t_ who takes from the carrier the piece of clay cut into the
proper size, and after laying this on a block gives it a strong blow
with a plaster-of-Paris bat to flatten it for the jiggerman. When
making simple objects such a man can give the article quite a start
even with one stroke. You can see that some such beginning must be
made before the jiggermen can handle the material."

"How much does the bat weigh?" demanded Theo, instantly interested.

"About fifteen pounds. It is not very heavy, but the batter wields it
with considerable force. After the article has thus been
approximately shaped, and the jiggerman has completed it, a
mould-runner must carry the freshly modeled piece to the stove-room to
be dried; and on his backward trip bring with him two other articles
that are already dry. These he takes off the moulds, leaving the dry
piece to go to the finisher, and the mould to the batter-out. The
fourth man in the team, or crew, is the _finisher_. His duty is to
smooth the rough edges of each article with a damp sponge, or a tool
of flat steel. After this process is completed the jiggerman's
crew is through with its part of the work and the goods go to the
greenroom to be counted, and if perfect accepted by the foreman. Most
jiggermen hire their own helpers, as it is simpler for them to do
so. Formerly only round articles were made by the jiggermen--such
things as cups, plates, bowls, etc. But now oval, as well as round
dishes, can be made on a jigger, although elliptical wares are not
turned out this way to any very great extent, other processes of
shaping being preferred for objects of this type."

"You spoke, Mr. Marwood, of casting some wares," remarked Theo.

The older man smiled.

"You have a good memory, my boy," he said. "I did mention casting. It
is an independent process, and shapes of great variety can be
fashioned as well as ornamented in this way. By the casting method,
too, we are certain of getting articles of uniform thickness. We can
even make very thin objects by this means. But the process is
destructive of moulds, and therefore has its flaws. The success of the
plan is entirely dependent on the mould's absorption of the moisture
in the clay; otherwise the method of casting could not be applied to
potteries or porcelains. As the clay is compressed the water is
squeezed out of it, and this the mould must take up, or the clay would
never dry and retain its shape. You can understand that, I thi