Kathryn Swearingen interview with Holland Bozeman (part one)

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This is the first of a two part recording in which Holland Bozeman discusses his hobby of creating jewelry with marble he received from the Georgia Marble Company, where he worked. He claims that he was the first one using this method to make jewelry in Jasper, Georgia, in the late 1960s. At minute 4:55, Bozeman walks around his workshop while explaining steps of his work process, including laying the stones on the marble, cutting the stones, and polishing the jewelry. He sells this jewelry at the Georgia Marble Company, the Graystone Village in Jasper, a local shop called Pearsons Store, and at Georgia and North Carolina art festivals. At minute 14:28, Bozeman describes some of his tools, including sizing templates, mountings used to place stones, a saw, and a sanding wheel. He explains that the marble originates from quarries in Tate, Georgia. And at minute 22:10, Bozeman conducts a demonstration in which he saws, sands, polishes, and mounts marble into pins, bracelets, rings, and bolo ties. Holland Bozeman (1911-2001) was born in Jasper, Georgia, to John Pickens Bozeman (1882-1948) and Theodocia Eaton (1885-1955). He attended art school in Fargo, North Dakota, and later worked at Georgia Marble Company as a paint technician. He married his first wife, Nancy Newman (1913-1997), in 1939. In 1973, he married his second wife, Eula Mae Johnson (1939-1991), with whom he had one son, Mitchell (1973-2013). MAKING JEWELRY OUT OF GEORGIA MARBLE BY KATHRYN L. SWEARINGEN FOLKLORE 401 FALL QUARTER, 1973 DR. JOHN BURRISON TABLE OF CONTENTS SUBJECT Introduction and Observation Report Transcription of Interview with Holland Bozeman Release Form Location Map Articles: - "Georgia Marble Company" - "The Powdered Marble with Myriad Markets" - "Calcium.Carbonate Products" Photographs Samples: - Raw Georgia Marble - Finished Georgia Marble Jewelry Products Tapes (2) PAGE 2-6 7-22 23 24 25 26 27 28-36 In Box In Box In Box Page 1 MAKING JEWELRY OUT OF GEORGIA MARBLE by Kathryn L. Swearingen Date: Saturday, November 3, 1973 Informant's Name: Holland Bozeman Informant's Age: 63 Informant's Address: Highway 5, Box 156 Jasper, Georgia (404-692-2326) Informant's County: Pickens County Informant's Hobby: Making jewelry out of Georgia marble. Collector's Name: Kathryn L. Swearingen Collector's Address: 2383 Akers Mill Road, N. w. , K-10 Atlanta, Georgia 30339 (404-436-5863) Collector's County: Cobb County Collector's Course: Folklore 401, Fall Quarter, 1973 Collector's Instructor: Dr. John Burrison On a beautiful Saturday, November 3, 1973, I interviewed Mr. Holland Bozeman. He proceeded to show me all of his processes of making jewelry from raw Georgia marble. Mr. Bozeman works for the Georgia Marble Company and has for over thirty years. He obtains his resources from this company Page 3 and is allowed to salvage all of the old pieces of Georgia marble that the company cannot utilize. Every evening from about 7:00 to 10:30 P. M. and also on Saturdays until about 3:00 P. M., Mr. Bozeman works in his shop which is located in the basement of his home. He lives there with his two chihuahuas, Yogi and Ginger. First, we walked around to the back of his house to the door to the basement. The working area was quite compact and a little dusty. It was dusty due to all of the white calcium coating that comes off the marble when it is cut and polished . In order to make this marble ready for cutting, first, Mr. Bozeman uses a template to choose the size he wants to cut. He takes a red pencil and draws the design of the size he wants on the marble. He prefers the red pencil because it shows up much better than a regular lead pencil and is seen much easier when the marble gets wet. Mr. Bozeman showed me how the raw marble darkens when water is applied to the surface. Mr. Bozeman uses much water in his processing. After Mr. Bozeman has drawn several different patterns on a few pieces of the marble, he prepares to cut the marble to that design. He adds water to the saw and begins to cut through the marble to get a rough pattern. In order to protect his fingers, he cuts two or three small strips of heavy electric-covering for wiring and places it over the tips of his thumbs and fingers for Page 4 protection . In that way, he can work quite close to the sanding wheels without cutting the tips of his thumbs and fingers. Next, Mr. Bozeman moved to the more accurate cutter which is composed of three different sanding wheels. These three wheels require water, also. Mr. Bozeman wears a black rubber apron throughout his processing, mainly to keep the water off that splashes and the additional excessive calcium. These three wheels sand the stone down to the exact size that he wants. Next, he proceeds to the polisher. This requires water, also. The wheel that revolves is of much softer material