The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-11-19
ECONOMY IN MAoNlFIcENcE,
Gorgeous Marbles That May he Cheaply
Initiated In Plaster.

Gorgeous Marbles That May he Cheapiy
Initiated In Plaster.
In this age of limitations no one
will be surprised to learn that in the
decoration Of large hotels, tbeaters
and other public places a mixture Of
plaster and chipped stone is being
used instead of marble.
Only night or two ago promi-
nent architect, in company with q
friend from out of town, was pass.
ing through the corridor of one OF
New York's most palatial hotels,
when stopping in front Of a huge
marble column he paused and in.
quired, What do you think Of that
for fine piece of stoneou tting?"
Excellent" replied the friend.
well, I'll give you pointer,
continued the architect. "There IL
not an inch Of genuine marble In
that whole column. The entire work
Is imitation. That is simply an iron
column surrounded with plaster,
which is finished off by o patent
process to look like marble. Work
of that kind has become popular
now. This stuff costs little and can
be put on In no time, whereas, II
mar BILE were used, the cost would be
enormous. Look at it. No ono could
tell the difference from real marble,
and every ono goes away impressed
with the magnificent and expensive
manner in which this hotel is finish.
cd up. just up the street way is
n theater over whose splendor people
are doing no end of talking. The
entrance blaZos with electric lights,
and on all sides Is this imitation
marble. What il tho uso of spend.
ing money for the genuine article
when tho imitation does Just rs
we'll? It's the same old story of the
rich woman and the diamonds. Any
ono who has the reputation for riches
can wear any amount Of paste
stones and they all pass for gen.
uine." And tho men passed on and
out of hearing.
A reporter called on several of the
leading architects, making inquiry
as to the extent Of tho demand for
tho imitation marble. In almost
every architects Office there were
samples of the imitation stone.
Some Of tho architects admitted
having used tho article in buildings
designed by thom, while others said
that i'll all their work only the gen
uino marble was used. Those who
had used it declined TO name any
building, saving that. in 30 much as
1t WAS imitation, tho owner would
not care 10 have such information
given out Tor public use.
Tho artificial stone is made gen.
orally in styles to resemble the dark
rcd marble. No small amount of
human intelligence and ingenuity
has been expended in the effort to
mako product which would take
tho place of the genuine stone. At
ono time there was concern claim.
ing to be able to take white marble
and color it so that it could not be
told from the most expensive Of i'm.
ported goods. AS white marble costs
rs little as any of tho various kinds,
and as the cost of ooloring it was
slight, it could be put in much
cheaper than tho costly colored mar
bles, and some one expected to make
q fortune from the process, but from
what could be learned nothing
much was done with the new pat
ent. In the best class OF buildings
the genuine article seems to have
tho call, and most of the interior
work is finished with bona fide mar
BILE. In finishing columns tho arti-
fcial process has great advantage
in the rapidity and cheapness with
which it can be put on, and no
doubt will have an extensive use for
such purposes. New York Tribune.