Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-05-01

liams, Brothers & Co., in the town OF
Poultney, and the Penrhyn slate mill in
Middle Granville. All are working out
substantially the same products, though
one or two of them do not marbleize.
Until visiting these mills we were not |
aware that slate was used for so many |
purposes as we find it is. As before in
dicated, the marble and marbleized slate |
mill in Fairhaven make the manufac- |
ture of mantles leading part of their
business, though not wholly confined to
that branch; others lead in the manu-
facture of other articles, and we believe
all, to a considerable extent, produce
mantles the Penrhyn mill in Middle
Granville, perhaps, producing the larg-
est variety of articles. Among the large
variety that we found in these mills
manufactured and being manufactured,
were altars, tablets, cemetery stock, cis-
terms, mantles, hearths, door and win
dow sills, and castings, portico and piazza
steps, platforms, wash tubs, stove pipes,
tiles, tagging for walks, black boards,
butter and lard vessels, tanks, collins
and caskets, counters and counter tops,
milk vessels, refrigerators, shelves, table
tops, billiard beds, what-nots, picture
frames, clock cases. OF these we made
a note as we passed through the mills,
and were assured by some of the pro-
prietors that our list contained but
n Nf al
tured from slate.
We were no less surprised IN the large
variety of articles manufactured from
slate in those mills, than pleased with
their apparent utility, and the remark
able beauty of the marbleized or enam-
eled work We shall not enter the case
here of slate UerSuS marble, or marble
0erSots slate. There need be no antagon-
ism between the two interests, and for
aueht we know, is none Both are Yer.
mont interests, and the success Of each
desirable. While for many purposes
slate cannot supply the place of marble,
for others slate is preferable. and for
some purposes slate alone, of all quar-
red material, can be used No one ex-
poets that slate will To any extent ever
/ be used for monuments or headStones III
! cemeteries, or that marble will be used
| for roofing, black boards, collins and
| caskets, or for many of the domestic
| purposes for which slate is now used.
/ Slate is readily split from the slab 10
/ I
| the common cardboard, and from its
/ remarkable strength and toughness, can
/ be made to serve purposes which no
other stone or quarry material can. 1t
| is not only stronger than any other kind
/ of stone, but is more easily wrought to
any desired form or design than any
other by machinery, or by cutting instru-
ments A slab is planed, made smooth
and perfectly true and level on the sur
face, with almost the same rapidity
that the same amount of surface of lum-
Der is planed by machinery. In saw
ing, circular saws are used as well as
others, and the slate material is readily
wrought by saving and cutting into any
form which boards, plank or wood ma
terial can be.
The enameling process, commonly
known as marbeizing, is one of the
wonders in modern science and inven-
tion, and what space we give to this
part of our subject, cannot be better oc-
cupied than copying from correspond
ence of the New York Evening Mail
'EPrevious to the year 1888 slate was
used mostly for roofing, tagging and
educational purposes (school States, but
at the date mentioned process was dis,
covered, and practically developed, il
England, whereby slate was made tt
present the beautiful appearance of the
most rare marbles, and a polish put upon
its surface which few of them could bt
made to attain This at once lifted SLATE
into position as aa ornamental manu-
facture Of great interest; and from tha
time to the present, there has been
steady application of inventive genius
combined with practical talent to thl
, subiect-nor was it confined to the place
of discovery. Yankee ingenuity sool
ayailed itself of the discovery OF tn
, Englishman, and the original process o
enamelling was so improved upon tha
to-day it is one of our most beautiful
and important branches of the orna
mental as well as useful arts. 1t
!. rightly named as an art manufacture
! and. we learn, is extensively carried o.
: in this country In the enamelling pre-
cess certain mineral colors or metalli
oxides are applied to and absorbed b
! the stone, which is then subjected to
proper degree of heat until the enamt
is perfectly incorporated with the slate
and the two becomes one substance, tol
6 ever inseparable. This enamelling
made to represent all the marbles an
: ornamental stones used in interior decor
: ations so perfect indeed are the imita
q tions, that very close examination
9 required to distinguish between the orig
G inal and the copy
) We should add here that this proces
q took it's name, 'Marbleizing, from ii
G | IDdklI0 SldbC W t1lC ietiS '"AA
!. costly marbles of Italy. But this is onl
Il part of what is now done in the Ell
d amelling process; any and every variet
! of color is produced. Mahogany, ross
wood and black walnut are so closel
O initiated that the ordinary observe
would not detect the difference.
r. Slate is susceptible of high degree
l. polish. We have seen some pieces
these mills that would almost answer th
J, purpose of mirror; and what make
% it still the more valuable, it does M
e lose this polish, the enamelling become
l. a mart of the stone itself, and will M
" like paint or varnish, wear oft-lt
IS worn out only when the stone is VOL
= out. Neither is it injured by grease, G
& or any other substance which may con