, 1889-08-01
RICHES IN THE ROCK,

ulOttbc LIN lIb1 StOShs
Among the resources of Eastern Wash.
ingto there is none that promises richer
rewards than the quarries in the vicinity
of ofSpokone Falls. Already there are EN-.
ployed in the granite quarries and the
yards in this city an army of men, who
may be classified as follows;
One hundred quarrymen, at 1925 TO
$2,75 day.
Twelve men and teams, at So to $7a
day.
Forty-fve granite cutters, at $5 day.
Twelve laborers and drillers in the
sheds, at $3.50 day.
Fifty masons, cutting and setting
stone in buildings, $3.50 TO So day.
Thus we have, at conservative esti-
mate, not less than 2l9 men and II
teams employed, earning per day;
Cutters, 45 at -""-"".o""".""."s225 90
Quarrymen, 100 at 81 so, average, $50 90
Tcamsters, II Mt 50, average,.....".. 72 90
Masons, 90 at 81 as, averagc......... 237 90
Helpers, IL at 81 50......,....,"..-...-. 80 90
Total per .""..,.,...."..."".""."solz oV
AT this rate, which is low estimate
for the whole season round, the amount
actually paid out for labor, in the granite
works alone, is $4s75 week, or $253, 500 n
year.
In addition to this there are several
hundred men engaged In the construc-
ton of buildings, including bricklayers,
stone masons, carpenters, lathers, plas-
nt,ta or
whose employment is made possible
by the development of the granite
quarries Placing this number at the
lowest estimate, there must be not less
than 200 additional artisans constantly
employed In the city at an average out
positions and wages are solely due to
the granite industry. This increases the
amount ofwages paid, attributable to
the development of the quarries, $751;
900. Thus it Is shown that the wage
workers of Spokane Falls are paid $40
500 more, every year, than they would
eceive If the granite quarries did not
exist in close proximity o this metrop-
oils.
This does not include tho men en-
ployed in handling the millions of tons
annually shipped by rail to other points,
which would swell the amount TO con-
siderably over half million dollars
annually.
When ii is remembered that this in
dustry is yet in its infancy, these figures
represent only forecast of the grand
possibilities of this great source OF
wealth.
Nor Is this all that Spokane Falls has
to be proud of in the way ofquarry pro-
ducts. There are within a few miles OF
the city exhaustless mountains of the
purest marble, susceptible of the highest
polish, and in all colors. Experts who
have tested it say it is far superior to
the Rutland, Georgia or Tennessee
product, and it has been asserted by
competent judges that no italian mar
BILE has ever been shipped to this coast
that Is equal TO it, in any respect. Ital-
ian marble is shipped to this country, of
course, as ballast, at nominal cost for
transportation, but it costs great dial
of money to rehandle and transport II
from the seaport TO the inland market,
and if we have a superior article in
Washington, which all the testimony
tends to show that we have, and in ex-
haustless quantities, there is no reason
why the market of the entire Pacific
Northwest should not be supplied from
these quarries.
The marble hills at Fort Spokane are
noted on the charts and in the journals
of Lieutenant William Clark, the prin-
cipal military director of the exploring
expedition projected by Captain Merr-
wether Lewis, from st. Louis across the
Rocky mountains to the mouth of the
Columbia, in 1So4-5. The area covered
by this deposit alone embraces over 300
acres, and there are solid bodies of mar
BILE towering upward to enormous
heighta and showing millions of tons on
the surface.
II Is readily perceived, from this ex-
hibit of actual facts, that aside from the
mining, the agricultural and the manu-
featuring resources of Spokane Falls, the
quarries also afford an enormous source
Of wealth and mus. develop into great
importance, both as commercial and
an industrial proposition.
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