Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1891 — FROM A BILLIARD BALL INTO A BUTTON. [ARTICLE]

FROM A BILLIARD BALL INTO A BUTTON.

Th# Shining Ivories Have a Brief bu* Active Existence. How many persons who wield a billiard cue are aware of the time, trouble and expiense of making th« iyory spheres ? The billiard ball, iij its natural state, is the principal means of defense for an elephant. In time the elephant falls a victim to the venturesome hunter, and he parts with his tusks, which are the most valuable of all his possessions to commerce. Most of the tusks find their way to London, which is the great sales mart for ivory! There, twice a year—spring and fall—the buyers of ivory gather. There are different grades of ivory, and only the finer kinds are suitable for making billiard balls. The best comes from the small tusks, which are from four to six inches in diameter at the thickest end. These are sawed into blocks, each section being large enough to allow the turning of a single ball. The factories devoted to the billiard ball iudustry in this country usually receive the ivory in this shape, the sections being marked so that the turners know from what part of the tusk each piece comes from, and in this way can calculate as to its grain and quality. It takes a long time to produce a perfect ball, and only skilled labor is employed.

Th.e exact center of the ball is first discovered by means of measurement. The block is then placed in a socket, and one-half of the ball is turned by an instrument made of the finest and sharpest edged steel. The half-turned ball is then hung up in a net for a short while, then the second half is turned, and the ball hung up as before iu a room the temperature of which is kept at from <SO to 70 degrees. The roughly turned ball is kept in this position for about a year. Then comes the polishing, whitening, etc. A great deal ol hard rubbing is also necessary, as the ball before being used should be near a certain w eight as possible, and measure 2f inches in diameter. It has been found impossible to get two balls exactly the same weight. Yery often they will be heavier on one side than on the other, and frequently they split right through the center. This is due to decay.

In the window of one of the large manufactories of billiard balls in this city lies a tusk about two feet long. It was purchased some years ago, and while being sawed in two the saw came in contact with an obstruction. It proved to be a rifle bullet, which had penetrated the elephant when quite young, for the whole inside of the tusk had a decayed appearance. The price of ivory for making billiard balls has greatly increased within the past few years, and the demand exceeds the supply. The Brunswick - Balke Billiard Company have offered SIO,OOO for a perfect substitute for ivory, but nothing thus far has been invented that combines the elasticity and durability of the ivory ball. Not until after it is placed on the table is the real life of the billiard ball shown. The pores in the ivory may close, and then if the ball is kept in a hot room it is likely to crack, or it mav crack by reason of concussion with other balls. This is one of the great difficulties to contend against. To overcome this the balls should be kept at as even a temperature as possible. When a billiard ball is first used it occupies the first rank. A crack may soon be exposed and then it is returned to the factory. The nick is’ shaved off, and it comes back slightly smaller in size. It may then' find its way into some second-rate billiardroom. After some more hard usage it is again returned to the factory and comes forth again much reduced in size and probably becomes a cue ball in pool. After it is found to be practically useless for the purposes for which it was originally made, it is bought bydealers in bone and ivory, and the balls are then turned into buttons or they are burned and used iu the making of ivory black.— New York Hun.