The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-12-13

AllllblOHc NH, are u Vel V"Sy o'Noio
to its top--the form of the hill being
hemisphericaL
Quantity of Granite.
In estimating the quantity of gran
lite in these two localities, we run the
risk of being called visionary, but we
enter upon it knowing what we may
say. 1t is admitted by all who have
visited the granite quarries in Barre,
that the quantity is large; but, so
far as | know, no one has ever at
tempted to give an estimation in Gu
bic feet, or reduce its value to dollars
and cents, Passing a horizontal plane
from the west parallel to the general
level of the land surrounding these
hills, we shall cut off from these two
elevations probably not less than s.
000, 100000 cubic feet of granite
At five miles per cubic feet before
it is quarried; we have $40O0O,OOO or
four times the whole grand list of
this state-giving it a value of ten
cents per cubic foot after it is quar-
ried and we have the enormous amount
of $S00,000,000, or eight times the
whole taxable property of Vermont.
From this statement of the approx
mate quantity of granite in Washing
ton county, we may infer that it is
sufficient to supply any demand for
such material either at the south or
west for any length of time.
The quantity is not only inexhausti-
BIZ, but in quality surpasses all other
varieties; its color is light and free
from iron and other ingredients that
render many GRANTEES useless for build
ing or monumental purposes. Presi-
dent Hitchcock says he has never met
in this or any other country, with
granite of finer grain and better
adapted TO architectural purposes than
that foundQn Barre The minerals of
our granite are so finely pulverized and
so compact in their combinations that
it is capable of receiving a high pol
ish; and when exposed to the action
of the atmosphere, it resists so well
the ''tooth of time" that blocks, cut
fifty wears since, and exposed to all
the changes of climate and moisture,
are now as perfect as when they left
the shop of the artisan, one-half cen
fury ago.
The n. H. and Quincy quarries have
dark and somber look that gives the
buildings and monuments constructed
of them heavy and gloomy appear
ance. The light grey color of the
granite in this county is such, that
when small dwelling houses are built OF
it, there is light. and sprightly aspect
to the whole structure When this |
same material is wrought and used |
for larger buildings, It gives to the
edifice the look of such grandness and
stateliness, that a man by a walk Of
a few rods from this hill can better |
appreciate than | can describe.
For monuments and cemetery work, |
it cannot be equalled for beauty; the |
fneness of its grain and compactness
of its structure give no place for the
roots of lichens or .mosses that one so
frequently sees on the marble slabs in /
all the cemeteries of Vermont and
elsewhere. That the granite Of Wash
ington county is admirably fitted for
purposes we cannot refer
to a better specimen than that of
which the State House is built Few,
have ever seen better sam
Die of building material than is eXhib-
ted in the walls of our own capitol;
, test of Is years is sufficient to show
hat Barre granite is free from iron1
and other ingredients that deface the
walls Of many public and private build
ngs.
Having spoken of the location of the
quantity and quality Of the
granite of Washington county it re-
mains for me to call attention to its
value and the ease with
which it may be Guarred. In speaking
IF its value. | am aware that the price
If any commodity at the place of its
production depends on its quality and
he facilities of transportation. The
ron and coal of Pennsylvania must
reach a market before they are of
much value TO the owners. The agri
cultural products Of Vermont must be
'arried TO the consumers or otherwise
.hey decay in the storehouses Of the
producer Thirty years ago the land
embracing the rich marble quarries of
Rutland was sold for an old mare and
ler colt The facilities Of transporta
ion were increased, and forthwith a
ralue was given to the heretofore
worthless article. Quality without ia
,ilities of transportation will never
give any article a mercantile value.
Value Of Granite.
The granite of Washington county,
ike all the productions of the earth,
must be valued in proportion TO its
usefulness and demand; its use for
purpose, we have seen,
S excellent, and, in the opinion of
President Hitchcock and other geolo-
FISTS, il cannot be surpassed by any
-ock of its kind in this or any other
Should the demand be extended and
he facilities for conveying this gran
te to market be increased, 5 see not
why this county has not source of
productive labor, even greater than
hat Of any other in Vermont Not
the difficulty and expense
If conveying it to a railroad station,
he demand for Barre granite is in
'reasing every year; not far from
900 tons. or $1,000 cubic feet, have
been quarried the past season, a large
,art Of this being sent to western
Vermont and northern New York Or
lers for IL, understand. have been re-
emily received from Ohio and Illinois
Let the same amount Of money be
expended and the same energy put