The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-11-19
A MOUNTAIN OF MARBLE.
A Huge Pile Of white Stone Having the
Appearance of Snow.

Tho mar BILE of Carrara, Tuscany,
has such universal reputation that
1t Is super6uous to mention IL. Ev-
erybody knows that this oalcareous
capitalization has furnished and
constantly furnishes the material
for an enormous number Of statues.
The grain Of this marble Is 40 fine
and it's color so beautiful that soulp-
tors are truly happy IL they can exc.
cute their work out Of block of
such material. Some details about
the quarrying Of this marble and
about its use will doubtless be OF
much interest.
Marble Is found in almost the en-.
tire length Of the Apennine Alps,
and in the center Of this formation
is found layer of marble composed
almost entirely of white stono and
partially of marble with faint blue
lines, which is called "bardiglio,
and still another variety the color
of which is purple or violet. The
vein Of marble, which runs through
the entire mountain range is very
thin in some places. 1t is divided up
into ramifications and turns every
which way through the Apennines.
Ono particularly largo layer, the
thickness of which ia known TO be
$3.50 feet, and is perhaps much
larger, is formed in tho neighbor.
hood of the city of Carrara, in the
Carrarese, as this region is called.
This word is synonymous with the
word quarry, and from the number
of quarries the entire region has
taken its name.
The number of quarries in the
district is 1908, Of which more than
half arc just now idle. These quar-.
ries have furnished during the last
year 206. 600 tons of marble, Of which
Carrara alone has supplied 1S3. SIC
tons. During the last 10 years not
loss than 2, 2S5. S25 tons Of this beau.
tiful marble have been taken from
that mountain, and It must be add.
ed that In spite of the large oon-
sumption of fine marble in Italy
itself nearly all the Carrara marble
is exported to foreign countries For
instance, from the total just men,
toned, 2,o44, 427 tons were exported
while the balance was used at home.
In the marble quarries men, wom-
en- and children re employed. The
last named earn from SO to 90 oen.
tesimi (i6 to ls oents) per day; the
women, lire GEO cents). As to the
men, their wages vary from 3 to 4
lire eco to 80 oents) for the foremen |;
from 2.50'to $50 lire $50 to 64 oents)
for the quarrymen, and 2.20 to 2.!75
lire GA to 55 oents) for the handlers.
This marble Is not alone employed
by soulptors. The greater part is
now sold in the shape of slabs, and
some is also used for bathtubs, NOR
tars, wash basins and sinks. Choice
marble is, of course, not applied to
these uses, and the price of blocks
rs we'll as Of slabs is very variable,
according to their quality. Blocks
for soulptors bring from 1870 to 224
lire (s26 to S45) per cubic meter. The
"bardiglio, this famous grayish
! blue marble, never sells for less than
200 lire (S4o) per cubic meter, and
il the block 10 Of first quality and
great purity the price of such mar
BILE may attain 1000 lire (S400) per
cubic meter. Tho marble which is
used for industrial purposes is sold
comparatively cheap. Slabs almost
an inch In thickness sell for 8. 60 lire
($l.l2) per square meter, which is
about II cents per square foot. A
bathtub 67 inches long is sold in
Carrara for l30 lire, or $26, SO that
what would seem almost like inoom-
parable luxury-that is, bathtub
made of Carrara marble-is practi-
oally cheaper than some of the so
called porcelain lined bathtubs they
manufacture here. -Exohango.