426 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



body of red granite similar to the Scotch, but with much larger crystals." 

 This stone has been used to some extent in San Francisco and Sacra- 

 mento, but is hard to work, owing to its coarseness mid lack of tenacity.* 



Virginia. — The granites of this State are, as a rule, line-grained, 

 biotite-bearing rocks, and of a light-gray color. They correspond in a 

 remarkable degree with the granites of New England, more so than 

 those of any Southern or Western State. The principal quarries, thus 

 far developed are in Chesterfield and Henrico Counties on the James 

 River, and within easy reach of the Richmond market. 



The quarry of the Richmond Granite Company, on the Richmond and 

 Alleghany Railroad, near Richmond, produces a massive gray granite 

 used for general buildiug purposes, paving stone, and monumental 

 work, and which is shipped more or less to all the States and cities 

 south of New England and as far west as Nebraska. Much of the ma- 

 terial is dressed at the quarry, polishing works being located on the 

 ground. 



The Old Dominion Granite Company and the Westham Granite Com- 

 pany, in Chesterfield County, produce a very similar stone, the principal 

 markets of which are in Richmond, Washington, Norfolk, Lynchburgh, 

 and Philadelphia. Other important quarries are in the Tuckahoe dis- 

 trict, Henrico County, and Namozine district, Dinwiddie County. Stone 

 from the last-named locality was used in the construction of the post- 

 office and custom-house at Petersburgh, Va. The most important build- 

 ing yet constructed of the Virginia granites is the State, War, and 

 Navy building in Washington, which is probably the' most elaborate 

 granite structure in the country. Near Fredericksburgh is found a fine 

 light-gray muscovite-biotite granite closely resembling those of Hallo- 

 well, Me., and Concord, N. H., but it is not at present quarried to any 

 extent. 



Wisconsin. — The extensive outcrops of granite rock in this State have 

 been scarcely at all worked up to the present time, owing to the lack of 

 transportation facilities. At the present writing the most important 

 quarries are at Montello, Marquette County, and Wausau, Marathon 

 County. The Montello rock is very fine grained, compact, and of a dull 

 pink color. Quarries were first opened here to furnish paving stones 

 for the Chicago market, but the stone has since been used to a consid- 

 erable extent for general building and monumental work. 



According to Prof. T. C. Chamberlain! the great Laurentiau area of 

 the northern part of the State is occupied largely by granite and gneiss, 

 among which are some of exceptional excellence. Granite rocks of 

 greater or less excellence crop out along the upper reaches and tribu- 

 taries of the Menominee, the Peshtigo, the Oconto, the Wolf, the Wis- 

 consin, the Yellow, the Black, the Chippewa, the Flambeau, the Bad, 

 and the Montreal Rivers. These are now being brought within the 

 reach of cheap transportation, and should be utilized to the mutual 

 benefit of those who work and those who use. 



* Report Tenth Census, Vol. X, p. 278. t Geology of Wisconsin, Vol. I, p. 66. 



