The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-09-26
than any other State

BILE, Vermont supplies nearly 70 per
cent of the monumental and statuary
marble, and Al per cent OF the build
ing marble OF the United States. In
recent years there has been large
increase in the production OF build
ing marble in this State.
There are at least one hundred var
ieties of marble in Vermont, ranging
from pure white 10 jet black. While
there are few large granite corpor-
atoms in Vermont, many small com
panies are engaged in the business.
The marble business Of the State,
however is conducted chiefly by one
great corporation, the Vernon. Mar
Bile Company, with headquarters at
Proctor This is by far the largest
marble producing company, not only
in the United S ates but in the entire
world. It's employees number about
4,025; Il has twenty-five acres Of floor
space in mills and shops; in 1872 il
sold over 100000 cubic feet of marble
including $4,000 finished monuments
and 10000 monuments finished in
the rough; and i holds $4,000 acres
of land for quarrying and numbering
purposes. In 1898 William +. Barnes
purchased what WAS considered a
tract of barren, swampy land, eiyln6
in exchange an old horse worth not
more than seventy-fve dollars. This
land contained nearly all of the yalu-
able marble deposits Of West Rut-
land, worth today, probably millions
of dollars, and constituting. perhaps,
the largest marble producing area in
a single township in the world. Be
fore his death MIR Barnes sold this
land for $4,000. The real develop
ment began when Redheld Proctor,
about 1870, became interested in mar
BILE quarrying, and the growth of the
company is described,
There is a description of the mar
BILE deposits of various towns, the
beautiful tints and shades of the
many varieties being set forth. This
description includes not only the
white marbles, but the superb red
marbles of Swanton, the ornate verde
antique marbles of Roxbury. and the
black and gray marbles of Isle La
Motto. A long list of buildings and
memorials constructed of Vermont
marble is made part of this chap
ter
Only one Seat. Pennsylvania. sur
passes Vermont In its output of late,
and the State. that is third in the
list, ranking nsxt to Vermont, pro
duces less than one-eighth OF the out
put of the Green Mountain State.
There are known 10 be four dis
tinct slate areas in Vermont. One
extends along the Connecticut valley
more than two-thirds the length OF
the Safe: second extends along
the eastern slope of the Green Noun
tains. including the Mortified and
Montpelier areas. and reaching into
Orange county; the third district ex-
lends from Sudbury and Brandon to
Rupert, and contains many large
quarries; and the fourth is in the
town of Benson. Most OF the quar-
ries produce roofing slate. but a
few produce mill stock. Fair Haven
is the cente- and headquarters of |
the only district in the United States |
producing untading colored states
green, purple and notified.
According to a report of the United
States Geological Survey, Vermont is
by far the most important producer |
OF chrysotile or long.fbred asbestos |
in the United States. The only one
OF several asbestos regions in thu |
State to be operated is the one situ-
a.ed on the northeast side of Belvi- /!
dere mountain, in the town OF Low
ell. Apparently the asbestos found
in this region of the Canadian vein, |
which is the most extensive known
in the world.
The use of asbestos are many and /
increasing 1t ough. to be possible, |.
not only 10 supply the demand for |
the crude product, but also to build
up in the vicinity OF the mines a
large industry which shall manufac- |
ture products made of ashes .os. thus
adding another TO NermCnts list OF
communities.
For seye al years Vermont has
ranked second in the United States |
in tho production OF tale and soap
stone. The output II tale has been |
increasing rapidly in this state in
recent years. The production In 1912
showed gain of nearly "A per cent |
in quantity and 80 per cent in value,
compared with that of 1911 Since |
that time several new mills have |
been erected There are large dc
posits of tale and soapstone through .
out the State. to which reference is
made.
Other subjects considered under |
the head Of Mineral Resources are
copper. iron ore, limestone. peat,
clays. scytho stones. fieldspar, mica,
a few grouped under the head of |
Other Minerals; also oehre, precious
metals, and mineral waters.
The first topic treated under Yer
mons Manufacturing Industries" is
Lumber and Timber Products" This |
Industry. according to the last report |
OF the United States census ranks
second in the State. being surpassed |
only bv the one Industry which in