Reminiscences of the late Mr. Whitney. 257 
From its precipices and those of one of its branches, which are com- 
posed of greenstone trap, Mr. Whitney selected his materials, with 
such skill, and arranged them with such judgment and taste that the 
walls, arches and passages, and some of the shops and other build- 
ings constructed of this rock, are admired both for their solidity and 
beauty, and will remain to future generations. Some of the works 
are laid in a cement, composed, in -part, of a mixture of iron rust and 
siliceous and micaceous sand, derived from the grinding of the gun 
barrels and other pieces of iron upon the grind stones; this cement 
appears almost as firm as the rocks themselves. There are two build- 
ings for fuel; the one for charcoal, and the other for mineral coal ; both 
are finished with great exactness, by selecting smooth natural faces of 
the trap rock, which are accurately laid in mortar and carefully point- 
ed; the floors are also of firm stone, laid with equal exactness. ‘These 
store houses stand by the side of the mountain and at its foot, and 
by excavating a road in the bank above, the coal carts are driven 
{uite up to the gable end of the building, and their loads are dis- 
charged into them simply by tipping up the cart. This notice of 
these humble buildings is given to show Mr. Whitney’s exactness in 
ery thing. It was a maxim with him, which I have often heard 
him tepeat, that there is nothing worth doing that is not worth doing 
. As far as circumstances permitted, he always acted up to this 
The houses for his workmen, at the manufactory, are beautifully 
“onstructed, and arranged upon one plan; they also are of trap rock,* 
tnd covered by a white cement, and together with the other build- 
ngs, the mountain and river scenery, and the bridge,t they give this 
Picturesque valley no small degree of beauty. It was Mr. Whitney’s 
‘ation; to erect his own mansion house in this valley, which would 
toublless have then received all the embellishment of which it is so 
“S¢ptible. With this view he had constructed an ample barn,} 
“ach is a model of convenience, and even of taste and beauty, and 
“ontains many accommodations, not usually found in such establish- 
ments, It was visited and examined by the late President Monroe, 
ee eee ae a 
reer Whitney’s death, other houses have been built of wood. 
} Tiers one by that ingenious architect, ~~" Town. 
arm connected with the manufactory- 
Von, XXI.—No. 2 
