The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1895-07-10
ALARAsTER MINES.
An Industry In Pisa That FIourIshsd Even
In Ancient Times

An Industry In Pisa That Elourtshco Even
In Ancient Times.
Thirty two miles southeast of Pisa,
in the province of that name, a very
remarkable and very ancient indus
try is carried on. We refer to the
alabaster industry, of which a full
description from actual observation
is given by Vice Consul Carmichael
of Leghorn in foreign postoffice re-
port. Vo1terra, where the alabaster
is found, enjoys special distinction
among places in the world which
produce that commodity. The ma
terial, which is of five main varie-
ties, is found in nodules imbedded
in huge masses of limestone. At
the end of each cavern whence it is
extracted two or three men are to be
seen working with small T shaped
picks by the dim light of unprotect-
ed oil lamps of Etruscan pattern,
which, by singular tenacity of ira
dition, are still in use in the district
In one case the block of alabaster
will be already we'll projected from
its bed of limestone, and the opera
tor is carefully picking away all
around it in order to extricate the
complete block. The larger the spec
linen the more valuable it is in pro-
portion to its weight. In another
search is still being made for the al
abaster, and the workman is Yigor-
ously beating down the wall of lime
stone until he lights upon the white
nose of what looks like block. He
then picks away carefully so ss not
to injure the prize. When there
seems likelihood of a large quaint
ty of limestone having to be remov-
ed, blasting with gunpowder is re-
sorted to.
The alabaster industry dates back
to classic times. Great changes have
taken place in it, however, within
living memory. In former days
there were three distinct classes of
workmen engaged in the work of
fashioning the raw material-the
master artist, who owned a work
shop and employed numerous work
ers, selling his products direct to the
alabaster shops or galleries." the
journeymen and the travellers, men
who took huge cases of the goods
and sold them as they went along in
all the countries of the world, civil
ized and uncivilized. OF these two
tho master worker and tho travel
er-are now extinct species. Nova
days three men, usually relatives,
work together in informal partner
ship, one being a turner, another a
modeler and the third n decorator,
who carves such decorative adjuncts
on the finished articles as fruit and
flowers. Their gains are very small,
and indeed travellers who put in at
the port of Leghorn and have ala
baster vases, statuary and the like
offered at almost absurdly low prices
refuse, as a rule, to believe that they
can be made by hand
One kind of alabaster is made by
a process of dyeing, which is still a
trade secret, into an excellent imita-
ton of coral. For time this had a
very large sale, but the trade is now
threatened with extinction. It is
suggested that the people of the
east, who used to buy it largely, left
off doing so, as they were doubtful
whether the sham article could prop
erly be used in the religious rites
wherein coral plays part. The al
abaster workers have true artistic
characteristics, but in their desire to
turn out what they think will sell
they neglect the fine models that are
to be found in such profusion in the
churches of Italy and flood the mar
ket with eternal reproductions of a
limited number of classical figures
and with fiashy modern dancing
girls, coquettish diving girls, fault
lessly clad pifferari and impossibly
spruce lazzaroni.-London News.