and requires an agent called "cindea". Mr. Bozeman said that "it's like buying money" when he orders this agent because it costs him $9.00 for four ounces. Then, after Mr. Bozeman has the marble all polished, he takes his polished marble upstairs to his work area for mounting. This work area is located in his bedroom. There he has about 85 different mountings which he chooses from. They are all either yellow gold or white gold. He then chooses a piece of polished marble and sets it aside while he finds a proper mounting. Next, he takes some expoxy glue and a hardening agent and mixes them together on a small piece of paper with a toothpick. Then, he places a small amount of this glue mixture on the back of the stone. He places the stone on the mounting next. After about 15 to 20 minutes, Page 5 he bends the prongs of the mountings inward to be sure that the marble stone is securely fastened. He always offers to replace the marble if the stone is ever lost. After the marble has had a few hours to set, Mr. Bozeman places the piece of jewelry into a specially prepared box. The box houses cotton, cardboard below the cotton for filler, a printed slogan "Genuine Georgia Marble" and the price of the individual piece of jewelry. The top of the box is covered with a see-through plastic cover. He also marks the bottom of the box with the catalog number of the mounting so he can make others like that when people call and order a specific mounting and color of marble. The price is also marked on the bottom . This "Genuine Georgia Marble" is sold in three different locations: the Georgia Marble Company, the Graystone Village and Pearson's Store -- all in Jasper, Georgia. Mr. Bozeman would love to expand his production, if he could get enough of a demand for his jewelry. But, he told me that he will have to be very careful because he doesn't want his demands higher than his rate of production because he doesn't want to let anyone down. He definitely is a very sincere man and truly puts his heart into his work. You can tell that he loves what he's doing . When I left Mr. Bozeman's house, I "scouted" around the Page 6 Georgia Marble Company. I could not enter the plant because it was closed on Saturday. But, I got a fairly good picture of how large the operation is. I first noticed that all of the surrounding trees which were above the company were all covered with white. dust. This, I'm sure, is the calcium deposits that are given off. Since the plant was located at the bottom of a hill, the dusty trees were quite easy to see. I was truly amazed at Mr. Bozeman's patience and perseverance with such a time-consuming hobby. But, I'm certain it is worth the time spent because he seems to receive so much happiness from doing this. So far, Mr. Bozeman has not trained anyone else to do this. Mainly, because no one else has shown an interest. I certainly do wish that someone would become interested because this is such a meaningful project. But, with the mechanization of everything, I doubt if anyone will be willing to give the time and patience. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed my project and really learned a new experience . TRANSCRIPTION OF INTERVIEW WITH MR. HOLLAND BOZEMAN Testing 1 - 2 - 1 - 2. This is an interview with Mr. Holland Bozeman of the Georgia Marble Company who makes trinkets from the Georgia marble. The day is Saturday, November the 3rd, 1973. Mr. Bozeman, is that correct? I believe I said trinkets, but that's incorrect? That is incorrect. It is genu - I'm only make gen - uh - costume jewelry of Georgia marble and this is my hobby. I am a paint technician with the Georgia Marble Company. And, as far as I know, I am the only one that makes this type of jewelry and puts it on the market . Might I ask you what your street address is here? I live on Highway 5 in Jasper, Georgia. I noticed on my way here on - uh - Jasper State Route 5 that there were two entrances the Tate entrance and the Nelson entrance. Which one do you work at? The company is in divisions. The Georgia Marble Company - e - and then the Nelson Division which is the structural division and the Georgia Marble at Tate is the monumental division and the calcium is - uh - the - uh - cut if off - uh. The calcium products' division makes 40 different odd products - uh - namely, a few of which goes into paints, plastics, welding rods and chewing gum, flour and - uh - marble tile and you name it and we've got the product . Page 8 Transcription I'm interested -- what comes out of the Georgia marble that goes into chewing gum? That is a very fine ground product which is proved by the Federal Drug Administration. What does it do? Does it just for the flavor or the texture? It is more for the texture. I see. I have one question to ask you - uh - I'd like to know a little bit about your family and your age and so forth some of your background? Well - I - I grew up and finished high