The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-07-27
POOL OF AIAOLIs

the world and its inhabitants, that more
people are educated at this horn than at
any other, always graduating under the
name of spouters. PEHCIE.
Correspondence of the Journal.
The Eastern Marble Company.
| DEER ISLE. July %, ISL.
Dr. jackson, in his report on the Geology of
Mine, published in 1888, thus speaks of the
se.pentne or verd-antique marble on Deer Isle
| On Deer Isle occurs an enormous mass of
sepentne, which has been thrown up through
| th granite. This substance is composed of
| SILK, magnesia, lime, oxide of lime and water.
Its filled with delicate fbres of asbestus, which
| have become indurated, and will give adm irable
| eject to the polished stone. 1t also contains
scattered lamellae of diallage, that give it a
variety of different shades, This rock is identi-
ed with the highly priced marble. known I'M
| der the name of vcrd-antique. 1t is of deep
olive green color, with many lines of asbestus
and spots of yellow dalage. Small ornamental
atcles have already been made from the
GARRY, but no extensive operations have yet
ben carried ON. If it can be obtained in good
! SIZED slabs, it will become an important article
| OF commerce.
| It is soft and easily cut, SO that blocks may be
| morticel out in the same manner that the
|
| tier building stone. The stone is a very beau
| tiu kind of serpentne or verd-antque marble
This report excited considerable interest at
tie time it was published, and quite number
| of individuals on Deer Isle purchased some
| tracts, from one to sixteen acres of the Quarry,
| With the expectation, probably, that capitalists
| from abroad would sooner or latsr invest in and
open it. Although they had full confidence in
he good quality and great value of the stone,
| ew had means sufficient to operate, and those
| who had We're unwilling to eXpend a large
amount of money on an uncertainty, for the
purpose of testing it, particularly, where in
,ase of success the other owners, without any
expenditure, would be equally benefited with
| themselves The result was that during this
tong period, nothing has been done until recent
| Y to open and deveope one of the most extern
siye and valuable marble quarries in America,
| one or two feeble attempts, without sufficient
means adequate knowledge of the subject,
were made some years since and many spec-
| mems Of the marble taken from the borders and
loose stones on the beach, have been carried TO
Boston and other places. 1t polished finely,
but no slabs Of suitable size for practical use,
free from cracks, We're obtained, and it seemed
doubtful whether large blocks free from such
defects "nnld he IniInd
In The spring of last year, Mr.. Wiswell Of
Ellsworth visited the quarry, and having IN
terested some Boston gentlemen in the matter,
during the spring and summer took convey
ances from the different owners-tifteen or
twenty in numher-of about two hundred acres,
being all of any value, comprising the whole
On "a D,
wells on the western end, extending about -
miles back from the Beace to Torry's Pond
During last season large number of gentle
men from Boston, New Bedford, New York
and other places, comprising capt. alists, praeti
cal marble workers, and scientific men, visited
the Quarry. All who examined it were unani-
nous in opinion, as to the excellent quality,
(if sountD and the inexhaustible quantity of the
stone, and the only question to be solved was
with regard to its solidity. The only way to
settle this question satisfactorily was to open
ii. A company was thpreupon organized in
Boston, under the general laws of Massachu
sets, by the name of the Eastern Marble
Company. Mr.. Wiswell conveyed the Quarry
to this company, retaining. however, an inter-
est in the same.
Late last fall small crew, in charge Of Capt.
Ashley of New Bedford, commenced operations,
and although the season was too far advanced
to accomplish great deal, still enough was
done TO Justify the expectations of the most
sanguine. One or two blocks We're sent to
Boston last FALL and sawed into slabs, and al
though they were much inferior to the blocks
which have been obtained the present season,
the marble was pronounced by experienced
marble workers as more valuable than the black
marble from New York, which costs S. per
cubic foot. Being softer, it ear he wrought at
much less expense
The work was recommended last April with
small crew, as Il large one could not work to
advantage, and the principal object Of the
company was merely to open the Quarry, and
settle the question as to the soundness of the
stone, before making preparations for more eX- |
tensive operations.
1t was DIR. Jackson's opinion, privately eX
pressed, that sound marble would be found, |
after going from twelve to fifteen feet below the
surface. The company have found it before |
going much more than half that distance, and |
the quality of the marble improves rapidly as |
they descend. Several blocks, weighing from
four to SIX tons have been quarried, ready for !
shipment, and in few weeks they will be able !
to take out from fifty to one hundred tons daily
The location of the Quarry in unsurpassed by !
any IN the world. 1t is situated about two miles
easlary ofthe steamboat landing, and has 'front.' |
age on Eggemoggin Reach of about one hundred |
and fifty rods. A wharf will soon be completed |
where vessels can load with twelve feet of |
water at low tide, and the marble can be put |
on the wharf by means of a short tramway |
The freight to Boston will not exceed one |
dollar and seVenty-fve cents per ton. The |
transportation of the Vermont marble by rail |
road to Boston costs about seven dollars per |
ton, while the whole expense of quarrying and |
if any, exceed that sum.
An act incorporating this company, was OBJ |
tanned at the last session of the Maine Legisa- |
turc. This became necessary in order to obtain |
the privilege Of extending wharf into the tide |
waters of the beach. On the 10Th inst, the |
company organized at this place, under their |
charter, and elected all the necessary officers. |
The capital stock is 100000, being the sum |
paid for the Quarry, with such expenses as have |
been incurred since the purchase. The stock |
has all been taken and paid for.
Should the Quarry prove equal to what it now
promises, and there is every reason to believe |
that it will, it will be difficult to estimate its
real value The qua nifty is inexhaustible, and
the demand for the marble is much greater than
the company can ever supply.
Vermont now furnishes more marble than
any other State, although large quantities are
obtained in the State of New York, Tennessee,
and other States, but still about seven-eghths of
all the marble used in this country is imported.
This enterprise promises to be the most inn
portant ever undertaken in Eastern Maine, and
all the indications are that the expectations of
the company will be fully realized. B. VIC.