ls made very strong. and is studded with
 Iron spikes on the inside.
 Through this gateway and palisade the
 elephants are driven into small enclosures,
 and the tame e'ephants enter and secure the wild ones by separating them one by one from their companions Their hind legs are then tied together and ropes placed arou~d each captive's neck. after Whicl they are led out and piclxeted In the forest until they have been sufficiently 6uhjugated to be removed.
 The largest male elephants are seldom caught with . herd in this way. as they usually make their escape out of the circle of men through their greater bold. ness As rule they are caueSt by making use of decoy female elepfnnts which are driven to the jungle where the 1f sinRle male is known to be and allowed tC graxe as thoueh they were wild but w'tf E men riding them who are concealed with dark coiored blankets. When approach ink the females -hese large males are se- cured by the legs and fastened to trees Catching elephants by pitfalls Is consfd. cred cruel and dangerous. and is nov practiced very little. The sport of nocs m E from trained elephnnt's bucks is said tt De an exciting but not an advantageous 4 method of catching them
 The largest tusks of Indian elephant measure not over foru or feet in Ienett 3e outside curve, and about 1A Inches In cir 4 conference at the gum. and weigh abou, n pounds. The tusks of those except very ged elepharts are only sct'd for c pnrtson of fhe'r lergth: the hollow is fsli 2 Cd with firm. bloody pulp. In youns * animals the tusks are only solid for c portion of the'r Iength. even outside thu rum ard are hollow thrcuvhout the eru ) hedded portion With age the pulp cavitS le~res ses in derth. t'll sn very old ani nsals, 1t becomes a'rpcsf ohIverAted. Yearly Auction Sales
 & -The xrve-rv~snt of the state of Mvsor' 4 Aa4 t,,et iss,,ed a notice that an ivory 'I # She shane cf A'errarts trs',s in that rtat' ' GhasS he sold at uuhlic auction nv fh' l distvsct t-easr-v officer. at Bansa'ore- r
 convenient let's once every year A t"ss
 or . pc~tson of tuslr may he sold V
 retal he*~een any. two a,icfiors. wit, 4 ty<o sprrovai Cf tie government. ct tn h1Khest rate secured at the 'ast previou' .A auction oale. In ai1 of India wild ele sAhautD gre c~nesdered government prou