The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-15

Ths Hudson River Region is one pf the most interesting brlckmaklns regions of the United states, 1T nor In the world, according to report oy Jefferson Middleton of the Unlteo states Geological Survey, just issued as an advance chapter from Mineral Resources of the United States, lS! l. This region extends along both goes of the Hudson River from New York G;+v fo Cohoes and embraces ten counties. nine in New York and one. in New Jersey. The region IS com rfercial1y interesting not only because it contains immense deposits or prlcK clay but because it is the princlpa1 source of a cheap supply of common buildina brick for New York City and viciuity-the largest market TOT building material in the New World
 Brick has been made in this region for nearly a century. According t0 the History of Rockland CoInty' New york. by Frank Bertangue Green, M. b. quoted in MT. Middleton's report, efforts to establish the brickmaklng industry were made before lSlO, Wltn more or less success, attempts naVinS been made even before the Reyolu- ton. The brick made prior to 1Sl0, however. were used only locally, and it was not until that year that kiln was buried for a regular market. Even these efforts to market the bricks were not successful, but Tn 1s47 James Wood, an Engishman who had learned the trade of brick making in his native land and was attracted to Haverstraw by the vasL quantity of clay and the unlimited supply of wood for fuel. leased piece of land on the river shore and start ed the first successful brfckyard in Rockland County.
 Used Coal Dust as Ingredient.
 a. Il .kr..- 5ie- covering in this country, in lS2s, the advantages of using coal dust as an ingredient of brick. This process had been used in England but was little known, and long and bitter aitigaticf engued to demonstrate the a6vantages of this method Wood also invented a mixing and tempering machine, similar to the present ring pit wheel, and an improved mold. AL together he seems to have been a great factor in developing the brick making industry along the Hudson were the Allisons and David Mum, the latter being largely instrumental in advancing the industry. To Richard A. Yer valen is given the credit of having invented, in 1852, ma chine for making brick that was a great frnprovement oyer any made up ko that time, and this gave a fresh impetus to the business.
 Even in those early times the labor strike was not 6zs1<nown in the region Rn 1858 enc wm@ caused by reduc- Son in wages and was attended with 70. much violence that troops had 10 be called out to suppress it. In 1877 another strike occurred, and the op- orators sent to Canada for iaborers. When the Canadian werkmen arrived violence was resorted to by the strik- ers and the troops were again called but.
 old Methods Stin in Use.
 Notwithstanding the enormous quantities of brick made in the re- zion at the present time. the method of manufacture is practically the same as that used in the early days made to use these clays for other va- riefies of clay products but with lit- tie success, SO that building brick is the only product made of these clays along the river.
 keted in the Hudson River region einee 1901 has been 11,390,111 1000, valued at s60, ,407, ,253 or $5.30 per thousand. These brick, if laid flat, would make a sidewalk" 20 feet estimated that the clay in the New Terk portion of the region will fur- nsh i, zoo. 100000 brick a year for Ehe next 45 or 50 years,
 -En 1911 the product was S26,072.- 900. valued at s4,717,6ss, or $5,o99 per thousand, as compared with l,- 142,2s4.o0o brick in 1910. valued at e5,544,600. This was a decrease of RfB,2f2,0O0 brick, or 1s.9 per cent, and ss26.9967, or 14.9 per cent. Tn both quantity and value these are the bmallest figures for any year since 1903, except only 1908. The aver Rge price per thousand for the re- Rfor has ranged from s4.42 in 1902 to ss.sS in 1905.
 Three-quarters of States Production
 New York's portion reported 93.46 per cent. of the brick in 1911 and e2 1899 per cent of the value of the entire region. This consisted of S65,- l618. .0o0 brick. a decrease of 21S.174,- 00N. Tt constituted more than 75 per cent. of New York's output of com man brick. in 1911. The value of Che cenamen brick of this region was z2es per cent. of all of New York's clay products and SASS of its brick and tile products.
 .~.rS- .<<.< .T4 A.