The Arkansas Stone Industry, 1908

Excerpts from

Mineral Resources of the United States, Calendar Year 1908

Part II - Nonmetallic Products
Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey
Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1909.

Excerpts from the book are from the chapters on: 1) Slate, by A. T. Coons; 2) Stone, by A. T. Coons; 3) part of chapter on Abrasive Materials, by W. C. Phalen.

Building Stone Distribution: "Distribution of the various kinds of building stone and the localities where the different varieties of stone are now being quarried or may be quarried in the future for Arkansas are: Marble, limestone, syenite, slate."

Slate: "In 1908, as in 1907, nine States reported a commercial output of slate. These States in rank of output were Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine, Virginia, New York, Maryland, California, New Jersey, and Arkansas. In 1907 the rank of output was Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine, Virginia, Maryland, New York, California, Arkansas, and New Jersey. New York displaced Maryland and New Jersey displaced Arkansas in 1908.

"The slate production of the United States is practically confined to the northeastern part of the country, the scattered deposits other than in this section being not yet fully developed or not showing an equal commercial output. The localities of the principal deposits, either producing in commercial quantities or in a greater or less state of development, are given below by States. Almost all of these deposits are described in Bulletin No. 275 of the United States Geological Survey.

"Although several companies have done more or less development work in Arkansas, little slate has been marketed, chiefly on account of lack of transportation facilities. The deposits are located in the west central part of the State, and development work has been carried on in the counties of Polk, Montgomery, Garland, Salina, and Pulaski. Red slate, which has played such an important part of the New York slate industry, is also found in Arkansas. The slate is now used chiefly for electrical purposes, but it is also well adapted for use in a roofing slate."

Onyx marble: "The onyx marble of the United States, except perhaps that of California and Arizona, is not considered as good as the Mexican article in color or in fineness of texture and is more expensive for the reason that labor is cheaper in Mexico and that in Mexico the quarries have been opened long enough to have transportation facilities.The principal deposits in the United States are in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Connecticut, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington; cave onyxes, however, are found in nearly all of the large limestone-producing States."

Listed in Bibliography regarding Arkansas: Notes on Arkansas roofing slates, by T. N. Dale, in Bulletin No. 225, pp. 414-416.

Abrasives: "The production of oilstones and whetstones is from Arkansas, Indiana, and Ohio, and the first State mentioned produces the largest part of the output."

"The value of the imports and hones, whetstones, and oilstones in 1908 amounted to $44,304, as compared with $89,939 in 1907.The importation is in part offset by the exportation of Arkansas oilstones and New Hampshire schythestones, the value of which, however, can not be given, since no separate record of them is kept."