Middletown transcript., 1871-02-11
Slate Pissc1S,,

ana KNOWS tDnt tneec W uWvos UMek ILL.,
full Of grit, and = scst, 1tEhtseSssss1 ~:
usually called sosp-ssonSs "a / dsssAa1
tbat not one 10 ,housapA ksows hUs e
where they are made, " what The differ;
ence between them 10. The blsck variety
comes from Gcrnanhy; bot the sllght'&
soap.stonc pencils. Vlscthes' the apssejttly
round pencils Of the pressna dag, " theq4
which wc Dscd to gst ycsfs agp. and nhiek
seemed 10 have been whitfield out 1itG q
knife, arc manufactured from dsposi9 V
stone in the nosth-wcss cosSer u sbe uce4
Of CasslCson. vermops. abcss sigss sll
from lsuslsnd. and about gssstes efa 9ilq
from Lake Bomosccn The v.ck of coun.,
try known 10 contain the stone il very
small, being ut most only one a0o Nm.
miles long and half u mile Ia widih. IAs
far as is knowa. this 10 the only depositret
rock fit for making pcncik Of this kind IN
the world. Every inch Of country ..faS
miles and miles around has been searched
in vain to find another out-crop Pfobet
bly, there is more Of tho stone 10 thu vsslda
but certainly it is that mono having jusf
tic right grain has yet been found in the
United states and Castleton has the hon
or Of being the only place in the wori9
where tho pleasep.-workius sosp-sssss'
pencil is made. +" ris74j sAt
An excellent use has been dsvissd los
the unavoidable refuse Of sEis mapufacturs.
For some years, paper. er.mskers have enl-
ployed clay to fill the pores Of the paper
pulp, and give il '' body" and satin sur
fec. Bu, clay is liable to be gritty. and
/ IL Aurtaue tho el,ut .ac .ceS
be used in the darker grades Mr.. Brown
has patent covering the use OF ground
stone Of any kind for this purpose, and
commonly called the kaoiine or argillitc
patent. Argillitc is the name of thu
white slate pencil stone. After the pat
cnt was obtained. a set Of machinery like
that used IN flour-mil!s. was put into the
basement q the factory, aud the dust und
waste from the manufacture Of the pencils
ground TO powder three grades dner than
the finest dcpblc-cytra fonr Being very
ligh, in colo: and free from grit, !. can be
used IN the manufacture OF fine. white
prinin, pap,, as well as le,ier-papcr.
so filing the pores that even without six-
ing it is possible to write upon it. while
the surface is like that which has been
cnlcndercd
While The patent was pending in this
country and before it was granted, some
ole found means TO get copies of speci6ca-
iipns and obtained a patent upon them ia
England, The idea met with favor Ia
that country, and at leas, one paper CON-
pan, searched up and down all England
for the argilli,e; bgg zone was to be found
.,iI H.. ,.... .lI.i A.. A.. v.....
Lr the desired article In the end, there
fcte, the fraud only amounted to saving
tlc Amcrisan company the expense Of an
English patent.
! Owing TO the peculiar composition Of
the stone, it is quite prboabiy' that still
fa,hcr useful applications will be found
for the refuse
The stone has been konwn as a '.pencil
rock among The inhabitants hcreabout for
years aud pencils were occasionally put
into the market; but previous to 1864
there were very few Twenty three years
ago, Mr. II. o. Brown began the mana.
facture Of slate pencils. getting tho stone
from this place aud carrying it to Rutland,
where it was made into pencils by splitting
into slabs, cutting it into strips by hand
With carpenters saw. and rhitiing tho
square strips TO a toerably round shape.
When u boy at school Mr.. Brown aud bis
school.mates used TO think themselves
lucky to get bit of this rock for pencils.
and on one occasion he paid ten cents for
piece no larger than his two fingers
He determined to know whore the ledge
tas from which tha, stone was ob,ain..l.
Few at that time knew the location. Tho
glen in whictshe ledge is situated was
then hidden in dense forest. BY tho
mcrcs, accident, through sofe boys hc
met while hpn,ing for the place. hc lrasn-
ed III location. Ten dollars was the re.
suit Ct his sales Of pencils madG FROM tho
bushtl Of si!ne which he 10, at his Sec
ond visit, During the winter Nc got out
sibnc enough % make three thousand pom
ellis. The stone was all carried to Rut.
land. and the pencils made there.
When Mr.. Brown first spokc.o going
into the business. aud was making perrua-
neni arrangements for it, people snecrcd
at him, asking IL making atepenciis was
not FATHER small business. His reply Sas,
Look here, wouldn't you rather hn,e ono
Of those soft pencils than one Of those hard.
black things - Yes. ''Eycrybody II
just the liee you. and will get one Of these
If he can and IL everybody u.cs shesn.
there must bo money in IT," And so II
proved. After a long struggle with pow
cr,y an grival overs. he has succccdci in
getting the contr d Of all tho pencil.sseuo
under one management. the style of ths
firm being the adams Manufacturing Com
pany, named uAcr the senior partncr.--
At present, there are about ono huhdted
hands, men and women, employed In and
about the factory by the oompsny.iaatn
Near the quarries mentioned 10 another.
in which the stone IL Of rich dark pur-
pie color. Could sny means BE- 6bsnd 10
harden this stono, Il would Be Of IL erset:
es, vnluc FOR making school.ilqsss. g Il
has every other requisite sbf etexlAsD
4 nH-e~>. - .D..SAmk