Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-11-28
RUTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1867.
rHH pKMAsD AND SUPPLY,

The question OF demand and supply
IN regard to American marble is one of
fshsorblng interest to many OF our prin'
Aips, business men, and any information
9pon the Subject Ia eagerly sought after
oy hume. Gus and influential class in
this and in other parts OF the country.
The attention OF nearly oil OF the deal
srs IN American marble, at present, CEN
'ers in Vermont; and Rutland, where
the principal supply Is now obtained, is
pretty well known to all dealers in the
article, far and near, and the parties who
are interested In quarrying in that To-
paiity have, till quite recently, supposed
ahat the larger part OF the supply OF
Vermont marble was ever to be derived
from the West Rutland quarries, under
their contract. This superstition is now
thought BY many to be an error, since
the extensive deposits of both white and
colored marbles have Become known and
been partially developed in the adjoining
towns. The town of Pittsford now pre-
sents the largest area, and apparently
the most extensive deposit Of white
marble in the State OF Vermont. There
are several localities in that town, where
the layers of marble, standing nearly
vertical, present surface OF near three
hundred feet In thickness; and extend
more than three thousand feet north and
sCdth:
One of the largest and the most prom
ising show upon the surface, although
entirely undeveloped, nothing ever hav-
ing been done except the removal of
small patches OF the earth that covers
the rocks, is upon the Hendse and the
Loveland farms, and was not known to
exist until the present year. The sur
face OF the deposit OF marble on these
farms presents, upon removing few
feet of earth, a vast extent of beautiful
white marble, Of pure formation, and of
perfect crystalline texture. Most of the
territory In the town Of Pittsford, when
there is any very promising show of
marble, has already been secured by
deed or bond for the interest of parties
intending, at an early day, to open and
develop this rich sourse OF supply.
Others are looking for the investment of
foreign capital to aid in opening these
quarries, and to share in the future har-
vest Of the well. paying business sure to
grow out of the enterprise.
The present demand for marble is such
that the limited supply now produced
In America is all absorbed, and amounts
to but little of what is used in this
country, leaving a margin that admits
of the sale, in large cities, OF vast guam
titles of foreign marble, admitted nearly
duty free, on account Of the shortness of
the home supply. This marble is sold
readily upon its arrival, bringing prices
that would richly remunerate our own
people for producing far superior arti-
Gle for many purposes to which marble
Is applicable. All that is needed in order
to shut out most of the imported mar
BILE, and to direct this stream Of wealth
into domestic channel for the benefit
of our own enterprisipg citizens, is that
sufficient quantities should be produced
In the United States to supply the con-
stantly increasing demand, which occurs
from the diffusive character of our
rapidly increasing population and the
wide extent of the territory to be sup
piled.
Marble is now sent from the Rutland
ouarries in large and increasing quanti-
ties to all parts Of the Middle and West
ern States, east Of the Rocky Mountains,
and orders are sometimes received from
Oregon, California, and British America.
And Europe has already called in vain
for American marble. Not long since a
heavy order was received from parties
in London, Eng, by one of the princi-
pal marble dealers at West Rutland,
calling for the immediate shipment OF
American statuary marble, for use and
sale in that country. This demand could
not be supplied without cutting off our
own manufactures from their only source
OF supply, leaving them to look to the
foreign article for the better grades and
the most costly marbles used in their
business, or causing them to work only
the inferior qualities that sell for scarcely
enough to remunerate the quarryman for
his labor in producing it.
The gu estion of continued supply Of
marble from the quarries at West Rut.
land, Vt, has lately led to considerable
investigation, and it appears to be the
opinion of some Of the most experienced
qrarrymen, that the period when these
caarries will be exhausted is rapidly ap'
preaching, and it is said that several Of
these quarries cannot be profitably
worked but few years longer unless
other layers are, in the meantime, dis.