Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-11-06

New York 1880 SO, 4S5
Pennsylvania 3,552, l49 1885, $40
Vermont 1,441, $50 lat, 259
Virginia 172,S57 1850
1868, 346 6,019, ,220
The statistics presented by the survey
represent the output of slate as report
ed directly by the quarrymen, and in
clude the quantity and value of roofing
slate and mill stock sold by them, as
well as the value of slate sold for other
purposes. The quantity of mill stock
and other slate is given for the first
time.
The production of roofing slate report
ed in 1907 was 1,277, ,554 squares, valued
$4,S17, 769-an increase of 81, S12 squares
in quantity and of $36S,9S3 in value
over the production in 1906. An in
crease in value per square from 1896 in
1905 to S3.7 in 1907 was also reported.
Square" as applied to roofing slate
put on the market, means a sufficient
number of pieces of slate of any size
to cover 100 square feet of surface of
roof, allowing three-inch lap The
approximate weight of roofing slate of
ordinary thickness is $50 pounds per
square, and the slate is generally ship
ped in lots of SO to 100 squares per car
load, according TO the size of the pieces.
The sizes of slate in square range
from "a by 16 inches to 9 to inches,
and the number of pieces necessary
ranges from IS to 686, according to the
size The thickness of ordinary slate
is from one-eighth to three-sixteenths
of an inch, the thickerslates command
ing the higher prices. The price per
square depends also on size of pieces,
quality, uniformity of thickness,
smoothness and straightness. Col5f,
which varies considerably, is another
factor affecting price. Prices per square
for slate of good quality and ordinary
thickness range from $3. Is to $40 free
on board at quarries, the New York
red slate bringing the highest prices.
Slate inferior quality or color may be
quoted as low as 1915 per square, and
squares of selected pieces over three
siXteenths of an inch thick are quoted
at much higher prices.
Besides its use for roofing, slate is
utilized for blackboards, school states,
booring, sinks, laundry tubs, grave
vanlts, sanitary ware, electrical switch
boards, billiard and laboratory table
tops, mantels, hearths and caps. Slate
used for these purposes is known as
mill stock, and is either sold by the
quarrymen to milling companies or is
milled by the quarry operators them
selves. 1t is generally sold in the form
of slabs from one inch to three inches
thick, the price varying according to
thickness and to the work done on the
slab. Maine, Pennsylvania and Yer
mont produce nearly all the mill slate,
and Pennsylvania reported the only
slate used in 1907 for black boards and
school states.
The value of mill stock, including
that of slate sold for other purposes, de-
creased from 81, PIC, $50 in 1905 to ST.
POI. 451 in 1907, loss of $1S, 100. This
decrease was probably caused by the
strike, affecting almost all the quarries
of the Vermont-New York region,
which began in May, 1907, and was
still in progress in May, 1908, when the
survey report was prepared.
AS indicated by the figures of prod
uction, the greater part of the slate
quarried in the United States is made
into roofing states. These states are
produced almost entirely in the north
eastern part of the country, but are
shipped all over the United States and
also exported to small extent. A few
years ago, during the strikes in the fa-
nous Welsh quarries, they were ship
ped in large quantities to England and
English colonies. The great durability
of slate as a roofing material overcomes
to a large extent the disadvantages of
it's weight on the roof and of its costs as
compared with cheaper and lighter ma
terials-~
Practically no slate is imported into
this country. In 1907 the importations
were valued at S5,404, of which IS, 1876
was for chimney pieces, ETC., and $206
for roofing states. The total value of
the roofing slate exported in 1907 was
only 1920, 1895, as against $255, 785 in
| 1906.
The report on the slate inustry may
be obtained by applying to the director,
United States geological survey, Wash
ington, ID. G.
For troublesome hiccoughs try tea
spoonful of granulated sugar and three
drops of vinegar or lemon juice.