MORE FUN FACTS ON THE QUARRY

 WHISTLE

The whistle was in one of the stack pipes on the saw mill.  It blew in the morning to mark the beginning of the work day.  At noon and 1p.m. for the beginning and end of lunch break, and late afternoon to signal the end of day.  When the last whistle blew, the workers dropped their tools and hurried out of the quarry.

BLACKSMITH SHOP

Usually ten blacksmiths worked in the blacksmith shop.  John Gjertson was the head blacksmith for many years supervising the blacksmiths as they sharpened tools, made picks hammers, chain link and wedges for splitting rocks.  Alfred Orstad was one of many blacksmiths who spent long hours sharpening the six-foot and 20-foot drills that dulled quickly boring through the hard sandstone.  Al VanDerWerf was one of many young men whose first job was to carry the 20-foot drills and other tools from the blacksmith shop to the top of the hill.  He protected his shoulder from the cutting edge of the heavy drills with a gunny sack

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