WITH THE AIM OF SAYING WHAT WE HAD TO SAY IN THE ONLY
WAY WE KNEW HOW TOSAYIT. VERY DIFFICULT IN A COUNTRY
AND CULTURE WHICH DID NOT THEN AND REALLY DOES NOT
TODAY USE POTTERY AS PART OF ITS NORMAL LIVING. WE
TALKED OFTEN OF THEE AND HOPED THAT WE WOULD BOTH
LIVE TO SEE THIS COMING ABOUT... POTTERS' DREAMS,

USED AS I WAS TO BUYING KILN FURNITURE, SAGGERS, RACKS,
STILTS, PINS, ALL THE SUPPORTS OF A KILN, IT CAME AS A
SHOCK TO FIND THAT HE MADE ALL HIS KILN FURNITURE, USED
SHELVES MADE BY LOCAL BRICKMAKERS, SOMETIMES BUILT
SLAB SHELVES FROM THE YELLOW FIRECLAY NORTH OF
VERNON, PRESSED STILTS, SUPPORTS AND THREW HIS SAGGERS
ON HIS BIG WHEEL, ALL HIS WARE WAS SAGGER FIRED IN A
RED BRICK OPEN FLAME WICKET TYPE KILN. A WALK-IN OWE,
FIRED WITH PRELIMINARY WATER SMOKING OF OIL AND COAL,
USING THE DRIP AND EXCESS AIR METHOD AND THEN FIRING
WITH SLAB WOOL BOUGHT BY THE CORD FROM THE MILLS
BELOW THE ROAD. NO DAMNED SALT AS HE SAID, REFERRING
TO THE COAST SLABWOOD WHICH IS SALT WATER SOAKED
BEFORE CUTTING. FIRING TOOK APPROX, 48 HOURS AND WAS
QUITE HARD ON HIM. HE WAS HELPED WHEN HE WAS SICK BY
FRIENDS AND HIS HOUSEKEEPER WHO MADE THE BEST FOOD
AND COFFEE EVER. THE CLAY USED WOULD FIRE TO VITRI-
FICATION IN A FAST HIGH FIRE BETWEEN CONE 6 TO 8.
SOMETINES WITH HIGH ¥ INDS, WHICH VERNON IS SUBJECT TC,
THE KILN WOULD OVER FIRE WITH HOT SPOTS AND THE POTS
WOULD MELT AND SAG INSIDE THE SAGGERS AND SO WOULD

BE OF NO VALUE, HE WOULD THROW THESE PIECES ON THE
SCRAP PILE TC GRIND UP AND USE IN THE GLAZE. SOME OF
THE PIECES I HAVE SEEN IN THE YEARS SINCE, CAME, I
BELIEVE, FROM THIS PILE. GLAZE RUNS HAD BEEN CARE-
FULLY GROUND. THIS OF COURSE ALWAYS HAPPENS, NOW
THAT COLLECTIONS OF EHBRING'S WORK ARE BECOMING
QUITE VALUABLE EVEN THE POOREST PIECES HAVE A PRICE,
IN THOSE DAYS IT WAS CONSIDERED A GOOD PRICE TO

RECEIVE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS FOR A PINT JUG, FIFTY

CENTS WAS VERY GOOD, THREE TO SIX DOLLARS FOR A TALL
THROWN JUG OR LAMP VAS IN THE REALM OF RICHES. IN

22,