The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-24
SOUTHERN RICHES.
The Marble Quarries Of Georgia.
How the Treasures of Long Swamp
Were Developed.
Yankees Who Knew a Good Thing
When They Saw 1t.
A Formation That is More Valua-
BILE Than A Gold Mine,
An Interesting Account of the Opera
tions at the Quarries-How an
Editor and Senator Were
Left High and Dry.

Amos J. Cummings Atlanta Letter in the New
York sun.
\ Eight years ago passenger saw news
paper upon an empty seat in a car OF an
express train. He unfolded it and yawned
as he glanced over its columns. Finding
nothing there OF absorbing interest, he was
StAeut to lay it aside when the word "mar-
bic" repeatedly printed, caught his eye.
II stirred the depths Of his memory. 1t
recalled boyhood days in the Green Noun.
tains, and family stories concerning the
fortunes OF an uncle. Years before the
passenger was born, the uncle was forced
TO accept an apparently worthless tract of
4 land in payment Of debt. When penury
crept upon him in the shade OF old age
marble quarry was found beneath the sur
face Of the neglected tract. The famous
Rutland quarries were developed, and the
uncle became one Of the wealthicst men in
Vermont. The nephew had played in the
Il quarries with schoolmatcs, and had re-
peatcdly heard his uncle tell the story of
A their discovery and development And
ever afterward the word marble bad for
him a peculiar fascination. lie therefore
became deeply interested in the newspa-
per.
4 The passenger was II. G. Clement, a
clothier Of Chicago, and the news
4 paper the atlanta Constitution The
latter contained an article describing the
attractions Of Pickens County, Ga. Itwas
In this description that the word marble"
repeatedly appeared. The correspondent
asserted that he had seen the outcropping
OF marble formation in the be Of Long
Swamp Creek. The story was told in
plain, unyarnished Anglo-Saxon. The
passenger read il with ayidity. SO deeply
interested was he that he crossed over TO
| Frank Siddall, the Philadelphia soap man,
4 who sat near by, and called his attention
n 20 the article. Siddall read IL and listened
TO Clements "reminiscences The latter
averrod that II there was a shadow oftruth
10 the story there was marble quarry in
Georgia that would strip the supremacy
from Vermont. With an eye 10 business,
Siddall suggested visit 10 Pickens Comfy,
.and offered 10 shoulder a share OF the ex-
I Bense. The offer was accepted.
The author OF the article in tho COlsiiu-
:. hon was first unearthed. lie proved TO be
. Capt Evan +. Howell, better known as
the "wet editor" Of that great newspaper.
Howell had travelled up 10 Pickens Coun.
5y ON the opening OF the North Georgia
failroad and had written up the country
|ith view OF increasing the circulation
the Coldi,uiion. lie said that the out
topping Of the marble was 10 be found in
BE- Long Swamp Valley, about two miles
FOn the railroad and forty miles north OF
Marietta. With ready courtesy he offered
go with the Chicago merchant and
pint out the spot. They went 30 the
nlley. Clement was buoyant with hope.
bic bed Of the creek disclosed the vein.
here were also other surface indications.
be greatest proof Of the purity aud value
the upheayal, however, was rough
ewn marble blocks taken out by the
nouniaineers. There were marble scnti-
bis at tic head OF graves in the little
fivatc cemeteries set apart from every
kouniain farm. Tho outcropping was on
ind owned by the Tate brothers. IL
ns originally discovered by their father,
ho came 10 Pickcns County while An
1rcw Jackson was President The Chero-
bees had not yet left the country. Mr..
Tate entered Il as the ovcrsccr OF a new
plantation. While roaming the woods,
fnn In hand, he discovered the vein In the
bed Of the creek. The gold mines OF
XfNuioutth MtIc Only kfllfll-NNt mics
way. and Tate was probably prospecting
Ibr the precious metal when hc found the
narbe outcrop. II was dirty whito In
color and lnty. There was hardly an
Indication Of the wonderful rock beneath
1t Tate however, seems 10 have had an
= htuitive sense Of the value Of the discov-
cry. lie ioresaw is future development,
secured the land for a song. and retained
u 10 the day OF his death. 'llold on 10 IL,
i boys" he frequently said 20 bis sons
"kccp your grip, aud never let 90 OF H.
Some day It's sure 10 be more valuable
than the gold mines at Dahlonega."
Tho bows were hardy mountainers What
they lacked In education they made up In
horse sense. The advent Of Clement did
not surprise them. They seemed TO take
little interest In his proceedings and
calmly awaited the conclusion. Tho Chi
cago man went 10 work with the utmost
caution. lie was confident that there was
bed Of genuine marble below him, and one
OF remarkable purity. lie first mccrlaincd
It's width, length and depth. This was .hc
wc-k Of experts sent 10 tile Long swamp
Valley on his return 10 Chicago. They
dug holes and tested the marble at every
point The vein was traced two miles and
a half up the valley. II proved TO he over
1000 feet wide. Its actual depth, how
ever, has never been ascertained. Moth.
Ing but marble has been found after Dor
ing 1855 feet II has been upheayed In a
solid block, aud not la Layers. II has
neither crack nor lamlnatlon. A chunk
the izo Of the Washington monument
could be taken from Il. II the mass was
hcaycd above the earth church ~ large
as ST. Peters In Rome could be carved
from IT, Indeed, the pyramids Of Egypt
might have been cut IRON it In solid IN
angles.
Upon the report Of the experts COM
y Any was formed, and an effort 10 buy the
K Iperty was made But the Tate broth.
" 4 mindful oi their fathers injunctions,
',dused 10 sell. A long lease oi their land
was taken, aud the remainder oi the vein
was purchased outright The capitalEa-
ton OF the company was Sl.j0O,000. The
company controls the entire vein. Over
SOO0,O00 has been spent In developing the
quafricS spur has been built iuto the
valley from the North Georgia Railroad,
and ive great pits have been opened. The
mmbIe Il taken from the pits la blocks
weighing many tons each. These blocks