COLONIAL MARBLE.

West Coast Times, Issue 2787, 7 March 1878, Page 3

COLONIAL MARBLE.

Canterbury is making a bid to supply the sculptors of the world with material. Some specimens of marbJe from the Malvern Quarry, belonging to the Marble Company (says the Christchurch Pre?s) attracted considerable attention in the shop of Mr Ellisdon, chemibt, High street. The specimens consisted of two polished columns — one Imperial red, the other grey — and some small blocks of each kinds, polished and in the rough. Mr Hickmott, manager of the company, had smoothed and polished the stones in about an hour. Their solidity and beauty was the subject of general remark, and it was stated that, with proper appliances, Mr Hickmott could have put on a much higher polish. Samples of the two kinds of marble were sent to England some months ago, and the consignee has stated that he took them to different workers of marble, who told him that the imperial red kind was worth from 25s to 30s per cubic foot. A worker in marble at Melbourne, to whom samples were sent, expressed a hope that the quarry would be in working order quickly, as he would then be in a position to order any quantity. He stated that, being unable to get marble of these kinds and quality in Melbourne, he had Keen obliged to send to Italy and England and had imported about 800 tons during the last two years to carry out his contracts for different Government buildings iv Melbourne. At (he quarry, blocks of the grey marble are at present being taken out weighing fromeight to ten tons, and blocks of the imperial also nearly equal to them in size are obtained.