The Port Gibson reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 185?-1857, 1853-05-11
A Great Discovery.

Sometime since we made some mention Of
a land and marble company, organized to
work marble quarries discovered in the Ken.
tucky mountains, and promising to afford an
ample supply Of building and ornamental
stone, 50 much wanted at the West We
have since learned that, Of the five descrip-
tions Of marble got out upon the lands Of the
company, one Of them has been discovered to
be lthographic stone, Of quality, said, by
some artists who have used it, to be superior
to the German stone.
This discovery is the more singular, that
since the invention Of the art Of lithography, a
suitable stone has never been found, except at
one place in Germany-viz SolohOfen. near
Munich. Many similar stones-viz /: compact
limestone, have been discovered, but nonclthat
have fully answered the purpose. Il has re-
suited that the art has been cramped by an
insufficient supply of the material. The Ger
man quarry has been worked some 300 feet
below the surface, and when the blocks are
out, they arc subject to the expensive land
carriage Of the interior Of Germany. They
consequently come very high, and in New
York vary in price from eight to twenty-four
cents per pound, according to size and free
dom from crystals aud veins. A stone Of a
few feet surface sells for some 5000.
The Ohio River Marble Company state that
their facility for quarrying is such that blocks
Of any dimensions can be supplied at merely
nominal rates. Thus block of stone meas
uring a cubic yard. will weigh 1850 lbs, or
two tons, and will cut into seven lilhograph
stones, one yard square and four inches thick.
Those, free from blemish, at present minimum
market rates, would be wortk $500, and the
cost Of getting out and delivering would be
$40. This fact strongly illustrates the inau-
ence which the discovery may have upon the
art Of lithography.
The art Of TYPOGRAPHY was discovered in
1896, by NJ Alloys Senfelder, Of Munich, Ba-
varia, who applied It to the transfer Of music /;
but It was not until three years after, that the
art Of lithography properly was developed
1t did not make much progress, however, un-
iii in 1914. when Mr.. Andre d'Ofenbach at
tempted its introduction into France. The
Government, however, refused encouragement
to it on the ground Of its insigni6cance. FL
nally the Count Lasteyrie took hold Of the
matter with zeal and enthusiasm. lie deyo-
ted his time and fortune first learning the
art as an apprentice, and then pushing I'm.
movements, he then succeeded to the most
happy results. =.
On his establishing himself in Paris, the
most distinguished artists offered him their
services. and the original designs Of Yer
net, D'Psubey, De bennington, &c., we're
sold at very low rates. The autograph let
ters Of Henry Nv, with a portrait Of that
monarch on stone, by Gerard, attrasted the
attention of the Government. and it hence
forth encouraged the art. Since 1878, the
Minister Of the Interior has issued many pa
tents for photographic printing, and many pre-.
miums have been offered for the discovery Of
the stone in France, by the society for the en-
couragement of national Industry. In 1877,
thew offered 600 francs for the discovery in
France Of a suitable stone. In 1881, they
awarded it TO NJ. Lefebvere Chaillois, But
in 1885, finding that the question was not
settled. they offered 5000 francs reward
This. 10 1887, was awarded to NJ. Dupont,
who had obtained at Chateauroux, 1929 pie
ces of stone that sold at 80 per cent. below
the Munich stones.
In lS41, it became necessary to offer re-
ward Of 1900 francs for a new quarry. These
French stones, however, like those OF Bath,
in England, can be used only for the transfer