[AT] Shale or gravel?

[Larry D. Goss]

Farmer, your reminiscences about stone reminded me of my youth.  We
lived across the section from May Sand & Gravel and did business with
them off and on over the years.  Their pit got bigger and bigger and as
our neighbors died off, sold out, etc, "The Pit" became the owner and
they spread out to the point that the Blue Stone quarry covers almost
all of the section except the 45 acres that is our family farm (my
brother still lives there.)  They're mining somewhere in the nature of
300 feet deep, but they have run out of space for the overburden and
sand that is so prevalent in the area.  (There's a reason that the early
settlers named it Sand Point.)  Of course, the mining process has had a
detrimental effect on the environment.  They destroyed the upper water
table and all the sewage from miles around leaches toward the pit.
Wells have to be drilled around 450 feet deep to get potable water and
it's so hard you can hear it clank as it comes through the pipes.  The
second growth timber in the woodlot at the edge of the pit (80 to
90-year old trees) is dying from drought -- no ground water.  My brother
says one of these days they'll run completely out of stone (that's why
they aren't going deeper) and he'll have some prime lakefront property.
:-)

Larry 

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Indiana
Robinson
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 8:44 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Shale or gravel?

	We are pretty lucky here as we have about anything we want close
at hand. Years ago 
the roads were mostly gravelled with what is called "pit run" which
includes 
everything from sand to stuff up to about 4". The average around here is
from sand 
to about an inch and a half rocks. For many applications it is screened
to about 2" 
max. They don't use any on the roads much here anymore since all roads
are paved 
except a few short dead enders. Those are about all crushed white
limestone. Most 
driveways are now crushed hard  white limestone. We also have a softer
limestone 
that is sometimes called brown or yellow. It is seldom used for anything
but base or 
barn lots. The hard white is sometimes referred to as blue stone.
	 It is becoming more common to use crushed igneous rock which is
quite hard and is 
used because people like its warmer look. Some shale is used in parts of
the state 
but not at all here.
	Southern Indiana is famous for its limestone especially from
around the Bedford 
Indiana area. I was surprised many years ago when I was in New York and
Washington 
DC at how many of the huge famous structures and monuments had tiny
signs on them  
telling about the stone being from Bedford Indiana. I keep going to
other areas and 
buying stuff to try to bring the proper amount of gravitational
materials back to 
the area to replace the stone...   <(^¿^)>
	The little 17 acre place over in the next county has "Big
Flatrock River" running 
through it. In much of the area it has a bottom of flat limestone. Back
in the early 
part of the 20th century an old family friend had a "quarry" there just
down river 
from our place there. He actually just worked out of the river for most
of the 
stone. He had a small crusher and a wooden hopper with a screen. most of
his 
production went to early road building. In one part of our place there
is a section 
of the river that flows below a 40' limestone bluff (good fishing spot
<(^¿^)> ). 
I cleared a camping spot on the opposite shore many years ago and it
makes a 
beautiful camping place. I really need to go back and clear it again and
reconstruct 
the drive but I just never seem to have time anymore. I have not camped
(except a 
few tractor shows) or fished in years. I don't do a lot of stuff I used
to... I 
think is has to do with some mysterious increase in gravitational
pull... There are 
at least 4 large stone quarry pits within a mile of that tiny village
but only one 
is in use. The others are allowed to fill with water and end up as deep
cold lakes. 
About the only activity is a little fishing and some scuba diving.
	There are also two other large stone quarries within a few miles
of the farm here. 
There are also 4 or 5 large gravel pits within a few miles of us. I can
go about 30 
miles north east and buy peat direct from the bogs there. Nice for
garden stuff but 
not worth a piddly for driveways...   <(^¿^)>



--
"farmer"

I try to take one day at a time but sometimes several days attack
me at once.   <(^¿^)> 

Refurbished Shopsmith's
Good used SPT's
http://www.indiana-robinson.0catch.com/


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net




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