Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-11-16
WINDHAM'S TALC MINE
Writes About Plant Being
Established at Maple Orchard
Industry Likely to BE ore Of Great I'M
portance-some Of the Men Connected
with the Enterprise.

Industry Likely to BE ONE Of Great Inn
portance-some Of the Men Connected
with the Enterprise.
To those who watch progress in the de-
velopment of these natural resources
with which old Vermont has been so lib
orally endowed by mother nature it will
be of interest to learn that one of the
most important discoveries Of mineral de-
post in many years has recently been I'M
earthed within few miles of Brattleboro
and is now rapidly nearing the final
stages of preparation for development
Up in the northwestern corner Of Wind
ham lies Maple Orchard farm, the prop
erty of Albert l.. Stone 1t was the rare
pleasure of the writer, a few days ago,
during that brief period of mid-autumn,
when all the elements seem rampant in
their strife to beautify the earth, to
drive through the valleys winding amid
the wonderously colored hills from South
Londonderry TO Maple Orchard. Mr..
Stone, who is a Vermonter by BIRTH
whose name is analogous with some OF
the larger business exploits in Illinois
and other Western states, purchased
Maple Orchard farm about four years ago
with the idea of settling down to a quiet
rural life and recuperating failing health.
Something over three years ago an inn
mense body of a high grade of tale was
discovered by him on the property and
with characteristic energy, Mr. Stone
proceeded to make a thorough investiga-
ton. The result of this, which involved
the employment of several expert geolo-
gists and a considerable expenditure OF
money, established the fact that Mr.
Stone owned one of the largest and rich
est deposits of tale in the world. He i'm
mediately set about to form a company
for the development of his property and
| has succeeded to such an extent that
| corporation composed of well-known New
| England business men are now engaged
| in installing a well equipped, up-to-date
| plant for the reducing Of the raw material
to a marketable product. This plant
comprises a three-story frame building,
| an engine room and boiler room, brick
construction each, as set forth in the
| plans and specifications. The plant is
now in process of construction.
Reservoirs are being constructed for
the necessary water to be utilized in
| power, and the bucket cable for the con-
veyance of the raw material.
The mines themselves are the most in
| teresting feature, naturally, OF the es-
adjustment. They comprise ridge
| nearly 5000 feet long, varying in width
| from 60 feet to $50 feet, with a nearly
| interminable depth.
1t is remarkably easy of access, being
| in no case covered by more than a few
j tirely exposed. Mr. Stone in his ex-
| perimenting quarried out several hundred
tons and showed me huge blocks of beau
| tiful apple green. or pure white tale, so
| pure and soft that 1t would almost pull
| verize at the touch.
The importance of this enterprise to
the commerce OF Southern Vermont will
be easily recognized when one considers
the innumerable uses to which tale is
put. the tremendous demand for the
product and the fact that nearly all the
tale now on the market Is imported and
encountered with a 20 per cent. duty.
With its remarkable purity, the unpar-
alleled facility with which the mineral
may be quarried and the business sa-
gacity Of its operators, this enterprise
with its absolutely inexhaustible supply
OF raw material can control the entire
tale market.
The present plans call for daily out
put of so tons, and this can be increased
to $50 tons with but little outlay. All
| this output has been spoken for months
In advance by several different companies
| utilizing tale and talcum powder.
| The corporation was organized under
| the name of the Vermont Tale & Soap
stone company, and Is officered by men
whose names stand for the climax OF
| success in their various lines OF business.
Mr. Stone who is president of the COM
pany, has for many years been closely
| Identified with some OF the largest finan-
cial transactions of the West. Charles E.
Wetmore of New Britain. Conn.,. is Sec
rotary and vice president Of this com
pany and is treasurer of the p. & F. Cor
bin company, largest hardware manufac-
turers in the world. w. E. Bennett
treasurer, is the proprietor OF the Ben
nett Paper Box company of Springfield
Mass one of the largest concerns of Its
kind in Western Massachusetts. All this
insures the business vitality and sound
ness of this new Vermont enterprise an6
its certainty of success as business
venture.
What this means to the immediate vi
cinity of Maple Orchard can easily
, be conjectured. With the capacity called
! for in the daily operations Of the plan
viii come a demand for a considerable
, number Of employees.
Mr. Stone, with his usual shrewdness
has secured the assurance Of financia
backing for other enterprises.
The Vermont Tale & Soapstone In
dustry may prove the lever by wnicl
l other elements of incompatible bench
; to Vermont may be set in motion. At an!
rate, in itself, 1t is undoubtedly destined
: TO become one of the important indus
tries of the Green Mountain state.
= JACKSON WARD.
Springfield. Mass.