The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-07-13

For THE Rooster.
Notes of Travel.

"Grand Rapids" situated on "Grand
River" is grand in scenery, grand in en-.
terprise, grand in population, and grand
in name. ~ EN tA. |
Passing through the business portion OF
this city, one is favorably impressed with
the activity everywhere apparent. Ali
life and stir, and while other towns are
complaining of dull times, and consequent
ly there is a lull in building, "Grand Rap>
ids has numerousmagnifcent brick blocks
going up in every part Of the town.
As you pass from the center Of the city
back to the bluff, one is surprised to find
beauty and business so harmonioosly blen-
ded. The streets are well laid out, and
there are many almost palatial residences,
surrounded by spacious grounds, which
have been decorated in the most expensive
manner,
A visit to the Union school, revealed
a building Of grand proportions, and of
beautiful architectural design. From the
tower Of the building, which is about'25O
feet above the river, we obtained a fine
view Of the valley "a view which, for
magnifcence, it is said, is unsurpassed in
the state.
Next in order, we proceeded tc visit
the factories, which have given to the city
its rapid growth, and are guarantee OF
success for all time TO come.
Nearly every kind of wood work is here
manufactured. There are several furniture
manufactures, which turn out large guam
titles of furniture, from the common wood
bottom chair, to the most deliberately
carved sets, costing up in the hundreds.
Large quantities are shipped in the rough,
to be finished in establishments in distant
states These factories are supplied with
all the modern improvements, and some
Of the latter are indeed a curiosity. There
are other factories, where everything con-
csivable in wood is turned out, clothes
pins, ladies, bowls, axe-helves, handles for
shoveIs, spades, hoes and forks. There
are several extensive Wagon shops, where
thousand Wagons are manufactured an
nually, and other factories where every
thing used in their manufacture is turned
out for shipment. There are few es-
Establishments where steam engines, axes,
agricultural implement and other varieties
Of iron work are manufactured. There
are also large number Of Touring mills,
wooden mills, in short, mills of almost evs
cry description. We noticed curious
sett of machinery for the manufacture of
clothes pins. A slab is placed in ma
chine, and it is sawed into the required
length and size, and passed, by the means
Of an elevator, to the lathe, where they
are turned, then by means of another ele.
vstor, passed to the saw that cuts the slit,
and thence, by another elevator, to the
store room, where they are ready for box
ing. Another establishment manufactures
one half Of all the piano covers used in
the United States, The timber used, is
ash; the logs are quartered and sawed
from the heart, outward. The strips are
seven feet three inches long, and three
fourths Of an inch thick.
The power to drive all this machinery
is derived from Grand River, which has a
fall OF fourteen feet in two miles, There
is large dam across the river, above the
city, with race upon both sides. Only
about two thirds of the water power is
employed at present, 30 there is an oppor-
tunity for great increase of manufacture
ing enterprises. The power is sold by the
foot, the quantity required to operate u
run of stone, being about four hundred
square inches sectionaly of fume. The
power is equivalent to about 120 run OF
stone, worth about $1,000, per run,
The first lumber shipped from this city
was about 1910 or thirty years since Its
growth has been sapid, and augurs an in
creasing future.
A glance at the post office, which off, RS
good index of town, surprised us. L.
is one of the best offices we have ever seen
in an inland town, Willie its magnitude is
no less surprising, containing over six
thousand boxes.
10 the afternoon we visited the plaster
beds, on the west side of the river. The
beds, upon the east side of the river, quarry
their plaster from the surface, but upon
this side Of the stream, the shaft extends
lar into the bowels of the earth,
The excavation of the "Grand Rapids
Plaster Company" covers an area of about
three acres, which is the work of about
four years, and as there is about a thou.-
and acres belonging to this company, it
is estimated that thousand years will
scarcely exhaust their quarry or plaster
beds. We did not join small company
OF tourists who descended, but they went
down to their hearts content, and then
went fling through the dngy hollow cav
erns of the earth, each one armed with
torch, and all joining in campaign songs,
to keep l suppose, their courage up. The
plaster is taken out by blasting about
three pounds of powder being used to
blast
AT distance of every fifty feeet, a
butment or pillar is left standing, which
supports an arch that. in turn, supports
the roof of the cave. In addition, sub,
stantlal shores are placed at suitable
points, so there is no probability of acct
dents. During the four years that this
quarry has been worked, not even finger
has been lost.
Tracks extend to all points of the quar-
ry, upon which cars are run to convey
the plaster TO the mill. when it is past
through the crushers, then elevated to the
burr stones, where it is ground as fine as
flour, and then conveyed to the bins, where
that which is designed for agricultural