The Newtown bee., 1889-10-04
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THE MONUMENTAL BRONZE co. Among the manufacturing industries for which Bridgeport is so justly cele- brated, one of the most important Is that of the Monumental Bronze Company, who manufacture white bronze monu- ments, statuary, busts, medallions, etc. Cemetery work Is their speciality and, as that Is something in which all are inter- ested, we feel warranted in something more than passing notice of their pro auctions. White Bronze is a trade name given to the work produced by this com pany, which is cast from refined and pur- flied zinc. Anyone who knows anything about the nature of refined zinc will ad- init at once that it would make a struct- ure as lasting as Time itself, for the reas- on that t is one of the non-corrosive met als. Scientists, works on metallurgy, encyclopedias, etc., all unite in saying that pure zinc will never rust nor cor rode, but that, when exposed to the ate mosphere, it covers itself with thin film of oxide, which does not alter the ap- pearance of the work and protects the metal from any further change. The work Is of n light, sparkling gray color, beautiful in appearance and, ut a little distance, would hardly be distinguished from gray granite, except for the super for workmanship, raised letters and re- lief work, which Is seldom seen in stone. The metal being impervious to moisture, 1t follows that the work can never be- come moss grown, stain, crack nor crum- ble. Pure zinc has been in use for ages in Europe for works of art. Statuary erected there hundreds of years ago is still standing intact and the metal is still being used for the same purpose. The German government recently erected a large group of statuary on it's postal un- lon building made of cast zinc, n cut of which appeared in the Scientific Ameri- can.
 People who have never given the sub ject any thought will be surprised to note the condition of stone work in our ceme- teries. Marble has proved to be practi- eally failure as n lasting material for monuments and is being rapidly discard ed. Some cemeteries are already begin ming to rule out marble entirely. An cx- animation of the moss grown, cracked and crumbling headstones and monu- ments in any cemetery will convince any, one that marble is not suitable mater iai for lasting memorials. And as to granite, there can be no good reason for supposing that granite will last for q much longer period of time, if any, than marble. The same agencies that injure and destroy the beautiful marble will act upon granite. Even if the surface be polished, the action of the elements will soon wear away the polish, the stone will absorb moisture, which will support vegetable growth, producing moss the iron contained in the stone stains and dlscolors 1t by it's rust the freezing and expansion of the water chips off and cracks the stone and, after granite has been used as long as marble, it must cer. tainly be looked upon with as little favor as marble now Is; and, in fact, where granite has been used longest, it is al ready in bad condition and it Is evident that something more enduring must be adopted if we would show respect foi our loved ones by erecting monuments to their memory in our cemeteries.
 The durability of white bronze being q conceded fact, the only question remain ing is as to it's construction and work manship. And in this respect, the worl speaks for itself. Thousands of white bronze monuments have been erected during the last 15 years in all parts O the country and are giving the best O satisfaction to the purchasers. Two oth CT companies are in operation in tue Wes and still another in Canada. The Monu mental Bronze Co. produce an almost un limited variety of designs and can pleas, any taste or meet any price. L.J. Wells superintendent of Greenwood cemetery Brooklyn, N. Y., the largest cemetery i the country, after visiting the works Q the company and Investigating the mat ter thoroughly, gives the work his LII qualified endorsement. Charles Nichol of Newark, N. J., the president of th national association of cemetery supcrii tendents, after similar investigation, ns only advocates the work in preference any kind of stone, but has erected fir white bronze monument on his own pl' in Fairmont cemetery, Newark. Cyrl White of Rockville, Conn, proprietor several of the largest wooden and cottt mills there, has recently placed his ord for $500 monument of white bronz which can now be seen in the works
 the company and will soon be erecte Large numbers of other prominent inc yiduals are cited by the company as pu chasers of their work.
 In addition to the immense amount
 ordinary family work shipped by tl company, they are doing a large businc in public monuments. More than
 soldiers monuments have been erect In white bronxe. In another column, ' illustrate tile soldiers monument whi has just been dedicated at stratford, a'