On the farm of Mr. E. O. Cool, a couple of miles southwest of Brandon village, there is a deposit of importance. This appears to be the extreme northern limit of the western or great slate belt of Vermont. It is from this belt, in Fairhaven, Poultney and Pawlet that nearly all the Vermont slate is taken.

At the Cool quarry there is a large deposit which has been considerably worked during the past five years, but not enough to show satisfactorily the real quality of the stone. Three openings have been made and, taking into account the fact that most of what has been obtained is near the surface, the slate is of good quality, though not like that which usually comes from deeper in the quarries. The slate here is mostly green, said to be the very desirable sort known in trade as "Unfading Green," but there is also that which is dark gray or nearly black.

This mass of slate is some miles farther north than the great western slate belt has been supposed to extend, but it is evidently a part of the large mass which reaches from north to south for not far from thirty miles.

During the year 1907 there was a strike which extended through the slate belt and for a time seriously crippled the business. Most of the slate manufacturers obtained other help after a short time and went on with their works; but not only during the nine months of the strike, though necessarily then to an especial degree, but since it closed, the whole slate business has suffered from a depression from which it has not recovered. Nor does it seem likely that it will for a long time, if ever, since, during the inability of the mills to furnish their orders or to accept new ones, business that would have come to Vermont went to Pennsylvania where it remains. This strike seems to have been wholly uncalled for, as the workmen were not in any way dissatisfied and had no demands to make of the companies. The companies did not recognize the union and would not agree to employ only union men, hence the national officers ordered the strike which, so far as can be ascertained, has resulted in great injury to many and good to none. In addition to the effects just mentioned, the general business depression has also had its effect. Many of the mills are only partly at work, others are closed.

The above refers particularly to what is known as mill work, that is, manufactured slate, billiard table tops, switch boards, stair treads, etc. The roofing slate business has not suffered nearly as much. One of the most prominent proprietors of slate quarries writes as

follows: "The Sea Green business has never been better than this year, the demand being very strong all the year and it has been a hard problem for the manufacturers to fill all the orders they have received. Prices are good. The Unfading business is improving every day, not only the demand, but the production is increasing."

Clay has not been considered as one of the important products of Vermont. There are numerous brickyards in different parts of the state, but clay for other uses has been dug only in very small quantities until recently. At present, except for making brick, clay is dug only in two localities. At Forestdale in the east part of Brandon, there are quite extensive works carried on by Horn, Crockett and Company. The material here is kaolin, which is dug from pits and prepared for market in the well-equipped mill.

The Rutland Fire Clay Company owns extensive beds of various sorts of clay, from which the chief material for stove lining, wall plaster, fireproof roofing, etc., is obtained.

"This company was organized under the laws of Vermont in 1883, and has been in successful operation since that time. The business is mining and manufacturing clay products. Previous to 1903 its manufacturing was confined to furnace and foundry clays and fire cements. In the year 1903 the manufacture of a special patent wall plaster was commenced. The first year they sold $3,600 worth. The third year $54,000 worth. They own 225 acres of land, on which are practically inexhaustible deposits of nearly all of the raw materials used.

"These deposits are easy of access and convenient to railroads, a material advantage over all competitors in this respect. Their deposits of fire clays, mica schists, silicas, etc., are situated about two and one-half miles southeast of the center of the city of Rutland, and one and one-half miles east of the main line of the Rutland