Slates. 139 



farm of John Fyfe. The three southern openings or quarries, are quite 

 close together, and west of the mill. The first one is approximately 

 300 x 200 feet, and nearly 100 feet deep, and the second, 200 x 100 

 feet, both being 10 to 20 feet deeper at the upper or west side. At 

 present they are partly full of water, and the only work is in the top 

 rock at the side of the southern-most pit. The main quarrying of the 

 company is now on the Fyfe property, and in what are here known 

 as Nos. 1, 2 and 3. They also are large pits, and from 70 to 100 

 feet deep. The dip of the strata in all of these quarries is east, and 

 at an angle, on average, of 40° to 50°. Green, purple and variegated 

 slates are obtained, and, generally, these different colored rocks occur 

 in separate beds. The variegated consists of green and purple mixed. 

 The joints or seams traversing the rock, are not well defined in these 

 quarries. Generally, one system runs in the same direction as the 

 dip of the beds, that is easterly, and vertical. A very large amount 

 of material has been taken from the openings in this hill, and 

 the hugh dumps indicate the extent of the work, as well as show 

 how much waste is incidental, necessarily in opening and developing 

 slate quarries. There is not much machinery employed, other than 

 horse-power derricks and pumps run by steam power from the mill. 

 At all of these quarries in the side hill adits and short tunnels admit 

 of unwatering, down nearly half the depth, and save some hoisting. 

 The splitting and trimming of the roofing slate are down in shanties 

 or booths, on the dumps at the quarry. The blocks for cutting are 

 hauled by teams to the company's mill, which is within a half a mile 

 of the furthest quarry. The work of getting out slate at the quarries 

 is done on the contract system, the men furnishing the blocks of 

 slate at certain rates, according to the stock which is cut from them. 

 The company works up the product of the quarries in its mills, 

 except a comparatively small part which is split up into roofing 

 slate. The greater part is worked up into plain, marbleized, decora- 

 tive and enamelled material, as mantles, steps, house trimmings, table 

 tops, laundry tubs, wainscoting, floor tiles, etc. The purple and green 

 slates are generally used for marbleizing, as they are more abundant, 

 softer and cheaper than the red, which finds a market for ornamental 

 work. The purple slate of these quarries is deeper and richer in 

 color than the Vermont purple slate. The latter has more of a brown 

 shade. The Middle Granville quarries were first opened about 1850. 

 The Penrhyn Company's mill is east of the quarries and at the side 

 of the Paw let river. It is equipped with machinery for cutting, 