school in Tate. And, I have - uh - went have been to paint school in Fargo, North Dakota. And, since then, I have been following that line of work and I have been with the Georgia Marble Company for - uh - about 30 years and at the present I am not married and - uh - I have one daughter and - uh - she is somewhere in Atlanta. And - uh - I have just recently finished in my work with calcium - a - uh - what - what where we produce a slurry product which goes into - uh - paperwork. And, in finishing this, you have t - to find the different additives that will keep - will hold the slurry in suspense - keep it from settling while in transit and after it gits there because - uh - if it settles then it is gits hard in the bottom and then it cannot be used. Do you do this every day or is it just a certain time of the year? Page 9 Transcription At - this product is just now beginning to git on the market. I have been working off and on for about three years o - on this project. I have - uh - put it in - uh - with my other work, but for the last year - year and a half - it has been more continuously on this. And, we have reached what we think is a very satisfactory formerlar. And, the paper company has received a seven hundred and fifty gallons of this which they have inspected and they seem to be very, very pleased with it and we are now in the process of going into carload shipments of ten thousand gallons per car. That is really quite an accomplishment! I bet you're quite proud of that! Okay, we're downstairs in the basement where your workshop is. How long have you had your workshop here? I have had my workshop here for about 'tween four and five years. And - uh - when I start into this type of work I first have a template that I lay the different size of stones out on the marble which is slabbed into from one eighth to three sixteenths of an eench thick. And, then, I have a saw that I saw these out to the lines where - the - uh - I've - p - laid 'em out with the template. Then, when I saw them out I put 'em on my wheels and then I cut the stones down to the size of the template - to the size of the - uh - mounting that I'm going to use. And, they are - uh - numbers of stones that can be used in different - uh - types of mountings or designs of mountings. And - uh - then after I finish 'em on the wheels then I have a polisher and I do my own polishing. And, all of this I do it by hand there is no tummel work whatsoever in this type of work. Page 10 Transcription I'd like to ask you where did you first learn this? When I first started into this - uh - a preacher first on this - uh - business and - uh - he found that he did not have the time to put into it that he should. And, he came to me and asked me about buying the equipment and going into this myself. And, I told him that I would have to give it a little thought. And, later he came and I told him that I thought I would take it. And, so I have been doing this ever since which is four to five years ago. Are you the first person to do this or how many people in the area do this? As far as I know, I am the only people - the only person that does this type of work. Now, somebody may have - uh - some tummel stones that - uh - do their own tummeling and do some work like that, but which is entirely different - your stones are not uniform in tummel. But, in this, they're all uniform. When you speak of tummel stones, what d - does that mean? A tummel stones - that means that you take and put - uh - rocks or stones into a jar and you have a machine that has rollers that keeps rolling that and these tummelers will roll maybe it depends on the hardness of the stones that's in the jars will probably have to go from say 24 to 72 or even maybe a week before - uh - they're are tummeled to the size or to the size that you want. And, then, you take 'em from that ma - tummeler and put 'em into another tummeler and which gives you your finished tummel stones . Oh, I see. And, you do all this by hand? Page 11 Transcription This is all done by hand which is I say is all you - stones are uniform. And, tummel stones are not uniform. I see. You get all different sizes and shapes when you - uh - t - usin' tummel stones. You were mentioning to me earlier that you are having a problem in ordering some boxes. Could you explain that again? Yes - uh - the problem that I have is - uh - the white cotton filled acetated boxes that I have been buying from Beachcomber out of Fort Meyers, Florida. About six weeks ago they notified me that there was they lost their warehouse and their office space by fire. And, since then, I am having a little problem of finding that type box in which I hope to get some immediately because - uh - I am in - uh - need of 'em very badly and which I hope to have some - some from somewhere next week. What do you do with these boxes? Th - those boxes are used in putting my jewelry in when they're are ready to go on the