The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-27
The 8utland daily Globs.
MONDAY, MARCH 81, 1876.
from New York World.l
THE SLATE INTERESTS.


that has been Developed through tho Eff
forts of an Enterprising Cornishman.
For me the old Moravian town of Beth
lehem has always had a peculiar charm
Nor was it singular of old time to be cap.
tivated by the influences of the village
Thirty years ago the population was, per,
haps, nine hundred; now (adding South
Bethlehem) it Is estimated at full twelve
thousand. When first knew Bethlehem
it was inhabited exclusively by Moravisns,
and was, in all respects, unique. The
houses, for the most part, were built Of
stone, long, low, one-storied structures,
ancient looking and quaint, with internal
arrangements altogether in keeping with
the mode of life of a frugal, simple and al
most primitive people. There was no push
then and no pushing, no opportunity for
invidous comparisons between wealth and
property, but apparently an equitable ap-
portionment of this worlds goods-a fea-
ture in their corporation which enabled the
industrious, steady, music-loving Moravian
of that day to live in an enviable condition
of competency, content and happiness.
New Bethlehem, ne the modern borough
may be called, by way of contrast with the
Bethlehem of former days, is compsctly-
built town-well laid Quits streets en-
powered with trees, and it's places of bust
ness and private residences indicating good
taste and refinement, as well as substantial
thrift. Excepting a cluster of heavy, stone
structures in the vicinity Of the Moravian
church, which the Moravians erected du-
ring the existence of their economy, for
the peculiar requirements of the fraternity,
such as The House of the Unmarried
Women" "The House of the Sun Dial"
aud The Asylum for Widows" structures
which are almost as sombre- looking as the
conventual piles of the Old World, all
traces of the ancient system and mode of
lite have been obliterated.
now THE CHANGE WAS WROUGHT.
The wealth which within the past fifteen
years has centred in the Bethlehems, has
been attracted principally by the coal and
iron interests. Situated on the line Of the
two great railways which connect the an
thracite regions of Carbon and Luzerne
counties with New York and Philadelphia,
and in the heart of valley which is pro-
verbally rich in iron ores and limestone,
lehem as a most desirable point for the
successful prosecution of traffic IN those in
dispensable staples of modern civilization.
Another industrial interest in this section
of Pennsylvania, not as we'll known, it is
true, and, comparatively speaking, In its
infancy-although it has already assumed
imposing proportions-is the quarrying and
manufacture of slate. A letter of intro
10 81 Al
Sun was effectusl in making me acquainted
pany which almost monoplizcs this impor-
THE CUAPMGs sLX'rf3 .,ptrH
William Chapman, Cornishman and
practical slater, immigrated in 1912 and
settled in Middle Northampton. BY dint
of energy and native talent he gradually
built up TO its present magnitude the BUSH
ness which he now controls. The company
was incorporated by special act Of the leg
islature in 1864 with capital stock of
$500, 900 since increased to S4OO,0 900.
The quarries which furnish the materials
for roofing slate and for the manufacture
of staple and fancy articles of various kinds
formerly made of marble, were opened in
1855 IN the belt of slate rock which travers-
es Northampton county from northeast to
southwest, in a line parallel to the end of
the Blue mountain. When, in 1865, the
town or village of Chapman was incorpo-
rated as borough, the company owning
all the property annexed as condition to
every lot sold that no malt, vinous or spir-
itous liquors should ever be sold on the
premises. This principle has been strictly
adhered to, and the result has been very
satisfactory.
THE oUARRIBs.
The near approach to the quarries, sit
uated about twelve miles from Bethlehem,
is indicated by high rampant of debri,
extending like an unbroken wall along the
northern horizon, from the summit of which
at intervals, are imprinted upon the sky
the tall, skeleton masts of the derricks on
which the huge blocks of slate are hoisted
from their beds in the pit below. Imagine
a surface excavation into bed of solid
slate rock, sloping down from west to east
until it has obtained the extreme depth o.
200 feet-an excavation which covers ar
area of not less than four acres-with al
most precipitous walls, relieved here ant
there by projecting lodges or shelves, or
like pigmes. Imagine this, and you will
no longer wonder whence came the noun
tain of debris. 1t makes you dizzy TO lool
down into the depths of the immense pi
which yawrs before you-which is withou
peer among American quarries, ant
which, in its general aspects, reminds on
forcibly of the Delsbole quarries in Corn
wall, England. The quarrying is done al
together by blasting and the necessar,
drilling by steam drills. The hosting ap
paratus is, in fact, such as is ordinarily
used-in part, however, of novel construc
ton, the essential features in the latter in
stance being five-ton wire cable, 300 fee
long, on which there runs carriage wit
pulley and chain Corning an aerial inclin
ed plane railway, along which slabs @
slate weighing from feur to six tons ar
drawn and landed where wanted, the motto
| being l00-horse power engine. Block
| of the crude material are thus delivered q
six different Landings on the ragged edg
| of the chasm. This machinery has bee
pronounced bv expert engineers to be bot
unique and surpassed by none in use.
RooFING-sLArR.
The department for the manufacture @
roofing slate at present in operation stand
on the western edge of The quarry. Tn
processes this branch of the bushes
| (Which up to this time has been by far tn
most important, involve are few, and in III
| hands of experienced skaters apparent
very simple, the blocks being scalpet
split and sized by hand and then dressed
a trimming machine. A second roofing d.
partment stands on the southern margin {
The pit. The annual production of roofini
slate from these two departments is est
mated at 10000 squares-a square, accort
ing to skaters rule, being 100 supertici
feet. The number of squares quarrie
since the organization of the company e.
ceeds four hundred thousand, and the cas-
value on the quarry bank is over $4,000
900. And yet, otwithstandlng this larl
amount taken out, one would Judge thi