The Republican journal., 1888-08-16
a Maine Industry in California.

THE GRANITE QUAHKIES AT RIVERSIDE.
Among the industries that have helped to
make the eastern states rich. the thrifty and
economical nursing of which have caused the
proprictors of the broad western acres to smile
in ridieuIe is the quarrying of stone. Quincy,
Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut. and
many other places to lesser extent have gain
ed enormous sums from the ledgcs Of granite
underlying and adjoining them the qualities of
this peculiar form of conglomcrate rendering
1t the best and most popular all round building
stone yet utilized. The Californian of the
ly day scorned the homely virtues of ordinary
rock and would have naught of that which did
not bear gold. The land speculator and real
estate iiend of these later excited times. has
had more to say of the climate above the lands.
and prospective values as a commodity to un-
load upon the unsu>pecting tendcrfoot, than as
possessing any treasures in itself. Good gram
lite. however. is rare; a valuable, Il sure source
of wealth. The country rock about Riverside
is all granite, but as elsewhere, only the coar>-
er and useless grades are Very prevalent. eN-
cept in one locality, where Already several ey
cellent ledgcS of the very best quality have been
laid bare. Three years ago Mc>SrS. W. B.
Ward and Geo. w. Clark, both expert quarry
men, came from Prospect, Maine, to Los An
geIes and began working ledge near that city.
impossible to cut stones of arge enough di-
monsions and of even quality throughout suit
able for the purposes of elegant buildings the
young men determined to prospect the whole
OF Southern California carefully. For some
time they failed to find such rock they de-
sired. but at last hit upon ledge in Arlington,
little distance east of the Casa Blanca station.
They procured at first five acres from the Riy
er>ide Land and Improvement company and
began operations. The surface indications
t14 hr,t 1.ttf
was well opened up, it was somewhat doubtful
how available the mass would prove. 1t was
work of several months and involved an cN-
penditure Of over - 600 to thoroughly expose
the rock. but when this had been done it
proved to be by far the most valuable find in
granite SO far known, and which has already
repaid the gentlemen for their enterprise and
pcrSistcncy, while it is extremely suggestive as
to the future. The possibility of furnishing
from this city this Indispensable building ma
tcrial in quantity sufficient and quality avail
able for the growing necessities of the state, is
both tlattering and hopeful. The present quar-
ry covers five acres, and the propretorS deem
the supply ineNhauStible. In quality it is fully
up to the best eastern granite, and has no SUI
perlors and few equals in Southern California.
The stone is classed ''dark granite" and is
very clear, having few seams or black knots of
hornblend in it, and is susceptible of a high
polish. Already the contractors for large
buildings have been compelled to send to the
casa bltnca quarry 1Of rock, nnulnS 1t lmpOS-
sible to get it in sufficient dimensions else
where. The quarry is furnishing at present
the stone for the new court house in Los An
geles, the Bank of Commerce and the Louis
block in San Diego. The curbing for our new
cement sidewalks is from here and although
now working from twenty-five to thirty men,
the proprietors cannot keep up with their or
ders. This industry, thus almost in its infancy,
bids fair to become one of the reliable ones Of
the future in Riverside. The wages paid vary
from S2..5 per diem to quarrymen to 81 per
diem to expert stone dressers. The proprie-
tors were cramped little at the start, in capi-
tai, and have as yet invested only rs the works
would warrant, but will increase their plant
and enlarge their field of operations as fast as
possible.
In addition to the quarry of Mcssrs. Ward
Il Clark. Mr.. Evans of the Los Angeles firm of
Evans n Middleton, has secured about half
mile from the first named ledge, another that
promises to be equally good from Mr.. Matthew
Gage. This was done after an exhaustive
search for such material elsewhere. Verify,
when the orange crops fail, and the song of the
real estate broker is heard no more in the land;
when the last of this cruel boom is over, there
shall be heard the merry chink of the stone
mason's hammer, and prosperity shall still pur-
sue us. Riverside. CAL. Tribune.