St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-21
TREASURES IN ROCK
Which Minnesota Should
Proudly Exhibit at the
Worlds Fair.
The State Rich in the Finest
Euilding Material Of the
World.
Substantial and Ornamental
Stone Underlie Every
County.
Geauty and Durability Com
bined in Natures LabO-
ratory.

rtded by tne COMMISSIONERS HUN Illlo
ate. 1t is true that we cannot exhibit
.innchaha or Fort Smelling except in
,ag AMI by painting; we cannot con-
,4y to Chicago our ten thousand beauti-
u, and picturesque lakes, our romantic
emery or deep rich productive soil;
Sc cannot expose to view the head OF
ne father of waters, the Mississippi
aver, because its exact location is
looted question, one that has been oft
lie subject of acrimonious debate;
either can we exhibit our superb
Innate, although Gov. Merriam has
ecommended in his message that it
e placed on exhibition, and it has been
-uggestpd that he bottle and properly
abel samples OF our ozone for the pur-
,Ose. But alas. he has failed to do so.
There are resources, however, that
nav be displayed, that will not only be
,qualv as attractive as the foregoing,
.:ut will do credit to one OF the greatest
-tates in the union and astoniSh such
1artS of the civilized world as have not
earned their merits from actual contact
md observation. We can and must
lace on exhibition specimens of our
superb wheat, and -four, and other farm
md mill products that cannot be eX-
"eiled; our timber, magnificent build
ng and ornamental stones; our potterS
Lay; our copper, iron and other ores;
our fine horses and other stock; our en-
erpriSing business men and farmers.
accomplished women and beautiful
daughters, and thousand and one
other attractive possessions.
The first thing to be considered, as a
matter of course, should be the building
n which to make the display. This
should be such as will not only reflect
credit upon a great state, but should be
one that will be the
Pride of NIInnesOtans.
That cur people have the wealth, en-
terprise, ingenuity and generosity to
provide such quarters for the display
and reception of visitors may not be
doubted, and leading philanthropists
and business men ought to step out
from the ranks at once and encourage
the commissioners to make prepara-
tons at once for a display that shall
cause the appropriation by the legisla-
jure to look small. Fortunately, no
state in the Union is better supplied
with substantial building material than
5 our own, as well in the variety.
,eauty and attractiveness as in the
bundance. Of course, the brick made
this state are OF superior quality and
he hard and soft woods abundant and
aried, bat the building should, iii the
obstruction, show our sandstone
ie Minnesota sand rock is one
-. the most durable. when CON-
AIRED with that of other states,
9th as to the amount of pressure
: will stand and the resistance
% exposure. There is a gray sand
stone, found in many counties of the
in ahunAanpn n That hoC q fnn
texture, dresses smoothly and looks
well, such as is in the KittsOn residence
and other buildings in st. Paul. Then
there is a limestone, fawn in color,
such as the court house and city hall is
1uilt of. This stone was brought from
XaSota, and is found in various parts
Of the state. There is greenish gray
SandStone that is also very fine for
building purposes. The red sandstone,
such as is in the Germania bank and
'iermania insurance buildings, has no
-uperor as fine building stone, both
rs TO beauty and durability. There is
;lso an abundance of limestone suitable
for building purposes. The granite and
sneiss is abundant and of superior
iuality. The finest buildings in
he Twin Cities are constructed
# the red or gray sandstone, and are
DOpularly known by a variety of names.
according to the location where found,
such as Kasota, Trenton limestone.
frontenac and Berea sandstone. These
building stones may be found near
Sauk Rapids. Pipestone, Frontenac.
Lanesboro. Red Wing, Mantorvile and
n the counties of Goodhue. Fillmore,
Steele, Dakota, Chisago. and, in fact, in
nearly all counties of the state Then
for pillars and decorations in the cor
ridors and other parts of the interior
we have the
Most Superb Material,
such as may be found in the Endicott
Arcade, the New York Life and other
buildings in st. Paul and the Guaranty
Loan and other edifces in Minneapolis.
Fair samples OF some of these stones
or quartZiteS may be seen exhibited III
various cities as tops for stands or tables
or in pillars. Some of them are susceptible
of high polsh-equal, in fact, to that
of the finest-grained granite or marble.
Some of them appear like delicately
tinted seashells or precious stones. The
varieties most noted are fine-grained
gray Syenite, and Syenite crossed be-
tween Nicols, red QuartZoSe syenite,
gabbro, labradOrite feldSpar, dolo-
mite, argillaceous limestone, pinkish-
yellow sand rock, and a number of
others.
The red and gray syenite of East st.
Cloud, in Sherburne, Stearns and Ben
ton counties, as we'll as other places. has
fine crystalline grains of close texture;
the color is often varied by the sudden
appearance of greensh spots. varying
from smaller to six inches in diameter.
The fne-grained gray rock con-
Slsts largely of quartz having
small portion of mica or chlOrite,
all occasional grain of hornblende,
trichnic feldSpar and minute crystals of
pyrites. In the Minnesota valley, ex-
tending from New Ulm to Big Stone
lake, there are considerable quantities
of crystalline rocks. The Duluth gran
ite is designated as gabbro by htholo-
glStS, term borrowed from Italy, and
is applied to an lgneous rock consist
ing of the trichnic feldspar, labrador
lte, augite and magnetic. The Duluth
rock is red in color and IS tough and
homogeneous. The gabbro rock is
very common: it varies in color and is
of a clear, almost CLASSY, transparency
and is very beautiful, often showing
polarization colors. The "feldspar
rock" of Norwood is gray. whilst the
trap rock" found along the shores of
Lake Superior, is often called green
stone" The crystalline rock has been
used IN st. Paul and Minneapolis for
trimmings, and has been sent for that
purpose to Chicago, Milwaukee and
other cities.
Another Noted Rock
is the celebrated pipestone, used years
ago by the Indians in making pipes, aud
more extensively manufactured into
ornaments. The principal location of
this is in Pipestone county.
The dolomite rock is found about
Saltwater, Lanesboro, Frontenac and
other places. 1t is OF buff color, varying
to light drab; is but slightly changed
after many years Of exposure to the at
mosphere, and is found i'll some of the
Oldest buildings in the state. 1t ranks
very high as building material, being
more durable than other building stone.
Numerous remaius of Roman architec-
ture have been found executed In dol