The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-20

may be seen today near the base of the Washington monument. Time and again 1t has been pronounced to be the finest block of marble in the great mon-
 owned bx FIsrsAa Men.
 Like so many industries of Alabama and other southern States, all quarry ing opArAtions were stopped by the war between the States and these rich beds of marble remained untouched until few years ago. Through John
 snSp of GsscrwsteT ssrn ,i,s9 .a Hesithy Hesnsrs citissns of Ocala, Fla. were interested in the marble of ralladega county Messrs. Ford and Hitler had made for tunes out of the Florida phosphate beds and had practically retired from business. They investigated the mar ble beds about Gantts Quarry and 1t did not take many months for them to reach the conclusion that millions were to be made here.
 We put in some money" said Mir. Hitler. senior. "and we soon found that the best way to get that money back was to go in deep. We have more than S100.000 in the ground here and we are just beginning to see some re- turns"
 Messrs. Hitler. Ford and Bishop form the Alabama White Marble Company. The Killers and Mir. Bishop are giving the business their daily attention. MT. Bishop being the general manager. MT. Ford continues to reside in Florida. MT. Hitler has built here for himself q luxurious bungalow said to have cost dO.000 in where his interesting family spends the spring time and where he dispenses hospitality so warm and so free of formality as to make 1t the most attractive resort in this section of the State. It rests on a picturesque | An tt. tAh lv 1A I1Ax nestles the village of Gantt's Quarry. Mir. Bishop also has built himself a comfortable residence adjacent to the marble property.
 Mueh Money Invested.
 It is said that these Florida men have already invested $300,000 in the marble business. It Is easy to believe when one has visited the quarries. the | finishing plants with their valuble ma chinery; has driven through the vil- lage and seen the scores of comforta- bel cottages. ceiled, painted and pro- yided with electric lights and water works from the company's independent plants. When one is informed that the company has purchased 400 acres of lands in which the value of the marble deposits is incalculable and that min. eral rights to thousands of acres of lands adjoining the quarries have been acquired, 1t is easy to understand that much foreign capital has been invested here.
 The company has three quarries un- covered, two of white marble and one of grey blue. Work is being done on- ly sfn the No. white marble quarry. although the space of 100 feet square adjacent to 1t Is to be opened this summer and worked as Quarry No. 9. so great Is the demand for the white marble. Quarry No. Is about 250 feet long by 150 feet wide. While the quarry has been operated less than a year it is already over fifty feet deep at on end. By way of testing this quar- ry an exploration was made with diamond drill to a depth of 219 feet, all the way in the marble, without passing through it. The actual thick ness. therefore, remains unknown. With this opening and the depth un- known 1t Is certain that there is suf- ficient of the white marble exposed to keep the company steadily operat- ing in this quarry a great many years.
 Knives Cut Through Marble.
 Everything about the marble busi- ness is interesting. Marble cannot be blasted like the soft stones and 1t is said the general process of quarrying for marble has not been improved since before the Christian era. It is cut with sofe steel knives and Is care- fully removed from its beds. It's great weight and the care which must be used in handling it, makes the process slow and tedious. This of itself gives the great value to marble.
 In the main opening at Gantt's Quar- ry the company has six heavy channel ing machines. or knives. and four steam