THE CHESTER EMERY BED. 121 



This gave rise to the emery mining, juid, in 18(18, to the formation of 

 the Hampden Emery Company, in which Dr. Lucas, Mr. S. A. Barthohimew, 

 of Blandford, and Dr. Jackson were interested. A few years later this com- 

 pany deeded, in apparent good faith, what they supposed to be the main 

 vein, of which the}' had previously bought the mining right, to the Chester 

 Iron Company, afterward the Chester Emery Company, a stock company 

 controlled by Mr. James T. Ames, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, of the Ames 

 Manufacturing Company. 



The older company deeded "connuencing in the middle of the vein of 

 iron ore and running at right angles to the same 5 rods, thence parallel to 

 the same to its south end, thence 10 rods at right angles to the same, thence 

 parallel to the same to the north end, thence 5 rods at right angles to the 

 same to the place of beginning, being about 4 acres." The new company 

 went to work upon its purchase, while the old company continued to work 

 upon a vein farther west, which it still held. In a short time it was found 

 that the new company was working upon a line of bowlders derived doubt- 

 less from the true deposit to the west, upon which the old company was 

 still working vigorously. 



Thereupon arose an important lawsuit, the Chester Company claiming 

 the true vein, while the old company claimed that a blunder had been made 

 by all parties, and that the attempt to apply the deed to tlie western vein 

 would give 7 acres instead of 4. After protracted litigation the case was 

 decided for the purchasers, and the vein came into the hands of the Chester 

 Company and was worked b)' it, extensive buildings being erected and 

 expensive machinery obtained. In 1879 thirty-five men were employed 

 and 210 tons of emery were produced, valued at 820,000.' 



The mine was worked apparently without nnich profit, since in 1883, 

 after the death of Mr. Ames, the whole property, said to have cost above 

 $80,000, was purchased by Dr. Lucas for a sum reported to be about 

 S12,000. 



On the adverse issue of the lawsuit Dr. Lucas had, with customary 

 energy, turned his attention to the Naxos emery, and curiously, from the 



above. Dr. Lucas here claims to have discovered the emery m 1864; it is said that the miners 

 "could make very little headway against the rocks, which, they told Dr. Lucas, were so hard that 

 they could not keep their tools sharp ; " that Dr. Jackson told Dr. Lucas that the margante was 

 sometimes found with emery, and " it was this that gave Dr. Lucas his clew." 

 ■Hist. Conn. Valley, Vol. II, p. 1063. 



