Connecticut western news., 1906-12-13
WHITE CLAY BEDS
AN INDUSTRY AT CLAYTON, MASS,

Local atnCnfStrteS "rstten os fo
 Pupils of the High School at Canaan
 lmdastry has had Checkered Ca
 reer-
 Claytan, Mass, was originally known sS East Sheffield: al that tune 1t was a portion pt the town of Shef- field. but as some boundary lines were straighpened several years ago, this little town was included with New Marlboro and named Clayton on account of the clay beds which were hsinS extensively worked at the time
 Work began at the clay works about 1880 and was conducted by Mr. Tait. or some member of the Taft fasnily, for forty years,
 When the works first began it was very slow process to strain the clay SO II could be used The clay was strained through cheese cloth tack ed over plank about one foot wide with holes bored In the edges This was dome Efor experiment.
 Mir. Snailey from Vermont came to show Mir Taft the way to have the building elected
 There mere but few men em- pioyed al rhe works,at first.
 Among the leaders of the working men were Hurhert Taft, Theodore Morris. Byron Rood and Edward Stannard. At this time the works were cailed the Sheffield Sandy Clay Co. Aho1u 10 wears later a New York party bought the Sheffield Sandy Clay Co, and were going to make tile, hlrr without success, The works were then called White Brick and Arr Tile Co Later another New York party bought the works and called IT White Bricksand Terra Cot la CO
 During this time E E Coventry and Mir. Eltrich were superintend- ents The next superintendent was a NIT. Plant. who began making terra cotta This was success and kept up for several e~ars,
 After Mir. Plant. the. superintcnd- ent was H. F. L.yles. SSho Is said to have made the best 1crr0 cotta around this part of the country,
 There were numerous things made from the terra corta, as large posts for building. which were sent to New York: also vases. animals statues and ornaments of all kinds, The making of terra cotta wss a great success and the company aiwSsvs had large orders to be filled Thcre swere sew eral buildings In one were the kilns in which the things werS made, after being put into rnoldS and shaped, were baked. then pur into dryers where they were left fer a certain time until they becarns hard
 The dryers were rooms which were heated by pipes running underneath and were usually kept at certain temperature, IT was very interesting to go through these buildings, .espe- cially the one where samples of the work were kept.
 Alter while Mir. Lyies accepted smother position and Mir Txy7cr be came superintendent for rear or two, then Mir. Hummer
 While Mir Hummer was sxanrin- tendent there was considerable .ex- pcumenting.
 MT. Downs tried to make cement, but 1t was not success and so m1s given up
 Then Mir Dunssxn planned to wash clay fsr the paper trade, but this also was failure. There were tracks laid from the clay pit 10 the buildings so cars could carry the clay and there wele alse yats built in which 10 lwash the clay. but the tracks nor vats sSere neither used great deal
 After Mir. Hummer came the works were called Berkshire White Brick Go, Next came Mir. Tinker from Kentucky to make white cement This Is said to be a success. The ce- ment Is of gaod quality. although not a pure white. Until nearly the first of October, 1906, they were still making cement. although only few men were em- ployed- On October ] the Berkshire White Brick Co. was sold and noth- l ing has been done since. until re- gently when they commenced repair ing the buildings N. L. L.
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 The above Is the third Ill the series of articles on industries in this vicinity . written by pupils of the Canaan School. . The author Is Nettie LeffingwelI.
 Editor of News