market and the a - acetated top is that you can see your jewelry in the box without takin' the lid off and - uh - the people can see it very easily. Where do you display these boxes of your jewelry? Well, I dis - I have - s - uh - my jewelry displayed in about - at the present - in about three or four different locations. First, namely the Georgia Marble Company and then _, uh - in the _, uh - uh - Graystone Village here in Jasper, Georgia and then - uh - in Pearson's Store at the intersection of Highway 5 and 53. Page 12 Transcription Do you have any other hobbies or pastimes? No - I - I do not have any other hobbies. When you have a hobby like this you don't have any time for anything else. Exspecially when you have it on the market. I can understand that. How often do you work with this during the week? As a rule, I work practically every night from about 7 o'clock until 10 to 10:30. And, if I get pushed, I work later than that and then - uh - 'til about 3 and 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoons. Do you have to buy your marble or do you get this from the Georgia Marble Company as some of the small pieces that they have - or how do - what do you have - what arrangement with the Georgia Marble? I git this marble from the Georgia Marble Company and it is agreed that I can git the amount that I need providing that they have no use for it in their type of business. That's quite good that you don't have to pay for it - that you can go - And, I might say that - uh - the stones that I - uh - uh - git from the company which will classify 'em in colors is the pink and what we call a creole which is a white with a little grayish black in it and then we have the white Georgia cryshtal marble and then we have a green marble that is comes from - uh - uh - Holly Springs, Georgia and then - uh - we have - uh - a silver gray which is - uh - just - uh - uh - little bit with a gray in it. Then, I Page 13 Transcription have a dark gray and - uh - uh - I believe that covers the colors that I use. Okay. Have you - uh - ever had your stone jewelry ever written up in a magazine or a newspaper article before? No. I have not had it written up before. I have - uh - uh - not pushed my sale of my jewelries because I did not want to git my - uh - demand above my supply. And, as I see th - the when I can push it more then I push it a little further, but as far as a write-up I have never had a write-up of any kind or - uh - I have never been on a radio or TV and the only advertisements that I have from my work is in the summer - uh - and the spring and the fall that I - uh - go to the festibals. And, I sell a good bit of my jewelry at these festibals. Where are these festivals? These festibals - uh - one was held in Dahlonega, one was held in Murhpy, North Carolina, one was in Andrews, North Carolina and one in Cleveland, Georgia and one in Hiawassee, Georgia is the only ones - uh - at the present. Do you plan to go to some this fall? Well - uh - the - the festibal season is just about at it's end right now. But, I do plan to attend more this coming spring, summer and fall than I did this year because I was just beginnin' to git started and I know more about how to go and how to git into all of this better now than I did. Uh - now I'd like for you to show me some of the different tools that you use in preparing your jewelry. what they're called? If you could tell me Page 14 Transcription Well - uh - actually you don't have - uh - very many tools. As I say, in th - like I said in the beginning, the template is my main tool. If I didn't have my templates to draw my circles and - and the size of cabs - uh - a cab is - is - uh - little bit it's a little oval shaped. And, the lapidary people always refer to that as a template - I mean as a - uh - cab. Now then - in the round stones - uh - you order your mountings and they are classified as - uh - say an 8mm which is a millimeter and so then the other thing this 'bout the only thing is sh - if you classify that as - uh - tool is after I git through with that as I said before to the saw and to the wheels and to the polisher. Could you show me a template? Yes. This template here (Uh-huh) is all different sizes (Uh-huh) - uh - namely just a few is a 22 by 8 a 18 by 9 a 12 by 10 a 16 by 14 and 25 by 15 a 25 by 18 and a 30 by 22 and a 16 by 4 - 14. Do you ever make the 40 by 30? Yes. I make quite a few of those - uh - I have some antique mountings and - 'scuse me - (Uh-huh) antique mountings and I - uh - sell quite a few of tho - th - of that size in those mountings which I will show you a little later. It's quite large and I wondered if you - Uh - - you know, had much call for that? Yes. Now because is of that size that you - you would think that marble is heavy, but when you - uh - cut this down and put it into your mounting, you will be surprised because it is not as heavy as it looks. Page 15 Transcription It's not. Have