Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-12
of
In Traced BY
MintOn at Convention

toAb ~
New Jersey Clay Workers Associa-
ton and Eastern section of the Am
erican Ceramic Society, at the an
nual meeting which is being held to-
| day in the Ceramics building, Rut-
gers College and. State University of
New Jersey, here. Mr.. Minton's ad-
dress which besides pointing out the
work TO be done by the association
in the future, also gave a history of
the making of pottery in the United
States, starting with the mound
builders and leading UP to the pres
ent time. The address Is of much
historical value to the clay industry.
The meeting began at 1880
o'clock, with a business session. This
was followed by an address by Mr.
Minton and then a general discussion
on Symposium on the casting of
| Ceramic bodies. At 1880 o'clock
a reception and luncheon was serv-
ed in the ceramics building at which
the ceramic students at the college
were the guests of the association.
The afternoon session begins at 2
o'clock and is featured by an ad-
dress by r. c. Purdy. general secre-
tary American Ceramics Society.
Mr.. Minton's address follows:
Men actively engaged in daily in
dustrial pursuits r apt to foget
hat the history which they ara
making Is only a part of that which
has gone before and that which is
to follow. Today we meet for the
| first time in this perfectly equipped
building dedicated to the progress Of
the ceramic industry. We are all
familiar with the course Of events
| during the past three years which
has made possible the erection Of
this building, and it does not seem
necessary to review the accomplish
ments of the past year. 1t seems fit
ting, therefore, that we stand aside,
momentarily, from our present &C
tivities, and attempt to get a broad
perspective of the part which New
Jersey has played in the ceramic in
dustry of America.
Previous to the establishment of
| the forerunners of the pottery Indus
try, as we know it today, there exist
ed two fairly distinct branches of
pottery in America. One was the
product Of the mound builders who
| seem to have been the original true
Americans. They undoubtedly ir-
habited the country at a very ancient
| date. 1t seems likely that the
naound-builders were related to the
P~eruvians and the strongest proof of
this is through the striking resem-
blance of the pottery products OF the
two races.
Associated with the mound-build-
ers are the Pueblos of New Mexico,
| Colorado and Arizona who seem to
/ have inherited all of their skill in
pottery from their predecessor. Some
of these tribes, particularly the Nat
| chez Indians. were very skillful in
| clay and have left ample evidence of
the range of their wares. Over 800
years ago at the time the West was
being pioneered by Europeans, the
Natchez were making pottery COM
parable with that of Europe. They
used the earthenware in their house,
| holds more extensively than it is
used at the present time. These ves-
sells we're hard burned and very heat
resisting, and often glazed or en-
ameled. In one spot in Utah parts
of SIS different vessels were found
ranging through almost all of the
forms known to modern potters.
The other branch of the ancient
| American pottery was that of the
Indian wares. The Indians seemed
to have had no national connection
| with the mound-bu,.ders, but are
Asiatic in origin and, therefore. not
the original Americans as generally
believed. The pure Indian pottery is
often not equal to that of the
mound-builders but in many cases
| there is resemblance which shows
the influence of the former.
Much Indian pottery has been
found in New Jersey. h site on
which Trenton now stands and the
vicinity of the Delaware Water Gap
--Aof i'm ~ ri r Rn fn
Indian tribes. There is ample evil
dence that pottery was made to a
great extent by the early Indians OF
This state. However, 1T did not
thrive after the introduction 2 OF
metal utensils from Europe, and n
art was not continued as 1t was by
the Indians of Arizona and New
Mexico.
The Beginning Of the Industry In
New Jersey
Clays-The development of the ce-
ramic industry in New Jersey has
been due to three things:
First-Location on the Atlantic
seaboard, which made it accessible to
immigrating potters. e
Second-Large deposits of clay.
Third-Proximity to New YORK
and Philadelphia markets. :.
When we view the imports OF
| English clays of today, 1T Is dlfflcult
to believe that at one time Engllsn
potters were importing American
clays into England. AS early as
1866 American clays from Georgia
Florida and the Carolinas were be-
ing sent to England in considerable
quantities. These clays were regu-
larly imported and used by Wedge.
wood until the later discovery OIL
claws in England. The great uni
formity of English clays, due in no
small extent to the careful prepara-
ton, make them more desirable than
American clays for some OF h inner
products. o,,;ar, v
fortunate in it's valuable clay de-
nosits. especially stoneware, retort
and fire clays. 1t is largely due TO
these raw materials that the ceramic
Industry has grown to such an m
nortance in the state. Whlie MANY
valuable kinds of clays are TO De
found in the state, perhaps the mose
characteristic are h slllclous ire
claws. These clays lend themselves
to production OF a very superior
type of fire brick, when are IN
eoualled for certain temperature e
quirements. ero
! Pottery-As far back as 1909
there seem to have been some pot-
}treies in the Colonies, IN
the production OF tiles, orich anu
coarse stoneware- Inc nrsL 49,
for tho manufacture of general ware
seems IN have been erected in apout
tha wear 1885, near Burlington, N.
IAS TL;r was hI1ilt by John