The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-30
rConoluded from First Page. ]

better goods than their in material, cheap
ness, etc. Why do not merchants, and
masters of slate quarries do the same!
They might very properly and clearly show
and note buildings that have held states
not for twenty years like shingles, but for
twenty times twenty years, and those states
do not to-day show the least decay, nor any
likelihood to decay for four hundred years
again.
Whoever goes to the beginning of Eryri's
mountainous chain, near Conwy, may see
upon the roof Of the old church at Llauge-
lymen, thick grayish blue states, nnsquare-
old church for about five hundred years,
according to the judgment of those who
are proper and fit to judge. The dimnu-
tive old quarry from which they were quar-
ried is, according to every token, as the
color of the slate rock, the quality OF the
material, etc., } is close by the church yard
wall. The unsightly states just named,
ugly as their trimmed shape appears are
just as sound to day as the day they came
out of the quarry; and they might be so IN
five hundred years to come, II they are let
alone. Remember that none but pure
slate. in every sense, can bear this rcpu,a-
ton.
Indeed, we cannot encourage brittle
states, full of mineral matters, and it is
pity that anyone quarries such kind to ruin
the business, and to give bad name to
states. No one can tell how long the age
of q pure slate is.
1t is said there are on buildings in the
United States Gin Vermont and Pennsyl-
vania and the old '',tatc house Philadel-
phia,) states that have proved their useful
ness for over hundred years.
And rs the extremes of heat and cold
etc., are great in this country, the proof Of
the usefulness Of good states, is so much
better. But what man from Maine to Cali
fornii, and from Florida to the farthest
parts of Minnesota, can show shingles, felt,
plastics, gravel roofs, or galvanized iron
sheets that have lasted for fifty years? Be
sides their unparalleled duration, states,
for many reasons, are cheaper, and say
nothing Of beauty, cleanliness, etc. In
many parts of America, roof Of shingles
will COST at the rate of five dollars per
square, and felt, at the rate of ten cents Il
foot more than a handsome and lasting
roof of states. Are they not, also, less
liable to take fire? slate cannot take
fire.
Talk and boast about shingles and felt
indeed! About month ago there was a
house on fire in the city where stayed.
went there to see the fry element. When
wind carried the fiery shingles like flock
ofbrds to The tops + the adjoining houses,
and many other houses came near fireing,
because of the burning cinders that alighted
upon the dry shingles, that were ready for
fire; and only for its being daytime, and
the wind quite low, and many on the tops
of the houses, throwing water upon the
roof, great part of the city would have
burned down. If these roofs werc covered
with slate, it would be impossible for the
roofs to take fire. We believe that every
city in the country will, ere long. come &c
see the propriety { making a law to pre-
vent builders to cover their roofs will
shingles an felt, etc. Let enterprisnl
slatemakers and masters of slate-quarriet
take hear. The valuable and useful pro
perry they manufacture will, before long
command successful sale, and desirabl,
prices. AS a preparation to the improve
ment of the business, what if a number o
the owners of slate quarries, and slate mer
chants, were to insert challenging adver
tsement like the following, in all the lead
ing newspapers of the cities and villages o
the United States.
CHALLENGE FOR $50, 200.
l., Of, slate manufacturer
do hereby offer the above sum to any man
ufacturer of shingles, plastics, felt, Or an
other kind of roofing material cxceI
"slate," who can prove that his roofin
material is superior in ecery respectfo slal
as roof. Signed,
T, etc.
There is no danger that anyone coul
come forward to demand the above reward
there Is no place for footing to a partic
ofsuccess against the slate challenger. "L
the usefulness of good states demand a.tei
ton. Yours, &c,
WIN. II. ROWLAND.
Blssville, Vermont, Nov. 2G, 1874.