The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-12-31
VERMONT ouARRfES.
Where American Marble Is Got Out and
Cut In Immense Quantities.


The history of the industry covers only
about forty years. The presence of marble
in tho hills was early discovered, but no at
tempt was made to work the beds, except
in small way, to supply the local demand
for tombstones, until 1910, when the quarry
at West Rutland was opened. From that
time the business continued to grow steadi-
ly, and has nearly doubled since the war
Having time to visit but one quarry, we
decided on that at Sutherland Falls, which
is situated ON the line of the Vermont Cen.
trail Railroad, about six miles north of Rut-
land, at point where the Otter Tan-here
considerable mill-stream leap OF
ll8 feet over cliffs before going on to form
one of the loyeliest valleys under the skies.
Not over three hundred yards from these
falls, in one of the small, round foot hills
Of the region, occurs a deposit of the finest
white marble known. The visitor alights
from his train in the midst of the works and
beholds busy scene. Huge piles of mar
BILE in blocks rise on every side. Here,
workmen with teams of strong, sleek oxen
ARE moving the blocks there, with huge
cranes, they are loading them upon cars.
Down q tramway sssie cars from the quar-
ry, each loaded with a block of marble of
from sixteen to eighteen tons weight. In
the workshops the impact of hundred
hammers on the chisel mingles with the
rasp and stroke of ponderous machinery.
A letter to the superintendent insures us
IN inspection of the works under his guild
ance. We follow the tramway, lodging
now and then loaded car that comes charg.
ing down with a bronzed, red-shirted quar-
ryman at the brake, and soon stand on the
verge of q cayernous opening that lays bare
the very centre of the hill. The walls are
of pure white dolomite. From the white
floor hundred feet below comes tremen-
dous din. Nine steam channelling ma
chimes, four steam drills, and two derricks
are at work there, with small army OF
men. We descend to watch the operation.
The channelling machines are fitted with
sharp steel drills, playing up and down.
These, AS the machine moves back and forth
over the floor, cut longitudinal grooves six
feet deep and six feet apart, so that when
their work is done the floor appears marked
out in checks or squares of six feet each.
The drills are used TO loosen the mass on
the bottom, and the grsat blocks are then
hoisted upon the cars by steam power. All
the machines are worked by steam Why
not by means of compressed air, utilize your
water power?" we asked the snperinten.
dent. Because our water power is only
sufficient for the shop" he replied. These
shops are on the brink of the falls, long,
low buildings, white with marble DUST and
perfect hives of industry. Comparatively
little of the stone quarried is sent away in
the rough, but is cut and dressed here.
There are seventy gangs running from one
to fifty saws each, cutting through the huge
marble blocks as easily to all appearances
AS the Michigan sawyers' blades cleaye the
giants of the forest, but then the marble
saws are assisted by mixture of water and
fine sand constantly pouring upon them
from above, the grit of the sand materially
aiding the work of the saw. In the cutting
and polishing departments, which take up
q large section of the workshop, we saw
some remarkably fine work in marble.
Statues, ornaments, facades, scroll work fol
public buildings (the design perhaps CON-
prising hundreds of pieces), ore cut here
md shipped to cities thousands of miles
away before being put together Another
Interesting feature was large showcases
filled with beautifully cut and polished
urns, vases, and otLer articles of ornament
and utility, showing what Vermont marble
is susceptible Of when rightly handled. The
artists whom we saw at this work were
mainly foreigners Italians imported for
special work because no native-born arti-
sans could be found competent to perform
it. How they can appear SO contented and
happy is puzzle to the visitor. One would
think the first touch of Vermont winter
would send man reared under the Italian
skies fleeing to warmer cline.