Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-03-01
PROFESSOR HALLS LETTERS.


endlsh, on the main road leading from Rut-
land 20 Bellows Falls, and TO Boston. Short
ly after your arrival on that road, your atten-
ton is drawn to vast deposite of Serpentine,
situated on your left, as you travel south--a
vaster one than any other in the Union, and
vas,er, it is believed, than any other. ofwhich
we have description, on "this terrene ball"
Il forms a hill of considerable altitude, and
reaches over many acres-l might pei haps
truly say many miles--in area. Its upper
surface has. by the action Of the elements, lost
its green---its hue ofthe serpent---and become
ola grayish white. The bleaching, however,
does not extend more than an inch or two be-
low the surface where the rock resumes its
native green, Of various shades. This object
Of curiosity has within the last twenty years,
drawn me often from the highway, to inspect
aud admire it. Once, when breaking spe-
cimen of it from a huge ledge, said to a by
stander, This is serpentne, the substance Of
which Pliny informs us. the Romans made
frying pans. vases, &C. The time will come
when its proprietors will account il valuable
when it will be employed, instead of mar
BILE, for ornament and usefulness" The
man looked on me with a stare OF incredu-
lily, and replied, mo. sir that hill OF rocks
there is good for nothing and ever will be-
worthless was,e--a mere dead weight
placed there, Saturday night, after creation
was over, to be forever in mans way" But
He who dropped it, and who does no, often
operate in vain. knew better than he
twas very gratifying TO me 10 learn that
my prediction was beginning to be fulfilled
Blocks ofthe rock, removed from their orig.
inal Judgments, are now sawed into slabs
and manufactured into tables, and other arti-
cles OF furniture ofvarious descriptions. The
stone is tough and hard, and yet the agent
assured us that il is sawed with greater facil-
ity than even soapstone and with less injury
TO the saw The project is new one The
operations are just commencing. The priv
Hedge of quarrying and working the serpen-
tine belongs to the Black River Marble and
Soapstone Manufacturing Company They
are now engaged in erecting larg establish
ment on the Black river, for saving and
manufacturing the mineral, one hundred and
fifty feet in length. and fifty in Width A |
considerable capital will be required for the
completion of the works. None of the ser
pentine, has as yet been wrought here; but |
number of tables, fire-places, tops Of bureaus |
and sideboards, have been produced at the
marble establishment in Plymouth and are
now at the house of the superintendent Mr.. |
Hills, situated one mile north of Proctors-
vile, village belonging to the township of
Oavendish These articles present a splen- |
did appearance, particularly when moisten.
ed but, regret TO say, they are not highly |
enough polished The American workmen
are yet too green at the business They are
too sparing OF their labor They have not
the patience, the perseverance, nor perhaps
the skill and taste, of the Italians, The ser
pentine is Of as good quality. and suscepti.
bic ofas high polish, as that ordinarily en-
ployed by the ancents, and Is not unlike the
beautifully polished fragments which the
traveller meets with among the ruins of the
Inflated Pompeii, and in the remains of the
Mosaic pavement at Adrian's villa, near III, |
Volt
The quarrying is not difficult The rock
rests on elevated land You have no ap.hiu
work 10 perform. The substance is rent from
its connexion by the force Of gunpowder, and
drawn down by oxen to the MILL which is
but few rods distant
In the same edifice it is designed to saw
and manufacture, also, stea,ite, or soa pstone
an immense body of which lies along side of
the serpentine. Indeed, this mineral is abun.
dant not only here. but likewise in a mum.
Der of the neighboring townships in Wind
ham, Grafton. Westminster Athens. and
Townsend, in several of which il is extensi.
vely worked This substance is. it is beliey.
ed, applied to more uses than any other in
the mineral kingdom. 1t is manufactured
into aquedncts, pumps, door-sleps, door and
window caps and stills, inkstands, loom.beams
furnaces, ovens, caldrons, &C. 1t is emnlov.