The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-09-11
ONYX.
Something About its Workings and TT
Use In House Decoration.

Onyx is coming into general use fol
decorative purposes. With the forma-
ton of syndicate to work the Mcxi-
can mines and with the discovery OF
ONYX in other places. its use has ex-
tended until it is becoming one of the
most fashionable decorations in New
York. Onyx is peculiar formation
caused by drippings mixed with min
eral and earthly substances under heat
and pressure. This is not an exact
geological definition of it, but it tells
what it is. ONYX is usually discovered
in caves or other natural openings and
in mineral neighborhood. The most
beautiful kind of onyx is formed by
various kinds of minerals running
through it in streaks and tints
Onyx is the same improvement over
fine marble that marble is over or
binary stone. 1t also costs as much
more. These are two reasons why
people who are putting up fine houses
in this town are beginning to use it. 1t
differs from marble in taking on a
higher degree of polish. in being
harder. with a greater reflection. a
frmer grain. more refined and delicate
tints and prettier streaks. Streaked
marble is not popular because it is
usually not streaked in a way to add
to its decorative effect. In onyx the
delicate green fern, reddish and brown
streaks. appear beautifully on the ivory
background
Onyx is got out in as large blocks
as it can be guarried. The quarrying
has to be done with wedges and saws,
as it cannot be blasted or dug out with
safety. The grain and streaks are so
delicate that blast might spoil thou
sands of dollars worth. One cave of
onyx was ruined by the use of powder.
The man who owned the cave started
to get out the onyx - the slow process
of saws and wedges. i'e got out sew.
eral car loads. when the thought struck
him that he could take all the onyx
out of the cave at one blast. So he
put his men to work and drilled around
the cave, arranging his blast so that
he would have $40, coo or $50, 900
worth of onyx to be shipped at once.
The drill holes were charged and the
blast was exploded. None of the onyx
was fit for use except in mosaics and
such work There was not a sound
bi: OR feet long in the cave. This
taught the other onyx miners lesson,
and no shocks and blasts or detona-
tons are allowed in the cave or in the
neighborhood for fear that the onyx
may be cracked or that some small
cracks may be enlarged.
Onyx is worth in the rough from IS
to Sl5 per cubic foot. The price is not
steady, as it depends on the demand
and the length and shape of the block
got out as well as the appearance of
the onyx. The market for onyx is
something like the market for meer-
schaum. only less regular. A man
who buys block of onyx takes it to
some extent on speculation. He does not
know how it will saw and polish. There
may be cracks inside of it which he
does not see. and the grain and streaks
on the outside may not be carried
through.
The onyx in its rough state looks
like other stalactites and stala Smites,
though it might be taken for marble
by any one not in the business. 1t
is worked much as marble is, by saw
ing and polishing. except that more
care has to be exercised and that the
polishin 9 is more difficult. When it is
worked up it will sell for 81 to s. a
square foot, according to its appear
ance and size.
Some dealers make onyx up in man.
tells. but even though an onyx mantel is
costly, the dealers do not like to make
it up in that shape, us they say it vul-
CARRIES the onyx and will end in cheap
ening it. Onyx is beautiful for tables,
mirrors, and panels. There are only
four or five dealers in it now in New
York, but when the new syndicate be-
gins shipping here steadily onyx will
be pushed. 1t is no more rare now
than the finer marble used to BEN
Y. Sun.