The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-04-28
MAINE MINERALS.
The Labor Commissioner Describes All
Kinds, Including Gold and Silver. Granite
Industry Stills Holds the Palm.

Inc Labor Commissioner Describes All
Kinds, Including Gold and Silver. Cranite
Industry Stills Holds the Palm.
The annual report of Hon. Thomas 7
Lyons of Vinalhaven, commissioner Of
labor and Industrial statistics, recentlv
filed with the governor and council. con,
tains section on the mineral resources
of Maine, as follows:
In compliance with the law, we have
gathered information in regard to the
mineral resources of the State, but have
decided to give only general write-un
the present year, to go more..into detail in
a future report. The law also contem-
plates the collection and arrangement of
"a cabinet of minerals at the State cant
toll, and doubtless when the work of re-
building the State House has been com
-pleted, accommodations will be provided
for such a cabinet, but until this is done
it is useless to attempt to make the col
lection of minerals, as under present con-
ditions there is no place to store them
GRANITE.
"Perhaps the most valuable of orr
minerals is granite. 1t is found at MANY
points along the entire sea coast. upon
numerous islands and extends we'll into
the interior, so it is found in every county
in the State. Whole districts are under
laid with it and many of our mountains
seem to be built up with layer upon LAYER
of this valuable building stone. AS to
the available quantity, Maine has the
worlds supply for all the coming ages.
''The report of this department for
1902 contained an article describing at
length our granite resources and giving
list of the different quarries then being
worked. In 1905 the value of the output
of Maine granite was S2,217, 1875. The
industry gives employment to about
$500 men on the average.
LIME.
Limestone has been found widely
scattered over the State, but the quarry
ing and burning of lime has been confined
principally to the towns Of Camden.
Rockland, Rockport, Thonaston and
Warren, in Knox county, although small
quantities have at times been manufac-
tured in other sections. According to
the census of manufactures of 1905, the
capital invested in the lime business in
Maine was 81, 927, 003; the number of
men employed, 633333; total wages paid
1926, 6S7; value of product. S1,173, 500
Next to granite, lime is the most import
ant mineral product of the State.
SLATE
''The work of quarrying and manu-
featuring roofing slate in Maine was COM
menced August 10, 1914, at Brownville and
the work has been continuously carried
on since that time. There is great belt of
at Carratunk nearly 80 miles. Quarries
have been opened and operated on this
belt at Brownville, Blanchard, Monson,
Williamsburg and several other places in
Piscataquis county, but the quarries
now in operation are confined to the
towns named and the quality of the slate
produced is equal to any in the world.
The veins crop out in nearly every town.
ship along this belt, and it has been
found at various points further north.
"For many years brick-making has
been extensively carried on in Maine,
and in earlier times large quantities
were shipped to Boston and other sea-
port cities. Plastic blue clay suitable
for their manufacture and generally sand
in the vicinity are found in abundance
along the coast and in the river valleys
of the State, so that as far as the raw
material is concerned their manufacture
may be indefinitely expanded. Drain
tile is also manufactured quite extensive
ly. The total value of brick and tile
manufactured in the State in 1905 was
1920, Ill.
FELDSPAR.
"Feldspar has been found in Topsham.
Auburn, Hebron, Perry, Phippsburg,
Rumford, Paris and other towns. In
Topsham quarry has been operated for
about 40 years and large quantities have
been ground and shipped to New Jersey
where it enters into the manufacture of
pottery.
1t is also quarried at Auburn, George
town, and perhaps to some extent in
other places. Early in December of the
present year there appeared newspa-