Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-10


along through the valley for distance
of two or three miles, and the princi-
pal industries are making paper and
agricultural implements. It was night
and I could not see very much Of the
place; but one of my fellow passen-
gers told me that it Is noted for hav-
ing the second longest cantileyer
bridge in the world, and I would have
gone across it for the purpose Of being
able to say that 1 had been in New
Hampshire; but after more or less
hesitation concluded that had better
put in my time writing about my visit
to Coney Island, etc.
1 reached Rutland between l and
o'clock Saturday morning. I had pur-
posely neglected to advise my friends
of my whereabouts, because otherwise
they would have waited for me all
night, and from the train I went to
the hotel-the Bardwell House, 1t is
called. 1 am glad did this, notwith-
standing scoldins from Mr.. Keilette,
wnen he came around next morning.
He thought that should have come
right on to his home. But my expe-
rience at the hotel was sufficiently
novel to make an impression. The
porter who came in response to the
clerks ring after I had registered,
was a young white boy Of 15 or 16.
He wore a neat uniform, consisting OF
blue coat with brass buttons, and kha-
XII pantaloons laced tightly about the
calves down to the shoe tops. He had
a kindly, intelligent face, and e gen.
tlemanly department that was quite
The manner in which he
took my baggage, conducted me to a
room and inquired after my further
comfort, seemed to suggest that was
arriving as the guest Of one OF our
private southern homes. Having seen
only negroes in this capacity previ-
ously, the idea Of white boy acting
as porter in hotel sorter Jared on
my ideas Of the fitness Of things; but
the conduct Of this boy seemed to i'm
press that his servile position carried
no detraction from proper dignity.
Although pretty well played out
when I reached Rutland, was up by
6 o'clock, and put in a couple of hours
writing before I let Mr.. Kellette know
I was In town, because / felt pretty
well assured, that there would be but
little further opportunity for anything
Of the kind during the short time !
was going to allow myself to remain.
Rutland Is q clean and pretty town
Of about $4,000 people, located in east
ern Vermont, some 800 miles from
New York city, and about 1000 miles
from Yorkville. 1t Is in the valley OF
what Is known as the Otter river, q lit
tie stream not so large as Fishing
creek where it crosses the Rock Hill
road, and is entirely surrounded by the
Green Mountains, some Of the peaks
rising to a height Of 1,500 or 5000 feet.
The mountains are thicAy covered
with dwarflsh trees, mostly spruce
pine, maple, butternut, and other va
rieties, and as their name indicates,
quite green in color. The atmosphere
Is remarkably light and clear, and the
scenery in every direction is grand.
This city is the centre Of the mar
BILE trade Of the world. One enthusi-
astic resident told me that It had 96
per cent Of the business; but my rec
election Of statistics 1 have seen Is
that this is too great by about 30 per
cent. However, the marble industry
here Is something wonderful. There
are solid mountains Of the stone, and
the excavations of generations are al
most suggestive Of the Panama canal.
The open workings show q width OF
about sixty feet, depth of more than
100 feet and extend for miles. From
the main openings there are shafts
running under the mountains dis
tance Of six or seven miles. / went
nearly to the bottom Of one OF the
deep quarries; but as there was no
elevator or bottom in sight, I did not
venture all the way, and I was willing
to take the word Of the gentleman
with me about the distance the tur =
nels run under the mountain. There
are some eight or ten thousand work.
men employed in the quarries. and In
the big saw mills where the huge
blocks are cut into cubes, squares,
shafts, rails and slabs. The cutting Is
done by means Of great steel saws, op-
Grated by steam and electricity over
sand and water. Formerly a great
deal Of powder and dynamite were
used in the quaryins; but now the
stones are mined altogether by means
Of pneumatic drills. had an idea
that the quarrymen got big pay, but
that is a mistake. Skilled workmen
receive only $1.S0 day in summer
and $1.60 in winter. There are In the
auarries also thousands Of Poles who
only rs cents a day. To my
surprise the labor organizations here
do not count for great deal, especial
Iy in the quarries- The management
Is immensely wealthy, owns practical
y all Of the marble mountain, has on
hand great supplies Of marble ahead,
and treats the laborers very mucn as
It pleases.
A unique feature of Rutland that
noticed the first thing on going into
the street Saturday morning, Is the
liberal use of marble along the streets
and in the trimmings Of the buildings.
The sidewalks are mostly asphalt, es-
pecially in the business and more
we'll do residence portions OF the
town, and the curbings are nearly all
marble. There are miles and miles OF
It. There are a number Of handsome
buildings, including the public library
that are constructed entirely OF mar
ole, and this material enters very
largely into many Of the other ouild-
ngs. In portions of the city, the paw
ing of the sidewalks Is exclusively OF
marble, and all Of 1t appears to oe OF
1 very fine quality.
During Saturday morning was In
troduced to number Of prominent
Rutlanders, received severa! invita-
tons that 1 could not accept foc lack
of time, and in the afternoon went