The L'Anse sentinel., 1906-04-28
SOME EARLY HISTORY
REGARDING the Mineral and Slate In
dustries at Arvon, Barasa
County.
Continued from last week.

on bed of slate which seemed to be
inexhaustible, and of the finest
working quality, but which was
found to be Illuminated with mundic,
or arsenical pyrites-an ingredient
which does not injure the value OF
the slate any further than the ap-
pearance OF the light fakes might
affect the sale.
Further explorations were made
on the same vein in an adjoin ing
neighborhood. where clear, pure,
beautiful slate was found. and this
is the quarry which Is now being
principally worked, Details as to
the location are OF no interest to
the reader, therefore we omit dis
tances and points OF compass in the
several explorations and openings.
OF the quality of this slate little
need be said, since 1t Is
so well known and appreciated that
architects in all the western cities
inser: it in their specifications. 1t
is blasted out in angular shape,
without reference to regularity as
to cubes or slabs, and afterward
broken into tablets of convenient
size for splitting. AS it comes
from the quarry it is uniformly OF
the same quality, and the proper
ton OF it which is used depends
altogether upon the shape it assumes
whilst being broken into tablets.
The cleavers say they have never
handled slate in Wales or the
United States upon which they
could make as good wages, for in
stead OF being compelled to crease
or trench the edge of the tablet to
split of shingle, but one move
ment and one position of the chisel,
with few taps Of the mallet, is nee
essary to separate, like separating
two panes Of glass which have been
slightly pasted together. The sur
face OF the sheet is almost as regu-
lar and smooth as If they had been
planed, and the sheets however thi n
will stand very rough handling with
out breaking, and are pitched about
like wooden shingles. 1t is Of a
blue black color, and gives off 9
sound, upon being tapped, of hollow
crockery.
The product of the quarry i.
shipped over three-foot tram rail
way to Huron Bay, distance o
four and one-half miles. At the bay
the company has dock which ex-
tends six hundred feet into th'
water and has q front of thirty feet
The company is employing from
forty to sixty men, and commenced
shipments this season from a stock
of Eve hundred squares OF roofing
slate, and with orders for thre,
thousand squares. They make
twenty-four sizes. and find a read.
market for their entire product il
St. Paul, Minneapolis, Chicago
Milwaukee and Detroit. Some o
the best buildings in Chicago an,
Milwaukee are covered with Hurol
Bay slate, among them the Chicag
& Northwestern railway shops, tn,
new club house and several churches
1t is not roofing slate alone 70
which this material is useful, bu
every purpose for which slate !
used. The waste from the QUAR-,
in the production OF roofing slate
could be so utilized for the manufat
ture of tiles, lamp bottoms and th
like, to pay all expenses of th
quarry. And for mantels, FIR
fronts, table tops, imposing slab
and such purposes, it is only secou
to marble. That q. large bushes
ip these lines will be done at thes
quarries when machinery has bee
placed to handle the material, ther
is no doubt. The company Is col
sidering the question Of putting !
such machinery. and 1t will prob'
bly, be added at an early day.
THE CLINTON SLATE IRON COMPANY
quarry is situated on tract whic
embraces the west half OF sectic
eight, and the northwest quarter I
! section 80, town 81, north Of rang
: 81 west. The company was orgal
lied in 1874, with q capital Of $b0(
1000, divided into 10000 shares