Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-06
SLATE OUARRIES.
Promising and Important Industry for
FL Dorado qJountv-

a promising and Important Industry for
Ell Dorado County.
The Ell Dorado county exhibit at the
permanent exhibit building attracts the at
tention of nearly every person who calls.
A. j. Lowry, of PIacerville, an energetic
and go.ahead citizen, knows the import
ance Of such an exhibit, and he keeps it
well replenished. The specimens of slate
on exhibition are from the Chill Bar quar-
ries.
To notice one of the most important in
dustries now being developed in Ell Dorado
county, it is only necessary to make a trip
to Chill Bar, three miles north of Placer
vile. The California Slate Company, under
the management of @. P. H. Buck, are now
opening up quarry of slate of very fine
quality 100 feet west OF the south end of
Chill Bar bridge, which is called quarry
No. 1. About 70 feet west of No. l quarry.
NO. 2 IS being opened, bat No. I is being
most actively worked. Large blocks Of
slate are being qaarried out and wheeled to
the splitting roono. The quarrying of slate
is trade peculiar to itself, and it Is inter
esting to novice so watch operations.
The splitting is also interesting, as we'll
as the cutting into she different sizes that
may ee required for roofing and other pur-
poses. Fhe California Company are open
ing several quarries all showilsg slate Of a
quality said TO be far superior 30 Pepnavl-
vania slate and in fact fully equal, in
9ualtyy tc. any produced in any part of tAe
world
1t is the Intention Of this corapanv TO
erect q bridge opposite Quarry No. [, the
piers OF VSsioia they intend building of solid
masonry, from The bedrock, that will stand
for all time. And while shis struetlsre will
be-made for their own benefit. it will be
thrown open for the uss of the county,
should they need it. Mr. Buck is erecting
neat eottags. for the use oftheir carpenter.
Mr.. Wenger, and family. This cottage is
situated on the side of the hill opposite
Texas Bar, overlooking a lorg deep hole in
the American river forming a conlplete
lake, on which bath house will be btyiit
and also boats will be placed for the enioy-
ment of visitors. Steps will le made from
the cottage to the beach. At tunnel
about three hundred feet distant is g fine
stream Of pure cold water, which will be
conveyed in a pipe for the irrigation of
ornamental and other plants about the cot
tage' as well as for house purposes. Near
the cottage will be built stable and carriage
house. The hillside for several hundred
feet is covered with live oak and other
forest trees, through which walks and
drives will be made, which will, when
completed, make beautiful picnic ground
1t is the intention of Mr.. Buck to run a
road out from the Kelsey grade, by this,eot-
tage, Leading to Slate Point, where is found,
perhaps, the finest slate on the whole
tract, which they intend to open as soon
as they can get experienced men,
which seems to be q matter attended
with some difficulty, as men who under
stand slate working are scarce. Mr.. Buck
says that it is the in tention of his company
to have two hundred men working at and
about Chilli Bar, as soon as the men can be
had and the quarries opened, when houses
will be erected for families, and quite a
lively town will be built up. The company
is discussing the practieability of cable
Foad for the transportation of slate from
the river to the depot at Placerville, as
cheap transportation is an important feature
in the successful working of slate quaFries.
1t is the intention of The California Com
pany to erect a warehouse near the railroad
depot for the storage of slate, so they may
be able to fill orders on short notice. It
requires considerable capital to do all these
things, but when done and the duarries
opened thoroughly, the business can be re-
duced to a complete system
The Chill Bar Slate Company are opening
q quarry few hundred feet east of the
south end of Chill Bar bridge and are
getting out roofing slate of excellent qua4-
ity, and it is reported they intend building
road across the point, Aeas The junction
of Big Canyon and the American River, TO
interseet with the Chill Bar grade. which
can be done at small expense. 1t is re-
ported that still another slate quarry is
about to be opened near the mouth of the
Big Tunnel on Big Canyon. where slate of
an excellent quality has been found, and
it would seem from the present outlook
that the prediction of Mr. Buck that this
would become the slate center of America
is about to be verified.