Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-06
Blue Mountain Granite.


do not grudge that title to our neighbor
across the Connecticut, much less do we desire
to take it from her. Yet strange as it may
seem, though granite is not the principal
rock formation Of the Green Mountain range,
or Of the Connecticut and Champlain VAL
legs, we have, in the state, quarries Of
granite that are not only unsurpassed but
unequaled elsewhere, in purity ard pertec-
ton as a material for all architectural and
monumental purposes. Great and unrivalled
as are our deposits of marble and slate it is
estimated that by reason of its peculiar excel.
lence our granite will eventually bring in
still greater returns. AS yet, owing to diff
cuties of transportion, the quarries Of this
stone have not been largely worked. But
wherever they have been opened the quality
has been such as to attract the attention Of
builders and architects all over the country.
The Barre granite would PROFESSIONALLY
have been chosen for the New York Capitol,
had it been accessible to railroad trausporta-
ton. 1t is a truly beautiful stone. But
we are assured by judges that it is surpassed
in purity, 6neness of grain and uniform beau
ty Of color by the " Blue Mountain Gran
ite," quarried in Ryegate.
This is the stone used exclusively for
monumental purposes in the extensive works
of Peter b. Laird, of st. Johusbury. Mr.
Laird is the most extensive retail manufac-
turer of granite monuments in New England,
and while the excellence Of his workmanship,
and the faithful aud honorable way in which
he transacts his business, have had much to
DC with his pre-eminent success, he himself
attributes it, in great measure, to the Or
tunate discovery of this remarkable quarry
We had the pleasure few days ago, Of
inspecting piece of work from Mr.. Laird's
shop, in the form of handsome family mon.
ument, which was being shipped by rail to
Plattsburgh, NY This monument consist
ed of a panelled obelisk of hammered granite
from the Ryegate quarry, supported upon a
a squared plinth of the same, enriched with
mouldings, and deeply panelled in style cor
responding to the obelisk. Upon the panels
of the plinth were the inscriptions, in raised
letters, carefully sculptured and polished.
The whole was supported by base Of Mem
phremagog granite, which resembled that
from Ryegate very closely in color, but is
much coarser. The entire height of this
monument would be, we should judge, some
eighteen feet, and its cost was six hundred
dollars.
Speaking of the lettering OF the inscrip-
tions, which is executed by Mr.. Laird's
workmen with remarkable accuracy and
taste, we must not omit to notice peculiari-
ty in his monuments that distinguishes them
from all others. 1t consists in the appli-
cation of some substance, upon which Mr.,
Laird holds patent, that imparts polish
of dark brown color to the face of the let
tiers. This brings out the inscription with
great distinctness, aud is a manifest improve
ment
In color the Blue Mountain granite is u
light grey, growing rapidly lighter under ex-
, posure, until it becomes nearly white. Its
grain is fine and uniform, and it can conse.
quently be hammered very smooth, and is
even susceptible Of polish. MIR. Laird, whose
experience in granite cutting is second to
none in the country, regards this as the
7 purest granite-freest from any metallic con.
taminaton liable to affect its durability OF
impair its color under the influence of the
e weather,-of any stone Of the kind, of equaI
1 6neness, that he has ever seen. Indeed he
!; says it is absolutely pure, so that even the
strongest nitric acid (aqua tortisl will uot
act upon it in the least We have been st
much interested in Dir. Lairds account v
this stone that we have secured a specimen
" to submit to Procession Collier Secretary o
3 the Board Of Agriculture, Manufactures ant
!, Mining. The Professor is a skillfu miner
4 alogist, as well as chemist, and his jugdmeD
upon the quality of this granite will be o
t value.