adams-john10 Neal Millikan
335
13. IV. Tuesday.
- Greenleaf E. Price
Charles went to Boston, and
returned to dine— I continue to write upon the Eulogy of Mr
Madison; but not with sufficient application. Mr E. Price Greenleaf called here immediately
after dinner, and I walked with him and my Son Charles over the hills to
several of the Stone quarries upon which many of the Stone-cutters are
at work— We visited three of those that are upon his father’s land— The Granite
quarries are composed of hornblend which is black—of Quartz which is
black—of Feldspar which is and of mica, which has an appearance
like Isinglass, and seems to be Metallic— As the proportions of these
ingredients differ the Stone is dark or light coloured, and the
composition the general effect of which upon the eye, gives it a
darkling blue tinge, is preferred above all others for the Walls of an
house— So much so that much of the other Stone is unsaleable and will
not pay for the expense of removing it— This is a mere fashion, and the
public taste fluctuates from year to year so much with regard to the
colour of the Stone, that the chances are a hundred to one that in the
course of a very few years the Quincy Syenite, will be abandoned, and
some other favourite material will take its place— The art of splitting
and taking out the Stone is not yet fully understood.— In the third
Chapter of the second Book of President
Goguet’s Origin of the Laws Arts and Sciences, and of
their progress among the antient Nations there is a very exact
description of the manner in which they split up the rocks of Granite—
He says it is practised in lower Normandy and he conjectures that it was
used in antient Egypt. Goguet’s work was published in 1758—and he cites
for authority the Memoirs of the Academy 336of
Sciences in 1751. Yet this art of splitting the granite was not
practised or known here till about the year 1790 when the Quarries began
to be worked—and the stone to be hammered. The granite from Chelmsford
was for many years preferred to that from Quincy, and the latter was
never much used till the railway was constructed in 1825 and 1826— It is
now transported for building at New-York, New-Orleans, and the Havanna,
and the workmen at the Quarries have nearly doubled in numbers within
the last two years— Returning from the ledges we looked at Mr Price Greenleaf’s Nursery where many of
his seedling trees are flourishing— He has several sorts of them which I
have not—particularly the mountain ash, and the Tulip-tree, the seeds of
which sown by me have not yet vegetated— He has the Quince also from the
seed to which my soul is not suited— Joseph
H. Adams dined with us and goes to-morrow for his
station—
