The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-07-28
Letter from Kentucky.

FREEsToYE, Rowan Co., July %.
MEssRs. EDITORS II don't know why, but
It seems that l ought to write you few lines
about Freestone and this section OF the ia
NOUS Blue Grass State. True, she is blue
grass State, but there are portions OF 1T, which,
as the expression has it, are too poor TO
snrout peas, and | am inclined to think that
this is one of those sections
Rowan county has about as much good
farming land in it as there is in an ordinary
sized back yard, but when you speak OF NILS
rocks and timber, then you introduce sub
iect which we can speak about. just think
of hill so steep that it is necessary to use
double tackle blocks and ropes to pull wagon
loaded with not more than two hundred feet
of Plumber, not load for one horse; and be-
side that use three yoke Of cattle to the tree
end of the rope to draw such q load, but you
would not believe how steady wagon runs
when it is being propelled by this method.
But alas when rope breaks or tackle
block becomes loosened, then you may see
wagon make some fine time, and in a short
while the wagon, some of the pieces, at least,
are down in the gulch where it started from.
Lumber, well | have nothing to say about
that. as it grows on the other side of the
ridge, but once in while we can see quite
fine raft of logs floating down the river.
have succeeded in shipping them all out OF
this county then think it high time for the
citizens to follow by the very next train.
am keeping store here and we get large
share of our trade from the quarries. One OF
them sends us their orders. AS they pay but
once month and the men must have some
thing to live on the meanwhile, we draw on
the Company for the money.
The rock here is a very fine freestone,
which is between a limestone and granite IN
quality. Tombstones are standing around
here which bear a date that show they have
been standing long time, and they are still
good-not the least worn by the rains, and
there are two bridge abutments near here, the
bridge was burned during the war, and has
never been rebuilt, and they are as good as
when they were built.
The rock lays in layers, lodges as the guar
ry-men call it. The quarry here at Free
stone has eleven lodges, varying in thickness
from to 80 inches The stone is quarried
by the plug and feather system, no powder
being used. A number of holes are bored
with ball-drills, about 6 or 8inches apart, and
six deep, then two bits of iron are placed IN
the hole with a wedge between them, and by
driving on these wedges the rock is broken.
| have seen lines 40 and so feet broken in this
way. The Company here also have saw
mill and are fixed to saw sills, lintels, and in
fact rock of any dimensions. They are now
saving rock, for the Louisville Exposition,
12x5 feet, and Is inches thick. Such stone
will weigh Is, 500 pounds or more. These
rock are picked up in the quarry by derricks
and then run to the mill on tramway, laid
with iron rails, when another set of derricks
put it on little truck, which also runs on a
tramway and it is pushed under the saws,
which are run by steam.
| have forgotten what season of the year
this is, as there are no crops being gathered
up here. With success to you, | remain
W. NJ. GIST