New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-23
Nrn,llofk Daily Grihn'tg.
THE MARBLE MINES OF RUTLAND, vt

West OF the Green Mountains and vLn the Stae OF yer
mont there are this time numerous companies and in
dviduas actively engaged in mining MAJ be- from an exten
sve deposit which unGerrcs the mountain and shows it
self about four miles from its base mostly in the
valley of Otter Creek The mos; extensive and system
acay worked qusrres in he western part Of Ratand
the shire town Of Rutland County The marble of this sec
ton has proved Of better quality than any other American
Marble and throughout the whole range, is deposited in
strata Of from eighteen inches TO eight feetn thickness with
dip to the east of about forty five degrees being overad
BY an immense body of limestone The whole thickness
o, white marble lying together in the mines which are
now worked is about thirty feet resting upon body OF
mixed mestene and coored marbles which TO appearance
il of gree, thickness extending many feet beneath the
white marble and coming to the surface in many places
These mixed marble quarred extensively, and in great
demsnd for building purposes
The edges ofhe layers in the deposite of white marble
come TO the surface on the slope of small elevation, which
rises rather abruptly facing the west and extending north
and south about tlreefourths Of mile. Al the base o.
this hill commences extensive swamp, which is now un
dergong the process of improvement and when cleared
ar ditched making lands of the utmost fertility and pro
ductveness Across the swamp is now run the man line
of the Rutland and Washington Railroad and also con
meeting branch leading 10 all the different mines located
upon this range thus giving the owners of these mnes
rat facilities for the shipment of their products to all parts
O the country the extent VI htrc OH'y ~
known by detailed statement Of facts and statistics con
peced with the marble business which is here carried
We Will commence at the south mine upon this depOse
in the town Of Rutland which is about extensively
worked az any; producing annually fifty thousand cubic
feet Of excellent marble about three housa feet OF which
Ks sawn into two inch slabs producing one hundred and
fifty thousand superficial feet which sready sold at prices
varying from thirty om fifty five cents per foot The re
ainder or two thousand cubic feet fads its market in
blocks or is savn into shape for monuments or other
heavy uses selling from two dollars to four dollars and
fifty cents per cubic foot This mine has been IN productive
operation for about siI years steadily increasing in lis
rroductivCness and in the quality ofmarble produced
The gentemanly propretors of this mine are Messrs
Sheldon Morgan and Slason, who have now in sue
ss.fl operation an extensive mill for saving marble sit
mated within fifty feet Of the mouth Of their mine contain
ing twenty gangs of saws besides whip saws for Sitting
OFT and siding down monument stuff and other slabs all
driven by powerful steam engine There are employed
in the mill and upon the yard about sixty nen, at from
ninety cents 10 one dollar per day each aud the yard
gang of men constantly at work loading the marble upon
the care which are driven up along side by the locomotive
long train of loaded cars taken away almost daily at
The season of the year when the trade most brisk Inc
mill al this place is kept running night and day or eght
months in tie year. consuming in shaping the marble 10
sell about seventy uns Of coal and thousand and two
hundred cords of wood annually together with thou
sand and FIVE hundred loads OF sand and ten ns Of
The mine from which all the above marble is taken IL
now being worked about hundred feet below the sur
face of the rock the main dr being about one hundred
and sixty feet broad and horizontal chamber extending
fifty feet further south making the whole length now un
covered about hundred feet The inclined drift has
been cut over the top Of the marble and under the lime
store leaving the rock of which the hill composed pro
ectng over at an ge OF foyfve degrees and present
no. rfao Of Init width
than the thickness of the white marble deposit thus FREQ
inc end laying bare vast amount Of marble without the
DELAY trouble and expense of removing the superncum
bent mass The marble is raised to ne surface by means
OF powerful cranes deck connected with horse power
appliances to move them and the water which filters
through the rocks falls into the pit from rains is lifted
and thrown out by means Of chain pump, driven by
s.esmengne The marble is raised from the mine in blocks,
varying in weight from five to ten tuns From the cranes
il is taken to the mill where undegoes the process of be
ing sawn.
Ths mine giyes employment, both summer and winter,
10 about one hundred and ten wages varying from
eighty cents TO dollar and twenty-five cents per day
This company pay annually for labor twenty five thousand
dollar and notwithstanding the large outlay and the alb
serpon Of immense capital realizing handsome
remuneration for their former expenditures and perseyer
ance Their works carried systematically and CON
stany and although producing yearly an immense guam
tty OF marble which mostly finds at the south
and in The great west they are unable fully to supply the
steadily increasing demand From this mine obtained
the deEeyedy celebrated American astuary marble spe
cmeus of which have already been wrought and placed on
Exhibition One be at the great fair at Lon
den end another Of late in this city the quality OF the mar
bic in both instances eicng much admiration The mar
be at this mine was appearance thrown into its inclined
uoston by some internal eonvusion Of nature and has
some marks Of volcanic action.
The other moro extensive mines north of the already
described are owned and carried by Mr.. VIM. +.
Barnes who in reality is the pioneer IN marble inning
uIon this DEPOSIT having commenced business upon
wha; is row called the old ledge" some twelve or
thirteen wears since For several years he iabored IN
der many disadvantages account Of the scarcity OF mills
for saving the marble produced and from other circun
stances There are now laborng upon the mines under
the copo, Of Nr Barnes about two hundred at an
average Of one dollar per day producing in the various
shor in which marble used about seventy five thousand
cubic feet annually There paid for labor 10 the men
euployed upon Ii mine in cutting out and preparing
for s6e some thirty thousand dollars they also consume
large Quantities Of powder steel coal iron and othsr
thirgs.
There ce several o.her mines in operation upon this DE-
uo., scstered along the bill side which are worked more
or lees extensively producing in ell about seventy Thousand
cubic fee; ofmarble and giving 70 one huhdrsa
dollar per day and dis'riou1hg l" ."e ""As
men OF this district further Of twenty thousand dol
lar. year The bu,hess il ore Of considerable mssni
tude ard importance, since upon this small ledge Of but
ure more Than half nile in length nearly five hundred
lshorers are empoyed eivng annually from sevenyye
n eshty thousand dollars and producing marble to the
value of many thousands than is expended. Upon
these deep and extensive works labor IS in constant and in
ereang demand with and steady increase OF re-
uuneraton The men who employed there at this
brarch Of industry mostly Irish who have embraced
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