The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-07-05
GRANITE IN GROTON.
IMMENSE LEDGES or THE GRAY
MINERAL.
judgment of Experts-A Boom for
Grninn.

judgment of Experts-A Boom for
Groton.
Mr.. l. N. Kicker one of Groton's substan-
tial and enterprsing citizens, is the owner
of some l 700 acres of timber lands, or what
were once timber lands, near the village Of
Groton. For nearly generation Mr.. Kicker
has been cutting the timber on his property
and converting it into lumber, Several
millions Of good timber are still standing on
his holdings of real estate. Upon his pos
sessions, about a mile and half or two
miles from the railway station, towards
Topsham, is HILL mountainous in height
and proportions, in which exist vast masses
of granite. Mr.. Kicker has for years had
his eye on the outcroppings of the gray min
eral on this mountain, but has bided his time
for completing and disclosing his plans for
developing the deposits. Adjoning property
and real estate for a landing and for sheds
along the railway track, have been pur-
chased. Thus "heeled and capped" Mr..
Kicker discloses his purpose to develop his
granite property and is inviting attention
to it.
On Thursday of last week party from
Montpelier and Barre, consisting of E. l..
Smith and A. ID. Morse of the latter place,
I. f. Lynch, Michael Kelleher, Joel Foster,
Roadmaster Dodge of the NJ. & w. II. rail-
road and a WATCHMAN representative, of the
former place, visited the locality and made
an inspection of the quality of the granite.
The party found an inexhaustible supply of
the stone. Granite walls extend along the
side of the mountain i'll massive bastions, in
layer formation and in most convenient
form for quarrying. In this respect nothing
better could be desired. The prevailing
character of the stone is very much like
that of the Barre quarries. The grain is
handsome, the color bright and clear and
of a medium shade. The stone takes a fine
polish. While this is the prevailing charac-
ter, there is also found large deposit of
tine-grained stone that very closely resem-
bles the Westerly. X. l., gray granite. In
respect Of color, clearness and susceptibility
to polish. this stone seems to be all that
could be wished. 1t is particularly adapted
to statuary and to monumental work which
requires carving. At all points tested, the
stone developed very desirable degree of
strength and hardness. If, now, more
extensive test shall show that blocks Of ad-
equate size for monumental work can be
quarried, free from spots or streaks, and of
uniform grain and color, there can be no
doubt of the value of Mr.. Ricker's granite
property. This larger test will be made
soon, and there is no reason to believe that
this deposit of granite will not show up as
favorably in variety and all desirable quail
tiles as that at Barre or any other locality
in the granite region. So said the experts
in the visiting party. Ii the deposit OF the
fine-grained stone, referred to above, shall
prove to be large in quantity and uniform
in quality, the Kicker quarries Of the futu
will have an advantage which we believe 8
not possessed by other quarries in these -
gions-and it will be an important advau-
tage.
The route to the mountain was along AT
old lumber road which had been trimm
out to make easy the access to the out
groupings. The route showed an easy
grade, with no heavy cuts or fills, and, wlth
the exception of Q few rods, 1t is entirely on
land owned by Mr.. Kicker The proprietor
seems to have everything we'll in hand. He
has ample financial means for developing
the property and those other essential re-
sources, pluck and enterprise, with ca
pacity for affairs and management.
After the ledges had been duly inspected
and the quality and character of the granite
canvassed and judgment rendered, Mr..
Kicker proposed to take tae party over the
| mountain and show what was on the other
side. So he led the march through tangled
underbrush and scrub spruces, and soon
had his guests stumbling among confused
masses of granite boulders and sliding down
abrupt declivties-in veritable devils
den" The objective point OF the march
was somewhat elusive. Mr.. Kicker wasn't
lost, but those massive walls of granite and
romantic grottos which he essayed to show
the party had the habits and quality of a
will-o -the-wisp. Finally, as the dinner
hour had waxed and waned and there were
mutterngs of thunder from the mountain
over against the wilderness in which the
company was wandering, a break was
made for forage and civilization. An old
lumber road was struck at length and the
procession, in Indian file, wound out of the
mountain recesses, occupying some two or
three hours in passing given point, Ar
rived at Mr. Rcker's attractive abode ablu-
tions, external and internal, began the work
of repairing the inroads of heat and travel,
and plentiful meal with reviving auXil-
iaries completed the restoration. Mr.. Rick
er's hospitality is unbouuded, but if he got
ahead of his estimable wife in the prepara-
ton of creature comforts and practice of
social graces no one observed the fact.
After refreshments the company, individ-
ually or in procession, was good for the
passage of "a given point " with electric
speed, and even the gentlemen from Barre,
had they been inclined to be skeptcal on
the subject of Groton granite, were willing
to concede that it would rank high with
Barre's mineral of worldwide fame. Gro
ton, as a seat of the granite industry has
future, and Mr.. Kicker is in it.
The development of Mr.. Ricker's prop
erty will also add materially to the growing
business of the Montpelier & Wells River
railroad, which has always practiced a
policy of wise liberality in respect of in