The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-08
slate Making in .Penns,lvania.

Ihe eChapmansVllle quarries, in North.
ampton county, were opened in 1850,
! the first one being worked on a small
! scale in 1864. Hero are located, states
the eastern correspondent of the New
York San, the Chapman md New York
Slate Manufacturing Company, the
Fischer Slate Com pany, and the Edel-
man Quarry. The quarry of the Chap
I man company is hole over !, 900 feet
loDg, 800 feet wide, and 225- feet deep.
It's called a fiat rock quarry-the
split of the slate inclining To the south
at an angle of about ten de yrees. The
removal of the top is an item of consid-
erable expense, varying with the loca-
ton. When the top has been taken
away natural joint in the slate is
sought, and if not readily found hole
is drilled and blast made The slate
is split into blocks which are hoisted
by means of derricks to the surface,
when they are landed on trucks and
moved along track to the shanties
where they are split.
THE splitter, with his mallet and
broad steel chisels, sits on block. and,
taking slab of slate between his legs,
drives in his chisel little way at one
end. He moves it a little with firm,
gentle pressure, and you can see the
split begin to start as straight as die.
He repeats the operation at the other
end. Then he drives his chisel in the
middle and easily prizes the slab in
halves. The split pieces are split and
split again until they are of the requir-
ed thickness. As fast as they are split
a man who stands by the splitter takes
the states and runs them through the
dressing machine. This is a cast iron
form set on five legs, with a steel ex-
tension piece or arm about four feet
long. Suspended over this is a steel
knife which is attached to spiral steel
spring and worked by the foot of the
dresser. A gauge board guides his
eye and he puts his slate against it,
presses his foot on the treadle, and
down comes the knife, cutting the edge
clean and straight. He makes the four
edges straight, and lays the slate in
piles according to size. Just as fast
as his foot can work, good dresser
keeps his machine going. The splitter
and dresser work together, and are
paid according to the quantity they
turn out.
Diamond saws having a reciprocal
ing motion and making 14o stroke per
minute are also used. They cut only
one way, being lifted by cam for the
return stroke. A constant stream of
water clears the teeth of slate dust.
The planers are similar to those used
for planning iron, the polishing bed be-
ing of cast iron, IA feet in diameter,
and making thirty revolutions per min.
ute.
A curious feature about the place is
that the factory, engine house, smoke
stack. and many of the houses are built
OF slate blocks There is great de-
mand for all kinds of labor in the whole
region. Ordinary day laborers earn
from 81 to $1.35 per day, and often
more, according to the exigencies of
the occasion. Carpenters earn 1925
to 1926. Bricklayers find work, but
most new buildings are frame. Ma
chinists are sought after daily, and
make good terms, because practical
men to work at the opening of new
quarries and the erection of machinery
are scarce. Skaters (splitters and dress
ers) earn from $3.50 to 81 and $3.50
per day by the piece. Quarrymen can
always find employment.