The daily gazette., 1883-01-15
FINE EsrABLIsn8GENT.
The New steam Marble works Of Messrs.
Dav'dson = Brother.

One of the greatest changes both In q
huilding and business point OF view that has
taken place In this city during the past year
oar be found at the northeast corner OF Fifth
and King streets. Six months ago Trinity
church and parsonage were still as they had
been wears before, although the latter was
wanting a tenant. The church was used
for divine worship up TO the day before the
march OF progress gathered In Its four walls,
80 10 speak, with its ever-reaehing hand and
consecrated them 70 mammon. For many
wears the firm of Davidson u Bro. was en-
gaged in the marble business on the south
vest corner of the two streets mentioned,
and diaeonally from Trinity, whose spire
almost cast its shadow upon their workshop.
The business Of the firm had been rapidly
increasing and they had long been looking
for another spot suited to their uses and OF
which they could obtain possession. After
some negotiation the church property was
purchased, and on September 1st, last, they
took possession.
The first step was to clear the benches
from the Sunday school room which was
converted at once into workshop, and soon
the click, click Of the chlsel and the patter
of falling marble was heard where but q
short time before the voices Of little ones
were united In praise and singing. The
metamorphose Of the building progressed
rapidly. The old steeple was taken down,
the large bell lowered TO the ground and the
tower covered over. The front OF the
church was torn away and made new In Its
general design, the former study Of the
pastor was converted into business office,
the main auditorium became commodious
and well-stocked sale and show
room, while the vestry was transformed into
the sanctum Of the clerk. The outside OF
the structure was decorated with numerous
signs, until hardly one person in twenty re-
members now as they pass the establishment
that not many moons ago 1t was place OF
religious worship. The business, however,
to which 1t has been adapted Is In q great
measure, a very suitable one, inasmuch as q
change had to be made.
Now that the firm have gotten fully under
way, perhaps description of the structure
as 1t stands may prove Of interest. Upon
entering the large door on King street, In
front Of which is commodious porch, the
show room is found. There almost every
imaginable design In granite and marble in
articles for every day purchasers are found.
Monuments, head and foot stones, mautles,
and trimmings for general builders. Several
very fine specimens Of imported italian
sculpture are TO be seen and headstones and
monuments in the rough, although many
are finished and waiting TO be delivered and
put up.
In the neat little Office to the left of the
entrance are photographs of marble work
and designs almost without number, from
which customers can make selections.
All the seats have been removed from the
auditorium, Of course, and In the rear Of
the room, where :he pulpit and chancel
formerly stood, large elevator has been
erected, having platform about 6xl0 feet
upon which finished work Is brought from
the workshop TO the store-r0om and then
again lowered when the time for shipment
arrives.
The elevator, worked by weights run by
hand power, but which is so arranged that
steam power can be applied, settles down In
a cartway running through the building,
opening out into Fifth street and back into
a eommodious yard in the rear of the old
parsonage, now the Star and GAZETTE
Offices, where the marble in the rough is
stored. EVERYTHING Is most conveniently ar
ranged.
When new material arrives It Is taken at
once through the paseage-wa, closed at either
end by doors, and when finished work ls ready
TO be shipped 1t Is placed upon the elevator
and lowered TO level with the wagon body
and placed therein.
The large workshop in the old school
room communicates with the passage way
by large sliding doors. Inside busy scene
presents itself. Over score of men are
busy at their work, some knocking piece
off here, another there, while still others arc
carefully working out monogram or some
lettering upon headstone. The workmen
are divided into stone cutters, carvers, and
polishers, each of whom has his particular
work to do. Both granite and marble are
used, the former coming In blocks about
the sizes desired and the latter In the rough
10 be cut up as needed.
The task of polishing the granite Is an In
teresting and tedious one, and is done
altogether by hand, but when once the
smooth, mirror-like surface has been OBJ
tained, even a chisel fails to make an i'm
preston upon it. The GRANTEES used are
known as the light and the dark gray, the
former from the quarries near Richmond,
Va, and the latter from the celebrated beds
Of Quincy, Mass. Some of the white and
clouded marble Is from Southerland Falls,
VI, the blue from Hitner's celebrated quar-
ries at Marble Hall, Montgomery county,
ia. The finer qualities of marble, however,
are imported.
Everything in the marble business Is done
by the tlrm-doorsteps, window and door
silis, coping, ETC., etc, outside of the regu-
latlon trade Of graveyard ornamentatlon.
Formerly all the polishing of the marble
was done by hand, but the Davidson
Brothers, with their usual enterprise, placed
IN position, soon after taking possession OF
the new quarters, a large rubbing wheel
WORKING upon an upright axle or shaft. The
Wheel is OF iron inches thick and about 10
leet IN diameter, and revolves at about 40
revolutions minute, being turned by
steam' pom this wheel is placed piece
VI marble winch needs the rOughness re-
moved Inc wheel is started, and upon the
surface Is sprinkled beach sand, while water
10 aIloWeu 10 run upon 1t continually. A
pIace Is placed across the wheel against
Mhci. Lhe blocks rest and are held In posi-
uoh. Inc work Of grinding is accomplished
u. great saving of time and labor over the
old plan, AMI In a much more satifactorv
manner Hianher' sturdy crane near by, capable
oi lifting two or three tons if needs be. a
used for hoisting the marble on and off the
rubbing wheel. Beneath the wheel It Ia SO
arranged that the sand running from its
surface is caught and saved to be used
aagalh, while the water passes off In drain.
Ahae one machine alone takes the place of
several men.
opon leaving the work room, and directly
opposite, is the large steam saw used for
cutting the marble into desired sizes. The
moou work which supports the frame of the
saws Is ihade OF large tlmbers 10 inches
square' The saw frame is about ska feet,
auu almost as many saws can be placed In
Posi'loh at the same time as may be desired,
st lu as closely together as one inch, while
Sno iacllltles are such that a block from a
III H., square to piece 10 feet long, 9 feet
tns nnsn ana feet wide can be readily cut into
oiaos IL really making no difference to the