Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1899 — Sweet Briars. [ARTICLE]

Sweet Briars.

It is within the last ten or fifteen years that young men have taken to pipe smoking, and they have made the briar the proper thing in pipes. Ten yea rs ago briar pipes were only made in France'and Germany, but when our own manufacturers turned their attention to pipes, the result was •Improved machinery for turning them out and a big reduction In the price. The best briar wood comes from France. This wood comes in rough blocks, and In bags, which hold from 200 to 300 blocks each. The blocks are roughly shaped, and they are first put ing frazing machine, which shapes the bowl. Then they go through another machine which hollows out the bowl and reduces the stem. It is sandpapered and oumice-stoned down to its proper size, The stem is drilled and the pipe is ready for smokiug.