Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / Feb. 14, 1957, edition 1 / Page 5
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Presence Of Clay In County Offers New Crafts Business While the number of handi craft articles being made in Ma con County is increasing, still another opportunity Is open to someone with the potter's tal ent, for the clays are available in the West's Mill area. The world-famous firm of Jo siah Wedgwood spent a vast sum nearly 300 years ago to ob tain five tons of Macon County clay for use In its expensive china and earthenwares. In the opinion of the present presi dent of the English firm, who himself visited here six years ago, the local clays could be used by craft potters for mak ing stoneware. Artistically -made folk ware would have a market. That la Indicated by the number of craft shops in and around Franklin which sell such wares ?now made outside the county. Answers Letter Henslelgh C. Wedgwood, In answer to a letter from The Press, said Macon County red clays would be Ideal for such ware. "As far as we could judge, however, from our brief inspec tion trip there appeared to be little white clay suitable for making porcelain." The only place the Wedgwood party had time to see while here was the old Rickman clay mine at the head of Cowee. This lack wouldn't hinder a potter interested In red clays. Even sq, there must be white clays available, too, near West's Mill. If Josiah Wedgwood's agent could find five tons of it in 1767 ? and Indians told the agent that men before him had got it ? such clay must still be there, somewhere. (T. M. Rickman of Cowee says he has never seen it but has been told many times that there is white clay "as white as flour" on a small stream near the head of Cowee Creek. Cowee residents call this stream Sigmond Creek aftei a farmer who once lived on it.) Here In 1?5? A fifth generation descendant of the famed Englishman, Mr. Wedgwood came here in 1950 for the unveiling of a state his torical marker commeroratlng the clay venture of Thomas Griffiths, sent here by Josiah Wedgwood. In his letter to The Press Mr. H. Wedgood quoted information about how the Ma con clay was used in a sales promotion of that day. (Appar ently, merchants as far back as the 18th century knew a good bit about the power of advertis ing.) Quotes From Letter Henslelgh Wedgwood quotes from a letter of his ancestor to Joelah Wedgwood's partner, Bentley: "I have often thought of mentioning to you that it | may not be a bad Idea to give out that our jaspers are made | of the Cherokee clay that I sent ; an agent to procure lot me, and when the present parcel Is out, we may have no hopes of ob taining more, as it was with the utmost difficulty the natives , were prevailed upon to part with what we now have. "But then his Majesty (King George III) should see some of these fine tablets and be told this story, which Is a true one, for I am not joking, as he has repeatedly enquired what I have done with the Cherokee clay. "A portion of the Cherokee clay is really used In all jasp ers, so make what use you please of the fact. They want nothing but age and scarcity to make them worth any price yon could ask for them." (Webster's defines jasper as, "A vlrlfied earthenware invent ed by Joslah Wedgwood, usual ly of delicate color with white embossing.") No Other Clays The present Wedgwood presi dent writes: "Of course, the supply of five tons was even tually exhausted and as far as we know no other clays were brought over from America." Asked why the original Wedg- ; wood sought no more Macon i clay, Henslelgh Wedgwood re plied: "There was only one oc casion on which Wedgwood ob l talned Macon County clay. He obtained It because he was In terested in knowing its nature and finding out whether it was superior to the English clays obtainable at that time. "Although the clay waa of good quality, it was found to be no more superior than the Cor nish clays, and of course 1U in aceseiblllty and the tremendous cost of obtaining it ruled out its use. "In addition, many obstacles were placed in Wedgwood's way in obtaining permission to dig the clay, not only by the Lords of Trades and Plantations but by the Indians themselves who were deeply suspicious of his motives and who thought that if Wedgwood were willing to go to such trouble and expense to obtain the clay, it must be worth Its weight in gold." In its Aug. 10, 1950, issue The Press carried an extensive ac count from Mr. Griffith's de tailed diary of his trip to Ma con County to get the clay. Know Some NEWS When You Need To OVERUSE Think of The Franklin Press The Only Newspaper In Tke WorU Devoted to Maeoe County" Phont 24 ? Have PRINTING TO DO WhM You - Want OFFICE SUPPLIES
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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Feb. 14, 1957, edition 1
5
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