you been quite often to Stone Mountain? Uh - I haven't been to Stone Mountain recently. It's been I guess year and uh half. That's what I wondered what you thought of all that marble, but I guess you get to see a lot here? Well, see that is - uh - granite type of marble and this is genuine Georgia marble and your granite is much harder than the Georgia marble (Oh). Your gran - hardness of Georgia marble is around 3 or 3 and uh half. So - the granite is much harder? Yes. Your granite will run - I'd - I think around 6 to 7 in hardness . So does that make it easier to - uh - work with the Georgia marble? Yes. It makes it much easier and then you have to have a different sa - different type saw in sawing the granite but - uh - since it is so hard. Uh - where do you - do you get to see them take out the marble from - is it under the land or in the mountain or where do they excavate this? Now then, the marble is taken a - uh - down at Tate from the quarries which are open and they will come out of blocks of weighin' anywhere from twenty to thirty tons. And, then they carry those into the mill to - to their where they do their processing is to the size of what monument and whatnot . What all else is made with the Georgia marble besides your jewelry? Page 16 Transcription Well, it would probably take - uh - quite some time to name all of this. We spoke I know earlier of the products for the che~ing gum and so forth, but I wondered you said monuments - That's - and I wondered - now - see - calcium when we're referring to th - that calcium is a different division which is entirely different types of - uh - stones we - aw - aw - calcium also I forgot to mention that we make a roofing chip - 'scuse me - (Uh-huh). Have a decorate - ate which is used and - uh - for grave coverings. It's used for flower pots or sometimes it's used for roofing chips and numerous other things. I was wondering do you ever give these - uh - your jewelryware as gifts to any of your family and friends quite often? Yes. I have - I have given away for - to help advertise my business - I have given away quite a bit of it. I see. Has there ever been any time in the last four to five years when this marble was not available? No. This goes o - way on back in the beginnings - way on back in - uh - the early 1800's - I would say - uh - the marble and the survey that they have made - uh - that they claim that there's enough marble to last another hundred years. That's what I was wondering - when they were going to run out? Have you ever taught anyone else to do this? No - uh - they's no one ever seem to be interested - uh - the o - comments that I have when people come and see it Page 17 Transcription they don't - they will say well I don't see how you do this type of work. I couldn't - uh - uh - have that much - uh - uh - Patience? - patience to do that type work. And, they has never been anyone ask me did I want to sell my business or if - uh - I would teach them because of equipment and everything is a little expensive. I can imagine so. Uh - what is the largest item you have ever made? Well, the largest item I have - vever made was this - uh - 40 by 30? - 40 by 30 - uh - cab. That is the largest thing that I make. What's the smallest? The smallest is - uh - a 8 by 10. 8 by 10. I was talking to my instructor, Dr. Burrison, and he was quite interested in someone making jewelry out of the Georgia marble and it he would be interested in checking into this craft further, would that be acceptable to you if he would like to come and visit you? Yes. It sure would. I'd be happy to talk with anyone that would like to come and I'd be glad to show 'em my workshop and - and discuss anything - anything that they would like to concerning the jewelry part of it . Would it be possible - do you have some - uh - marble that we could - uh - try go through the process with or would it be Page 18 Transcription too much trouble? I know you said if we started the saw up - Well, I can - uh - we can go through the process. It won't take - uh - too long if you like and uh - I'd be interested in seeing. - then we - I can cutouts s - size or two and then we can take it right onto the wheels and to the polisher. I'd love to see that. (Buss saw sound in background.) You want - you want me to cut another? As you can tell from that sound, Mr. Bozeman has just cut some marble. First, what did you do Mr. Bozeman with the water? Was that just plain water? You have to have - yes, it was just tap water. You have to have that - uh - uh - underneath your saw to keep the saw from getting hot. If you didn't, it would dis - you never could cut your stone. I see. I noticed that when you started to cut the marble it broke away. Is that because it's softer? That - that piece of marble happens to be a little bit too soft and this type of saw - n - uh - I should be cutting a little thicker with (Oh!) this type of marble to where it won't