Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-07-17
Ashland'S Great
Granite Asset
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Mr.. Blair is a granite man of VIDE
experience, having come from the
uuarries at Barre, VT, and having
worked in granite as far west as Pu-
get Sound. north into British Colum-
bia and across the southern part or
the United States from California to
Virginia and South Carolina. Dur
ing tae morning he drew many inter-
esting comparisc5 particularly be-
tween the Ashland rock end that
from Barre, long known as granite Of
fine quality.
Technically speaking, most granite
has the rift" the grain" and the
head grain" corresponding respec-
lively to the FLAT grain" the edge
grain" and the end or cross grain in
timber. One exceptional feature Of
this lower Ashland ledge is in the
fact that the stone splits with the
"rift" in any direction, leaving the
usual smooth surface. A drill of new
design is used having hole through
it from end to end, through which
the dust at the point of the drill is
blown away.
The Barre granite is of three
shades, dark, light and medium.
These three shades are also found in
the Ashland deposits, and Mr.. Blair
is satisfied that this stone is equal
or superior to the Barre granite in
every particular. 1t will polish beau
tifully and show up letters in fine
shape-two requisites for superior
monument stone. The granite of the
lower ledge is remarkably uniform,
free from black "knots," white
horses" and other blemishes. Blocks
of fifty tons without flaw could be
taken out with adequate facilities for
handling such large ones, which, how
ever, are seldom needed. The two
upper ledges, while largely free from
blemishes, usually will not yield such
large blocks of equal perfection The
granite of the second ledge polishes
dark and shows carvings white, max
ing in effect a beautiful contrast.
From Barre, Vt, are sent annually
to Oregon about fifty carloads of
granite of an estimated value OF
100000. The stone costs S1.35 per
cubic foot in the rough there. The
freight is 81 per hundred pounds,
and, while the net weight per cubic
foot of finished dimensions is but
175 pounds, the stones necessarily
are cut large to allow for dressing,
so that the total cost of Barre granite
in the rough laid down in Oregon
amounts to S3.S5 per net cubic foot.
Finished, the cost runs as high as
from IS to SO per cubic foot.
At Barre there are ninety-two
quarries, employing in all depart
ments of the work about $4,000 men.
MIR. Blair is confident that on his
property there is as much fine gran
ite as in the Barre quarries, though
of course Oregon does not have the
trade territory as densely populated
or as we'll developed as that tributary
to the eastern city. Many Barre
quarries show white horses" in the
surface rock, but these disappear as
deeper levels are reached, so the
same may be true of the two upper
Ashland lodges, which even now fur
nish many large, clear stones, while
the lower ledge is clear from the
start.
Mr.. Blair submitted samples of his
granite to Edwards and Lazell, chem
ical and efficiency engineers of Port
land, for test. Samples were in two
forms, solid and pulverized. The fol.
lowing extract is from this firm il
reply: Laboratory No. S,1S5. This
granite contains no iron in the form
of sulphide and no sulphur. There
is further very little iron soluble II
acids. From the above investigations
we consider the granite to be fret
from any material which will cause i
TO rust or stain A recent govern
ment reports approves the Ashlan'
granite for all government work.
The company is now engaged Il
getting out steps for the new Port
land auditorium. These blocks ar
three by four by eight feet and weig
nearly eight and one-half tons eact
When one rough block was bein
lowered to the cutting shed the hand
Ter was asked its weight. He rt
piled, About ten tons" The fore
man measured the stone and compuf
ed the actual weight at 2O,47
pounds as evidence that the QUAR-!
man knew his business even to CUES
ing weights. A monument valued ;
$500 is being made for the grave {
a well-known Portland business ma
recently deceased.
The Blair Granite Company