Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-05-21

5Siles Vi dibiOice oh tho ihNuoDhiSo Va
Frostburg and vicinity. These no
tees no doubt will aid in bringing
Frostburg into prominence as busi-
ness centre and show to the outside
world the peculiar adaptation Of our
soil and minerals to the manufacture
Of numerous articles Of commerce.
v When we take look back at Frost
burg in 1889, and then view it now,
the contrast exhibits giant strides in
business sense. Forty-two years
ago we boasted only two stores now
we have over half-hundred. Then
our coal output in year would
hardly equal that of a day now.
Elegant business blocks stand upon
the cites where the rude log hut OF
the first settlers stood the rough winds
of winter. Handsome churches with
towering spires have supplanted the
primitive meeting-houses and places
of worship. Two large and elegant
opera houses afford the accommoda-
lions necessary for public meetings
and theatricals. Our coal mines have
all the modern machinery necessary
to ouick transit of the black diamonds
from the bowels of thu earth to the
seaboard railroads traverse our val
leys and mountain sides, upon which
are huge engines snorting and puff
ing, drawing tons upon tons OF that
commodity the development of which
gives employment to our many hun
dreds of miners. Truly, we could go
on and on enumerating the great i'm
provements we have made in these
many years, but we must wait for
another time.
Among the large number of indus
tries OF this place We desire to dwell
particularly on the Savage Mountain
Fire Brick Works. This enterprise
was started in 1866 by its present
owner, Mr.. L. NJ. Gorsuch. 1t is now
recognized as one of the leading in
dustries, not only Of this place, but of
Western Maryland. The capacity of
these works are 10000 standard
bricks per day, in the making of which
Mr.. Gorsuch employs about forty men
and boys who receive good wages and
are kept constantly at work the year
round.
The fire clay is procured from the
banks on Savage mountains, and in
manufacturing one-fourth of the soft
clay to three .fourths of the hard is
used. The Pittsburg Brick, Tile and
Metal Reuieao has the following to
say about this clay
One of the best known articles of fire
clay used to-day is procured from Savage
Mountain in Maryland. We herewith
give an analysis of this clay, as made by
Dr. George Hay, of Allegheny city, Tor
the information of our readers, many of
whom are deeply interested in this sub.
ject: Silica, $3.50 alumnIa, 3O,097
protoxide Of iron, 00,903 oxide of maya
nese, trace lime, O0O74 msgancsia,
90 O66; water, etc, 0sS90; alkalies, 0O327;
loss, OOO53; total, 100000.
At this clay mine number of men
are employed mining the material
from which the bricks are made.
Great care is exercised by the Super
intendent Of the mine, Mr.. Thomas
Humberston, to prevent accidents to
the men, as fire clay, unlike coal,
gives no warning whatever when it is
going to fall, and props every few
feet are absolutely essential to safety.
The clay is blasted out. After it has
been brought out of the mine it is
carried in cars Old tramroad to the
dump where it is put in wagons and
conveyed to the works in the lower
part Of town.
Through the kindness of Superin-
tendent Arthur Baker we were
shown the moaus opsraadi Ct brick
making at the works few day since.
The first process is crushing the
clay in a large crushing pan with
two rollers weighing $500 pounds
each; stream Of water is thrown
into the pan continuously from pipe
overhead, which serve to reduce the
mass to a putty-like condition, and
which can be easily handled. It is
then taken in wheelbarrows to a side
room and thrown up in piles where il
stays twenty-four hours to settle and
solidify before moulding. From thence
it is taken to the moulding tables
where it is moulded into bricks the
bricks are then left on the floor long
enough to dry, after which they are
removed to the presses where they
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