The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-24
VERMONT MARBLE INDUSTRY
Leading Business of Its Kind in the
United States

To the traveller in search of scenic
beauty the word Vermont brings to
mind the majestic grandeur of the
Green Mountains. The epicure finds
it difficult to describe the peculiarly
delicious taste of Vermont maple sy-
rup and Vermont turkey. But in the
commercial world Vermont stands pre-
eminent among all the states in the
production of marble, granite and slate
and for many years the principal pro-
duction of American marble has come
from Vermont.
The first marble quarry in Vermont
was opened nearly 100 years ago in
what is now the village of West Rut-
land, in the central southwestern part
of the state.
In the beginning the method of quar-
rying the stone closely followed the
method used by the Italians at Car
rara. Holes were drilled in the mar
BILE deposit by hand, heavy charge
of powder inserted, the blast set off,
and pieces large enough for CONNER
cial purposes were saved, the balance
being thrown on the dump.
While this method was simple, The
small proportion of merchantable mar
BILE saved ran up the cost of produc-
ton, and for many years 1t was almost
impossible for the Vermont producer
to compete with the cheap labor en-
ployed in the Italian quarries, notwith-
standing the ocean freights
The first invention of benefit to the
Vermont marble industry was the
steam drill. Then, instead of drilling
the holes by hand, the holes were drill
ed by a steam drill The drill was
crude and far from perfect, but it say
ed time, and the quarries began TO
reap a profit The one element that
was a serious problem was to reduce
tn percentage of waste. AS the years
passed the necessity for eliminating
the wasteful method became more
acute and again a Yankee invention
was brought out, the marble borer.
The inventor conceived the idea of
building several drills in one, and in
stead of drilling one hole at a time
and blasting out the marble the idea
was to drill several holes close tOgeth-
er all at one time, with the result that
there was almost a continuous cut and
the marble broke easily into square
blocks.
As the demand for Vermont marble
increased, new deposits were found
and new quarries were opened At the
present time the marble belt is clear
~ defined in limit. Biologists have
determined that the Vermont marble
belt contains three principal bodies or
veins-the West Rutland, producing
the more highly coiored decorative
marbles: the Columbian and the Suth-
erland Falls, the last two producing
the variegated light cloud marble so
largely used for monuments, interior
and exterior building work, floor
thing, etc. This marble belt extends
from Charlotte, near Burlington, on
the north down to the southern part
of Dorset on the south, distance OF
about 80 miles, with an average width
of about four miles. While blue mar
BILE is plentiful in Vermont, it is sin.
gular that the bulk of the production
comes from a small area almost in the
geographical centre of the marble
belt. with no indication of any consd-
cradle quantity of blue marble at any
other point n the State.
Rutland is the centre of the Yer
mont marble industry. Marble is
evident in the exterior of the building,
he curbing on the street is marble, the
sidewalks are marble.
The process of quarrying and fin
ishing marble is unique and interest
ing. After the huge blocks are hoist
ed from the quarry by powerful der
ricks the blocks are shipped to the
saving and finishing plants. Here the
blocks are loaded under the saving
gang. This consists of a frame about
six or eight feet wide and twelve feet
long. and hangs directly. over the
block of marble. In the frame are
fastened from two or three to 30 or
40 saw blades, and when in operation
this frame swings backward and for
ward over the marble. 1t is auto
matically lowered as the saws cut
through the block.
After the marble is sawed to size.
the smaller blocks or slabs as they
come from the gang are placed upon
large cast iron plate or rubbing bed
about II feet in diameter. This bed
revolves, with sand and water fed on
top of it. The weight of the marble
combined with the cutting action of
the sand and water, rapidly wears the
face down TO fine. smooth surface.
From the rubbing beds the marble is
taken to the gritting and polishing
machines, where il receives its fine
mirror-like polish.
The rapid and substantial growth of
the Vermont marble business in the
period from 1870 to 1900 was due
largely to the remarkable energy and
business ability of the late United
States Senator Redfield Proctor. In
1863, shortly after he was admitted
to the bar, Redfeld Proctor was ap-
pointed received of the Sutherland
Falls Marble company and in set
Ting up the affairs of that concern he
exhibited great capacity for business.
which he found more congenial than
the work in a law office or the trial
cases in the courts. In 1880. the az
fairs of the company having been
adjusted under his management. il
was consolidated with the Rutland
Marble company, under the name of
the Vermont Marble company. in