Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-05-22
For the Journal.
A Slate Quarry.

Ihe passenger upon tne tentrnl road from
Roxbury to Mortified, ms he looks from the chr
window to the East sees along the steep hillside
several mounds of slate stones and soil, and ex.
cayatons in the hillside above to match the
mounds Some are small, showing that expert.
ment and inspection was the object. Other piles,
as large NJ several churches combined, show that
the immense labor Of removing this rubbish must
have been paid by large quantities Of merchanta-
bic slate manufactured in the meantime.
One warm, Spring day, visited the quarry
worked by j. H. circuit 4 Co, Of Mortified.
Crossing that bed Of dust in front Of the depot,
that might be beautiful park, and also give
room for streets around IT, went up the street
that leads south from the hotel and took the first
right-hend street, by the neat dwellings and we'll
kept gardens, until the road takes up a narrow
rayine the bed of a small brook, and | came 10
the piles of waste rock that had been brought
from the quarry.
Here, upon a level with the tops Of these piles
are tracks upon which cars are rsn. These small
platform cars bring out either nice slate stone to
long shed where it is worked up for market, in
thin oblong pieces for roofing, or waste stone that
comes from near the slriace, where it is unsound
twisted and worthless, which is dumped at the
end Of the track, or large blocks to the derrick
that stands just here by the track. And now IL
the team has just arrived from the village below,
the driver takes a horn that hangs there and
blows long blast, to summon help to load The
men come and speedily raise the blocks from the
car and pla C them upon the wagon, and away he
goes TO the works in the village, and returns
again in an hour. The workmen return to their
work, while we follow the track along and pass
through a tunnel eight rods long, which passes
under pile Of refuse slate seventy feet high,
and we come into the quarry, a huge pit, whose
South side towers up hundred and forty feet in
height, quite perpendicular, and its other sides
are very formidable. The pit is about one hun.
bred and 6ty feet across, and somewhat circular.
In the centre stands derrick seventy feet high,
supported by nine long iron cables made fast 10
ITS top and in different directions to the band
around The arm Of the derrick reaches out fifty
feet and can be easily swung over any part Of the
quarry. The chain that bangles from the end Of
the arm, is attached to a large piece Of rock just
loosened from its bed.
A little, Old, one EARNED Wcshman starts ID
the patient old horse that travels in circle wind
ing up the wire cable, that lifts the stone from its
place, and as the derrick turns, carries the stone
safely and loads it upon the car In this south
east corner Of the quarry there is now uncovered
very nice lot Of stone. clear, straight grained,
black, enough to keep these twenty men busy
year and a half in removing learn from these
Welsh men who have worked in Wales 10 quar-
ries where 500 men were employed, and also in
Pennsylvania, that this is good stone as they
ever saw. The appearance Of the quarry will no:
interest any one but a short time. Some men are
drilling, some studying how to manage the rock
Everything betokens that patient continuance
in well doing is necessary 10 bring about any
good results.
return to the village and visit the slate works,
low building s. Z 100. Here the team unloads
its heavy freight, and the stones are placed under
gangs Of saws There are two Of these gangs,
four in EACH simple, straight, toothless pieces Of
steel Is or 20 feet long, that work their way down
through the stone at the rate Of two inches an
hour, by the mere force Of the friction OF this
steel blade working in sharp sand. After the
blocks are cut they are split into chunks with
sort Of drill, and these chunks are carried 10 the
skaters who set upon low seats and lean the blocks
upon their outstre,ehed legs, then with thin
sort Of cbi-el they split them into thin sections
justas thick as needed Tor laying upon the roofofa
building, and little thicker than the states used
by every scholar that gees to school Tho edges
of the slate are Strengthened by a simple machine
attended by boys. The finished slate i piled on
the ground near the building
Twenty sizes are made from xg to u 4 "a
inches. 1t is shipped to dealera in Providence,
Boston, Salem and other places, and the demand
has been considerably in advance Of the supply,
although enough is made each month for from
400 to 800 squares, square being hundred
square feet Of roof. Some slate decomposes when
exposed to wet, heat and cold, but this, am told
10 remarkably durable and is rapidly ginning ia
vor as a permanent fire proof roofing
Some pieces Of slate are turned out for other
purposes. They make beautiful ajors to base
ments in cities 10 butchers shops, groceries aud
store rooms, also sidewalks and walks about
buildings. Many rods are laid in Mortified and
there can be nothing better; they also make cur
riers' tables Tor dressing leather saw one here
ready to be shipped which measured 10 feet
in area and two and half inches thick They
have revolving securing wheel ~ smooth such
pieces.
| saw one house in Mortified made of this
slate stone, and it was very beautiful This slate
does not show any qualification particularly, and
yet these workmen understand the grain, and
work up the stone economically and into ayaila.
BILE forms Fifty men are employed by j. II.
circuit Co., and hundred, or about that, in
all the quarries on the side hill. 1t is supposed
that all the hill az it extends north through Ber-
lin, is of the same quality Of slate, and this in.
dustry is likely to increase greatly in time to
come.
The company above mentioned own the three
story brick Touring mill, and deal largely in corn
and feed.
The board mill sawed out about million ands
half feet of lumber last year, and they intend to
put in fifty horse power engine that will enable
them to drive business all summer, even in time
OF drouth Such a business continually enlarg-
ing, in the control of resident proprietors. can
not fail to add much to the prosperity of North.
field ZE .I.vvsoy
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