Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1911-07-20
Gov. Crothers Visits Secur
ity Lime and Cement
Company's Plant.

The visit of Governor Crothers re-
Gently to the large plants of the Sc
curity Cement 4 Lime Company call
ed to the attention Of the general
public of Maryland natural resource
of this State with the wealth and de-.
velopment of which it was practically
unfamiliar.
Great beds Of limestone approach
ing different degrees OF purity under.
lie practically the whole OF the west
ern section Of the State. For the
manufacture of ballast metal and
crude lime, these deposits have been
worked to certain extent for num-
Der of years, but it remained for the
Maryland and United States Geologi-
cal Surveys to investigate and deter
mine the locations of the beds OF
purity which from their proximity to
railroads could be worked with profit.
Sectional reports have been prepared
and published by the United States
Geological Survey at different inter-
walls and last year, under the direc-
ton of Drs. Edward B. Mathews and
j. Marshall Grassy, the Maryland
Survey issued complete report of
the limestones Of the State with
special reference to their use in the
manufacture of Cement and Lime.
Meanwhile, however, working on
the reports of the National Survey
and reports from specially retained
experts, company composed entire
ly of Maryland capitalists had organ
lied cement manufacturing COM
pany, the first Portland Cement
Company in the State. After thor
ough examination of all possible
materials they selected a site two
miles east of Hagerstown, as the best,
and erected thereon a plant with a
capacity of 800 barrels day. This
plant began operations three years
ago. The high quality of the product
manufactured from the Maryland
LimestOncs soon won recognition,
with the result that in 1909, the
original company, the Maryland Port
land Cement Company, consolidated
with the Berkeley Limestone Com
pany to form the Security Cement 4
Lime Company. The cement plant
located at Security. Maryland, was
trebeled in capacity, and today, not
withstanding the congestion of the
cement market, which has caused
the large cement mills in nearly every
other section of the country to close
down, the Maryland concern is turn
ing out Security Portland Cement at
the rate of 600, 900 barrels a year.
The highest recognition of merit
which has yet been won by the Mary
land material was the securing by
the Security Company of the large
contract awarded last week by the
Government to supply to the District
of Columbia all the cement which
will be used in the work of improve
ment to be carried on in the District
during the ensuing year.
The Maryland company won this
contract only after the Governments
experts had made thorough tests of
its cement. To grant the contract to
the Security Company these experts
waived clause always written in
their specifications, requiring the
cement accepted to have met the gov
eminent tests for the three years prior
to the date of the award. Since the
Maryland Company has been manu-
featuring for less than three years, it
could not meet this requirement.
The primary object Of the trip
which was made Ivy the Governor and
a number of prominent men from all
sections of the State, as the guests of
the Security Cement 4 Lime Com
pany, was to acquaint the public with
the high grade road building materials
which are to be found west of the
mountains. The trip was made on
special trains over the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad to Martinsburg, w. Va,
and thence over the Cumberland Val
ley to the plants at Berkeley and Sc
curity.
The Company's lime and stone
plants are located at Berkeley, w.