New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-08
MARBLE FROM VERMONT
Great YaIue of QaWries IN That
StGte-HO7c York Is Done.

The early settlers Of England did not know
what mistake they made when they called me
mountains OF New-Hampshire White. and those OF
vermont Green II il the beautiful color OF the
verdure which covers the Vermont peaks seems to
give them appropriate name. but in places
"here the top has been scraped OF masses OF
marble have been found which are almost equal TO
the famed products Of ITALY. The story goes that
one Of these deposits worth literally millions Of
dollars was traded b. the man who owned IL in
the early days OF the State for a mule. that
ne could move his household goods into a country
where the soil was richer. From this stone farm
have come Conuments and ststuary which can
De seen in all parts Of the United States.
IL was in the colonial days that the first Yer
mont marble quarry was opened in the little town
OF Dorset. but. like some Of the other great
sources Of New-England. the extent OF the marble
BEDS was not realized until about twenty-five years
ago Since then. however the Industry has adj
vanced rapidly that within the last ten years
the capital invested in il, well tho prOduc-
ton. has increased over so per At present
over 100000 worth OF marble Is being taken
yearly by the three thousand men employed in the
quarries. while nearly four thousand others are
busily engaged with chiseI and mallet or power
tool in cutting Il into various forms for ornament
and use While the marble embraces a variety oc
hues. from deep black to the puTest white. the
bulk OF 10 is OF exceedingly fine grain. and
durable that IL is being used for public buildings
and edtfces throughout the country. well for
mere ornamentation.
III the Vicinity OF HutianG ana PROCTOR one can
look into holes in the mountain side actually large
enough to accommodate the biggest Office building
IN New-York City. for some Of them are over three
hundred feet IN depth and nearly half a mile IN
length. yet the walls are principally composed OF
solid marble. although the blocks been cut OUT
so regularly that they appear tn be built up Ike
the palaces OF the Greeks and Romans. Even az
this depth. however. the beds continue downward
as far as the drill point has yet pierced and only
Few openings have thus far been made. Such IS
the abundance OF the material that IL IS seldom
extracted at a depth below three hundred feet.
owing to the distance II must be hoisted from its
bed. but the most modern machinery is used for
cutting and hauling it-machines which will do
the work Of a hundred men, Marble is too vaIuabls
TO be blown out with explosives. what called
channelling machines used. which, operated by
electricity and compressed air. out blocks from
the walls OF white, some OF which twenty feet
In length and eight feet IN thickness The machine
is composed OF set OF powerful drills which bore
holes from six TO eight inches apart IN the blocks
Thus weakened, the block Is detached from tbs
wall by wedges.
Perhaps at the very mouth Of the opening from
which the marble was taken hundred men and
boys are fashioning ii into various forms. soma
Of these artisans have also expert scuptors