News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-09-23
INDUSTRIAL VERMONT

|
The, Vermont Publicity Bureau de-
partment in the office of the Secretary of
State, has just issued volume of 800
pages, entitled industrial Vermont,
which is the third book of considerable
size to be issued by that department, and
like the other two is from the pen of
Walter Fl. Crockett of Montpelier. The
book is printed by the Capital City Press.
The first book, vermont, the Land
of the Green Mountains', second tdi-
| tion of which was published earlier
this year, dealt with Vermont as sum
mer tourist State: the second publIca-
ton, vermont Farms'' was devoted TO
the exploitation of Vermont's agritu,-
tural resources and opportunities; he
third volume, just issued, sets forth he
mineral, manufacturing, and water pow
er resources of the State. The pup se
of this latest volume is expressed il The
| Foreword as follows TIT is the earliest
desire of this department that this book
may call the attention of the gen. raj
public to Vermont's wealth of undevel
oped and partly developed resources,
which are sufficient, if developed as they
deserve to be, to make it as important as
industrial commonwealth as any of its
sister states of southern New England"
Tue mineral resources of the State, its
most important industrial feature at the
present time, are given first place.
Much space is devoted to granite, mar
bic, slate, asbestos. tale and soapstoue,
and mention also is made of the States |
mineral products of less Importance. At
tention is called to the fact that although |
Vermont contains less than $4,000 |
square miles, only six of the forty-eight |
States of the Union being smaller, ii con-
tains the most valuable deposits of gran
lite, marble and asbestos of any State in
the country, and ranks second in the
production of slate, tale and soapstone.
Vermont's output of marble is almost
half of that of the entire country. AL
though in 1911 fourteen States produced
y
each, and seven States produced granite
valued at more than 1000, 006, Vermont
maintained it's lead and continues to
maintain it. In the production CT the
finer grades of granite and marble this
State is far ahead of all others.
The last Geological Report showed
that there were about 40 companies
quarrying or manufacturing granite on
IA considerable scale in Vermont.
There is an extended description of
the larger centers of granite production.
The city of Barre is said to be the center
of the monumental granite business of
the world, and about 1000 men are en-
ployed in connection with the quarrying
and cutting of granite in Barre, the an
nual payroll amounting approximately
to So, 1926, 0t0.
The Barre stone is of a very high
grade, consains very little iron, and is
free from knots, streaks and discolor-
atoms. The supply seems to be mex
haustibe and there is hardly limit to
the dimensions of block that can be
luarried. One block detached from a
granite ledge was 2G0 feet long, so feet
wide. and "a feet thick, and was esti-
mated to weigh 50, 120 900 pounds.
When the stone was quarried from
the Harrington quarry, in 1888, for the
Vermont State House, it was predicted
that this is the last structure that will
ever be built of Barre granite and the
asst load that will ever be drawn from
Harrington hill'. In 1872 State report
said: "The demand for Barre granite is
Increasing every year; not far from one
thousand tons, or $4,000 cubic feet have
been quarred the past season.. Last
year more than 800 900 tons were quar-
led at Barre. Recently there has been
! considerable increase in the sale of
granite paving blocks.
Hardwick is called the center of the
worlds building granite trade, and the
ZONE of what is probably the largest sim
tie granite corporation. The Woodbury.
frantic Company has a maximum of
800 men on its payrolls, and the yearly
payroll exceeds $1,000,000. Some of the
nen are employed at Woodbury., Bethel
md Northfield.
The greater part of the granite cut at
Iardwck is quarried on Robson Noun
ain. in Woodbury.. The summit of the
mountain was sold out many years ago,
t is said. for fifty dollars. Stone of very
arge size may be taken from the Wood
Jury quarries, and blocks 200 feet long,
o feet wide and 20 feet thick may be
raced without seam or flaw. There are
ther important granite plants at Hard
wick. The white granite of Bethel has 1
,ecome famous for its color and durabil-
ty. The English University of Cam
ridge, which has collected specimens of
ranite from all parts of the world, finds