The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-10
NORTH CAROLINA MARBLES
WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE IN
CHEROKEE COUNTY.
Ouanr ty and Quality Suffers Little oy
Comparison With Verr7 on' a.
the Italian Marbles.
Cherokee ScOnt.l

In no part of the world has the Al
mighty been so lavish III the amount ana
yariey of marbles as in our own De-
loved old county of Cherokee.
The writer has seen all the marbles
of the world. and by comparison he makes
that statement with due deliberate on
after having examined with care this
whole field more than once.
Let lis compare some of the varieties
Take the white found on Valley river,
in this county. Can any marble be more
perfecI! The clystaliZation is Il perfect
saccharoidal as can be, and the color
can not be eXcelled. 1t is perfectly
white-not the dead white like we see in
the Vermont marbles. nor the coarsely
crystalized like the Georgia article, nor
like that found near Washington, ID.
c., which is of a dead color, nor like the
dead stuff imported from Italy.
The fact is, there is none in the world
to compare with this variety found here,
unless it is the variety which is found
in Italy, known as ''carara statuary,"
and which is not its equal in any respect.
The writer once had occasion to show
a sample taken from the Valley river
district to Mr. J. w. Tufts, the celebrat-
without any hesitancy, pronounced it
superior to any marble he had ever seen.
No higher authority on marbles exists
in the world to-day.
And again take the dark varieties.
They compare with the best known in
every respect What color can be more
clear cut and pronounced than the blue
black? or the mottled? and the striped!
and can anything take Il more perfect
polish? The edges are clear and sharp,
not rounded as the crumbly, soft kind
we pay so high for that comes from
Vermont, nor does it lose color and corode
ON exposure to the air. 1t is absolutely
impervious to alb stains. The metamorph-
ism is so perfect that even ink does not
stain it. being easily washed off with
moist sponge.
When has a more beautiful pink or red
marble been found than some we have
seen from this district? or where can
you find green marble to compare
with some of the varieties of this color?
and who ever saw any checked or bias
striped marble any where else? The
writer has never seen or heard of any
thing like it-black stripes running at
right angles to white. with gray base.
What marble is more beautiful?
When we take into consideration the
vast amount of cheaply quarried marble
there is in this country and its contgui-
ty to the larger cities of the United
States, we can but wonder at the reason
it has not been developed. Is it the ex-
horbitant freight rates demanded by our
railroads, or is it because our marbles
are not known to the world, or is it due
to some unknown influence brought to
bear upon it by other marble producing
districts, or what is it? The writer can
not say, but beyond doubt there is
some reason and it should be overcome.
Why could not our county make an APP
preparation of money sufficient to get up
lot of speciments and place them on ex-
hibition at the Tennessee Centennial?
Would not the location of one marble
plant on Valley river repay the county
for this expense?