The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-05-30
COMMUNICATIONS.
NIlpp1rprlnY. NAV 2.ilh. 1866

bly, impressed with Middlebury and its
surroundings that | cannot refrain giving
vent to my feelings in some way, and if
do SO by addressing you this, you must
excuse the presumption of stranger, and
make allowance for one who is not accus-
toned to such bracng mountain air and
encirclcd by such lovely and grand seem
cry. Your "GTeen Mountains" arc mag
nificcnt, particularly so to one from the
''lowlands" of the West. The view from
Snake Mountain for range and scope of
magnificent distances" cannot be sui :
passed. My first thought on bcholding it
was of the spot the teinpter took our
Lord and revealed to him the beauties of
the earth. My next was the folly our
people did in going to foreign countries,
spending their substance and time and
risking life and limb TO see the sights"
that are far inferior to our own. even If
we are not as yet made classic by time.
Our country is young yet, it is true, but
it has beauty ~ d strength enough to out
live the folly Of her children and hold to
scorn for beauty and grandeur the "clas-
sic grounds OF the could country"-as to
resources this asylum Of ours ''cant he
beat" Well, rerenon nos mo,tons.
With Mi ldlebury and its resources | am
particularly charmed, and surprised ut.
Stand ON any prominent point, say Chip
mans Hill, look up and down the valley,
and you will see cropping out, like banks
of snow, marble rs white as the "classic'
of Italy, awaiting the sleepy capitalist to
lay hold and blast out what in future
will build palaces, the blocks which still
hold the statues which will give fame t.
some of the present and future artists ;
the n monuments that will commemorate
the memory Of our country's honorcd
dead; the tokens of love and affection to
be erected TO the dead and loved ones
For Hty miles or more this buried source
Of wealth and hidden beauty lies thick
and almost undisturbcd. Quarrics opened
are as yet in their infancy. One quarry
here worked by Mr.. Severance, one
at Sutherland Falls and few scattered
about and around Rutland are the sum
total. The unworkcd are egions
predict bright future and heavy pop
ulation for this valley AMI particularly
for Mddlebury and vicinity, not only on
account of the abundance of its water
power and marble, but for the good quail
ity of that marble, and its texture, dura-
biIity and fnencss. as fac as | Can
judge Tin my opinion, mind you,) it sur
passes the Sutherland Falls or Rutland.
The fact is apparent TO me that the fan
Their down the valley, the harder and
fncr'thc marble, and the more durable
in consequence. The Rutland marble is
coarser grained, more easily crushed and
worked, and consequently popular with
stoneeutters still it is capital article,
but with marble there is such thing as
''good, better, best"
l also noticed the fact that the harder
the marble the purer it is as a carbonate
Of lime. The wonderful purity of this
marble from end to end Of the valley as
a carbonate has drawn my attention to its
shameful waste. Pieces not sufficiently
large for the saw or tombstone are cast
aside and treated as nuisance and
would he readily gwen to whoever would
apply for Il. Well, l don't understand
this wilful waste when marble dust is
quoted in Boston at 1925 per barrel.
This thing with proper machinery and
abundant water power AT every quarry,
could be crushed and pulveljzed, and
made to yield handsome profit IL the
one, or to all who undertake it. AS to
the demand, it is one of the things which
increases with The increase of supply. Its
uses are various. For the benefit of the
untaught will here state few of them.
1t is extensively used in the cities in the
manufacture Of soda water, the residue,
after passing through the acids, being
used in filling iron safes. 1t is also used
by plasterers as "hard finish," in the
arts for carbonic acid gas, &c. Now as
regards its purity as carbonate of lime
just see what Professor Seely says of it
from actual experiment
Middlebury, May Is, 1866.
Mr.. p. NJ. PAPIN,-Dear Sn'.-The
sample of marble you brought me from
the quarry of the North Middlebury
Marble Co., judge from the slight ex-
animation l made of it, is very pure
specimen. 1t left scarcely any residue on
solution in acids showing it TO be almost
wholly carbonate the amount Of car
bonic acid being large, probably above 40
per cent. The purest carbonate of lime
never contains quite As per cent.
Yours, &c, HENRY M. SEELr.
Hoping that this will arouse the atten-
ton of parties interested, remain yours,
&C., Z. NJ. PAPIN.
EDrrDxtp>c'e nrfDrArr Orrtcr