New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-01-07

ing no grain, would break under the operation, "hle
it, harsh grit and hard knots would quickly destroy
any edge tool that might be thus applied 70 IT. ma
chine for saving the slabs costs 5000, and that for
| psuing costs $500. The slabs are taken from the
qaaries TO the mandatory at London, where their
surfaces are rubbed down an iron wheel eight feet
in diameter and three inches thick, working HORIZON
tally. This wheel with It's appliances, costs s4OO
After being sufficiently rubbed down or sanded on the
wheel it is rubbed with fine sandstone, to remove
any sand marks that may have been made while on
the wheel. II Is then ready for enameng the whole
cost thus far being 3D. per square foot ID of which Is
for the cost Of the rough paned article at the quarry
Tie cost Of enamelng is from 81. 10 ls. per square
foot according to the marble imitated-this cost in
Guiding coors varnishes, fire and labor. Thus, At
cost Of IL. 3D. per foot, marble Is produced, the SELF
ing price of which is from D. 3D. to 81. per foot. OF
plain fat slabs from 40 to 0square feet can be cram
eled per day by with sn assistant The pro-
cess il very simple and seldom fails. The prepares
sab il colored with the ground color OF any particular
marble il is designed to initiate. Il Is then marbled
and placed in stove room, whose temperature Is kept
at about 200 deg and there remains all night. In
the morning it is taken out allowed to cool and re-
ceives the fret coat % varnish after which II again
placed in the stove room and remains there another
rubbed perfectly smooth with pumce stone, after
which il receives second coat Of varnish, goes back
into the oven for another night, is taken out in the
morning is again rubbed down with pumice stone,
after which it receives final coat Of varnsh, whichs
hardened ike the other, by the slab remaining in the
oven all night 1t is afterward polished by rubbing it
with pumice stone rotten stone and the soft part Of
the hand the same being done b, intelligent boys who
ore trained to the business
Mr.. Magnus employs some fifty hands at enameling
and polishing, and about one hundred altogether. His
factory contains engine of twelve-horse power for
operating bis machinery, much Of his slate comes
from the quarres Of all sizes and thcknees Ii drives
planning machine, four saving machines, rubbing
wheel, and lathe for turning ornaments from slate
He orders the latter in lots of 200 uns at time. There
are other slate dealers in London but other by
whom ensmelipg is done TO any extent This brief de.
scrpton of this establishment will afford some idea Of
the quantity Of enameled slate consumed in England
But like iron castings, it is annually being applied to
new uses Experience has demonstrated its value and
there is little doubt of its eventually checking the i'm
porta,ion of foreign marble into Great Britain.
Some ten years ago this beautiful art was introduced
into this country, and mandatory was established
near Boston. The operatives were imported from En-
Ridnu ana hddtr, anu inc NuOIc PioVcSr hn' nNb'
diousy kept secret. Tue slate slabs were imported
from Wales, sawed and plsned to order Very soon
the beautiful products of this establishment
were exhibited in the warerooms Of Boston,
where they at once came into favor among
builders ard manufacturers of frst-class furni-
ture Their superior strength far exceeding that Of
marble their exquisite frsh their freedom FROM stain
or injury by acids, smoke, grease, water, combined
tbairu cles Command with thp
price of foreign marbles, gave them an extensive
rency for nantes, tabletops, and other purposes.
From Boston, they spread to New-York and Phils!e
pbia In all these cities an enameed iron mantle had
been offered to public patronage but the superior ele
gance of the new material soon drove il out of the
market, and it's production is wholly abandoned
The success of the Massachusetts, establishment
naturally attracted attention from the owners of
American quarries. Tie principal Of these are stu
sied in Vermont, and in the counties of Northampton
Monroe and Lehigh, Pennsylvania. The slate deposit
Of these counties the Delaware River at the
Water Gap, and has been prohtably worked in New
Jersey as far inland as Newton, in Sussex County In
both Vermont and Pennsyvsnia the deposite is mex
haustble and Of the finest quality. The Pennsylvania
slate is uniformly blue, while very large portion OF
that mined in Vermont is almost identical in color aud
fer school states at least until some better instrument
than the drawing knife is applied to shaving and fitting
it to receive pencil marx. Yet, in common with the
Pennsylvania slate, it is quite well adapted for
euameling purposes as that from Wales. The Massa-
ohusetts epamelers when applied to to Use American
slate rejected il a. unfit for the purpose, giving as
reason that it would not stand the heat of the ovens.
They found the business profitable and were DESTROYS
Of keeping II to themselves. But the owners Of guar.
riesLere were not 10 be bluffed off by excuse of
this kind. The proprietor Of a quarry in Lehigh
County dispatched a quantity Of prepared slate to
England, 10 have il tested On being tired II was
found fully equal to the bsst Welsh slate that it
stood the same amount Of heat while il was remarked
as being free from the sulphur spets which dsfgure
much of tie Welsh article, and which render the
operation Of enameling much difficult. This RS
suit lowed the incorectness Of the excuses given in
Massachusetts, and encouraged others TO embark in
the business. A New-York company purchased
quarry half mile from the line eff the Leigh Valley
Railroad where much enameled slate was manufac-
tu,ed, while some was brought down to Brooklyn and
ensmeled there. But this enterprise was not pecu.
mary success owing in great measure 10 the inefh.
cheney OF the machinery, which made here with
out the projectors knowing exactly what was wanted
Subse quertly to this the Lehgh Slate Company own
ing an adjoining quarry of great magnitude, from
which thousands of tuDs Of roofng-slate had been
taken ard many thousands Of cases Of school states
manufactured embarked in the business Of enameing,
and are engaged it Il the present time They also sup
ply Philadelphia establishment With slabs, wherethey
aye erameled in ther The Vermont slate
has also been applied TO the same purpose, manuiae-
tory having been established at West Castleton. II
addition these there Is another similar establish