The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-10 00:00:00

THE PIMLICO SLATE WORKS:-

This extensive establishment has begun to attract
amongst the highest quariers the attention which it de-
serves, and already many of the nobility havegiven large
orders to Jr. Magnus, the proprietor, for various ar-
ticles of decorative- furniture, and for fitting up, on a
large scale, of staircases, halls, bath-rooms, apartments,
&c. Wednesday last his Royal Highness Prince Wil-
liam of Prussia and suite, accompanied by the Duke of
Wellington, honoured the proprietor of the works with
a visit in Upper Belgrave-place. The Prince was much
pleased with the numerous and various specimens in
the show-rooms, and expressed his surprise at the ap-
parently perfect transmutation of simple slate into
the most costly marbles and precious slabs of stone.
Amongst the articles which excited admiration was
a perfect imitation of lapie lazuli, and an enamelled
slate billiard-table, similar to one which Mr. Magnus
recently made for Strathfieldsaye. His Royal High-
ness and the Duke of Wellington subsequently ex-
amined the machinery for sawing, planning, moulding,
and polishing slate, all of which are exceedingly curious.
They then visited the enamelling houses and the
rest of the works, with all of which they were
highly gratified. The processes used at this esta-
blishment are exceedingly interesting, and the • re-
sults are perfect. Slate, a commodity hitherto used for
the most, common purposes, and hut for few of them, is
here cut, by means of instruments of great power, into
balustrades, tablets, mouldings, mullions, sashes for
windows, door-frames, and many other things. It is
polished, painted, or stained to represent so closely the
most beautiful marbles, that the eye can detect no dif-
ference between the original and the copy. It is then
submitted to the process of enamelling in stoves or
heated closets, or furnaces, where it remains for eight
days or more, as the necessity may require, and is
then polished or finished off, and, having undergone
all this, presents a most splendid and costly appear-
ance. Thus tables or slabs of Sienna marble, of

Negro antiquo, of the verd antique of lapis lazuli, and
of the rarer specimens of Italian and oriental
marbles, are produced, which are said to be
harder and more durable than real marble,
and capable of resisting very great external
force. Neither are they affected by heat or frost,
and, being perfectly non-absorbent, are of pro-
digious durability. Some of the enamellings of
flowers, animals, landscapes, and so forth, are very fine
as works of art, and will well reward the inspection
of the curious. The Duke of Wellington, who has
patronized th's invention, some time since forwarded
with his dispatch to Colonel Malcolm several speci-
mens of the enamelled slate to Hong-Kong, and
large orders for baths and other things have in conse-
quence been received by the proprietor from that
country within the laso two months. The slate is
principally from Merionethshire, Carnarvonshire, and
Cornwall.—From the Times journal of Sept. 9.

[lt is a curious coincidence that at the moment so
much of deserved praise is properly bestowed on the
Pimlico Slate Quarries, that Mr. George Robins should
be directed to announce the sale, by public com-
petition, of the slate quarries in Merionethshire,
in North Wales, in - which Mr. Magnus, alluded
to in the Times report, is so largely interested.
It may be called the parent quarry to the
one at Pimlico. It is proposed that a company should
be established to carry out the peremptory instruc-
tions of the board of directors; such a speculation
Would appear without risk.
It is strange, and as Shakepeare would say, "it is
passing strange" that at the moment so much interest
i excited in respect to the use and great utility of slate,
that another quarry is in the market, and is placed also
under the controul of Mr. Robins, in Carnarvonshire.
It is stated of this that it is the most extensive con-
cern throughout the empire, and it is said, with ap-
parently great truth, that it promises a speedy aid
certain fortune]

A POTATO RIOT AT APPLEDORE.-
We are furnished by a correspondent with some par-
ticulars of a singular outbreak which occurred at Apple-
dore about two or three weeks since, we believe on .Sa-
tUrday, the 17th ult. The origin of the fracas, it appears,
was a farmer's wife having boasted, when on her way
from Appledore to Bideford, that she bad made a sove-
reign of a few potatoes, in Appledore, the week before,
and that cn the following week she intended to make
more. The potato-dealer inquestion, it seems, made the
money by selling her potatoes at 14d. per peck; and this
successful inroad upon the pockets of the Appledorians
led to her determination of making even a larger profit
on the following week.. This' circumstance becoming
known, the ladies of West .Appledore made up their.
minds to resist the imposition that was to be.practised-
upon them, and having assembled in a -very
formidable body, they went to the different farmers'
wives who frequented the market, informing them that
they had agreed among themselves to give ninepenee,
and no more, and they vowed vengeance against all who
should be induced to exceed that price. Some of the
dealers were quickly intimidated into compliance, but
(Ours for a time stood firm. What aggravated the case
op the part of the dealers was a well-ascertained fact,
that they had purchased them in Barnstaple market at
70., and even 6d. per peck, and endeavoured to make the
Appledore people pay them 14(1. One of the farmers'
Wives, we are told, made -application to a magistrate in
the neighbourhood, who advised her to prevent a dis-
turbance by selling at the Barnstaple price. A farmer
sat on his hamper, in a corner, and swore stoutly that he
would not sell for less than Is.. per peck, and went-to
Ilideford for the assistance of the police, who
tOld him that if he offered his potatoes at a fair price
there would be no riot, and. declined to interfere.
The women, r..othing daunted by the resistance'
offered to them, took posseSsion of, the potatoes,
served them out -to the -public at their own.
price (9d. per peck) and threw the money into
the baskets. One of the inhabitants, with a view of en •
forcing order, read past of the Riot Act ; but this was
a sort -of dead letter to the fair sex of Appledore,- and
they gained their point; They " served out" the fanner
who u ent to Bideford for the police, by giving him a
black eye ; an " old chap," who stuck himself up in a
corner in defiance' of the fair belligerents, and the pleas-
ing information communicated to him by one of,;the
party, that unless he ", carne'to" they would lash him to'
the stern of a boat and tow him from Appledore to
stow. With the..fear.of such, a cooler before his eyes,
the old gentleman at length gave way, sold out his pota-
thes, and put the money in his 'sack. In the afternoon,
to cekhrate the' victory they. had obtained, the Apple-
dbre women had a " grand tea," and some gentlemen.
Who admired the courage . and patriotism they had
evinced, supplied them with spirits for the remainder of
the day. [All the theory in the world is not equal to
experiments of this kind.]':---/Vorth Devon Advertiser:

MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE.--On Friday last, as the
steam-boat, 'Waterman No, 7, left Woolwich on her
voyage to London; among her passengers was a gentle-
man respectably attired, and, accompanied by a lady.
They were observed by the other passengers to be en-
gaged-in an earnest conversation, and the lady appeared
very much excited. When • the vessel was between
Charlton and Woolwich Point, the gentleman gave 'his
Walking-stick to the lady, walked deliberately to the
stern of the boat, and jumped overboard. The steamer
was going at full speed by the flood tide, and made con-
siderable way before an alarm was given. Mr. W.
Phillips, the master, immediately ordered the engines to
be reversed, and made every alert to save the unfortu-
nate man ; but though he was observed to struggle for
some time in the water he ultimately sunk before assist-
ance reached him. The lady appeared distracted—and
as there appeared to be a determination on her part to
jump overboard likewise, Mr. Griffiths, a timber-mer-
chant of Woolwich, watched her closely, and on the
arrival of the boat at Blackwell, gave her into the care
Of a police-constable, who promised to conduct her home.
She refused to give either her name or address, or fur-
nish any particulars with regard to the unfortunate de-
ceased, mere stating that he was a gentleman residing at
Boston New Town. From further information, on in-
quiry being made at Woolwich, it appears that they were
Observed walking in a lane in the vicinity of that town,
apparently excited, and the lady in tears. The body, has
not been recovered, although the river in that part has
been several times dragged.
DEATH OF SIR THOMAS TANCRED, BART.—The
accounts received from Spa, Belgium, at the close of last
Week, confirm the account of the death of the above
Baronet, who expired at that watering-place on the 29th
ult., in his 75th year. The deceased was son of the fifth
Baronet and Miss Smith, daughter of Mr. Thomas Ash-
ton Smith, and married in 1805 Miss Crewe, second
daughter of the Rev. Offley Crewe, of Muxton, Staf-
fordshire, who has been dead some years. He succeeded
to the Baronetcy on the death of his father in 1782. He
is succeeded by Mr. Thomas Tancred, born in 1800, and
married in 1839 to Miss Selby, youngest daughter of
Mr. Prideaux Selby, of Turrell House, Northumberland.
DEATH or THE HON. LADY BROOKE PECHELL.—
We have to record the demise of the above lady, Hho
expired, after a short illness, on Eriday night, at the
family mansion, in Hill-street, Berkeley-square. Her
Ladyship, who was the only surviving daughter of Ro-
bert Edward, ninth Lord Petre, married, 13th April,
1833, Sir Samuel John Brooke PechelL The families
Of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, Lord and Lady,
Petre, Dowager Lady Petre, Earl and Countess of Arun-
del and Surrey, Captain and Hon. Mrs. Pechell, Mr. I'.
and Hon. Mrs. Weld, the Earl and Countess of Carnar-
von, Viscount and Viscountess Andover, are placed in
mourning by her Ladyship's death.
RAILWAY ExcußsioN.—The inhabitants of Ports-
mouth,. Gosport, and. Southampton, were treated by the
South-Western Railway. Company to a very cheap trip
to the " Great Metropolis" yesterday, in second-class
carriages, with the privilege of staying until Thursday.
The charge for this trip was Bs. there and back. Tickets
were issued at the termini, on Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday last—a most judicioui arrangement, thereby
ascertaining how many carriages would be required, and
providing them, thus avoiding the confusion and disap-
pointment which has attended several trips on other lines
recently. Upwards of 1,000 availed themselves of the
favourable opportunity thus "afforded of seeing London
and its sights. The train; consisting of 23 carriages, and
drawn by two engines,' left Gosport at half-past nine,
and Southampton at ten, most punctually in both cases.
On the Gosport train arriving at Bishopstoke, it was
found the train was too long to be joined to the
Southampton train '; . and, after.waiting a minute or two,
the Gosport train proceeded ahead, and stopping only at
Winchester, Basingstolo,. and Woking, arrived at Va"ifx-
hall at half-past one;. 'having performed the journey in
most splendid style, satisfying all, disappointing none.
Towards the memorial to the late Earl of Lonsdale
upwards 9f 7004 has been subscribed.