do that. Oh, I see. Is this just the plain white or what type is that? Yes. This is the white marble which - thuh - I forgot to mention a while ago has some gold what we call the golden vein Page 19 Transcription which is the little gold colorin' in it (Uh-huh) and this is qu - quarried up at Marblehill, Georgia. Oh, I see. And, it makes very perty jewelry. What is the pink -- is that the rose or pink or? That is the - the Georgia pink. It is the only Georgia marble pink that can be found anywhere in the country. Just in Georgia? Just in Georgia. Uh - okay, you've already cut that down. Now what do you do next after that? Now then - uh - I - next - since I have slabbed this and I have some layed out w - on my template with my template here I'm going to run this saw and saw this - uh - uh - in two and then when I finish that I'll dis take it then and - uh - pu - start on my wheels to cut my mounting. Okay. (Cut if off - whisper in background) (Wheel sound in background. ) Now, I have finished cuttin' - uh - this to the - uh - template lines and now then I will take it to over - er - to the wheels where I start cutting on the wheels. Okay. (2nd wheel sound in background.) What are those three different wheels? What type textures do they grind? Page 20 Transcription The first one here is - uh - uh - emery wheel - it's called - uh - number 80 grit. Then, this - uh - next wheel is a sanding grit which is - thuh - er - 'bout a number 20 and then - uh when I finish that on that wheel I put it on my sanding wheel for the last finish before polishing and the grit on that - uh - sander is - uh - three hundred and twenty. Three hundred and twenty! Goodness! Okay, what do you do with it next? Then, when I finish from the sander, I'll t-take it over to my polisher and we'll go over there now and - uh - we'll polish this one. All righty. Mr. Bozeman, you've just turned on the polisher. Right? That is correct and this polisher you have to have an oxide - uh - to git your polish finished. Uh - they is one type of oxide that I use is very, very expensive - uh - it will costests me - uh - about nine dollars for four ounces. But, I use it very sparingly because - uh - they've some types of the - uh - Georgia marble that is little harder to polish than others - uh - because of the cryshtal effects is the reason that I use it and use it sparingly. Where does the oxide go? The oxide is on - uh - an upright disc - is a buffer. And, you have to keep water on this - uh - at all times - uh - to git your - uh - oxide and your water to mix when your buffer does the polishing. And, you hold your stone down on this buffer and Page 21 Transcription keep turning your stone and 'til you git a real high - uh - polish on it. Okay. All right, then, what do you do after that? Then, after, I git these stones polished, they are ready to be mountening. And, my mounting is upstairs and - and we will go from here upstairs to the mounting - uh - and do some mounting. All right. And, see all types of the mountings. All right. (Begin - Tape #2.) We're now looking at quite a lot of samples of Mr. Bozeman's jewelry and what are the different prices on these? I see they range quite a bit? Yes. I have - uh - uh - I have - uh - uh - uh - range on these - uh - the cheapest - uh - pin that I have or pendant is three dollars and twenty-five cents and then they'll run from three twenty-five to three fifty to three seventy-five and four dollars and five dollars and six dollars. Six dollars is the highest priced pin I have. And, the bracelets - the bracelets that carries - uh - five stones in it - uh - which you can git 'em - uh - in different colors of stones in the bracelets - thuh - they are priced thirteen dollars. And, then I have my rings. The rings are adjustable rings which are th - they are six dollars. I see. What is this? Oh, that - that is a bolo tie and I forgot to mention those sell for three dollars. Page 22 Transcription That's quite interesting. You said you have a lot of friends that come by and buy things here from you at home also? Yes, I do. You would be surprised - uh - 'specially at this time of year - uh - uh - they will come by and they will give me - uh - an order for two, three, four and five pieces of jewelry. And, if I don't have - uh - all of it in on - in stock why then I uh - make their order and give it to 'em within just a very short time which'll be couple uh three days. Oh, that's a lot faster than mail order -- much faster! This completes my interview with Mr. Holland Bozeman of Jasper, Georgia who makes costume jewelry from Georgia marble. I have thoroughly enjoyed your showing me all of the different processes involved in this project, Mr. Bozeman. But, I believe I realize how much time and patience is involved in such an endeavor and it truly proves its meaningfulness. I want to thank you sincerely for spending this time with me and broadening my knowledge of this worthwhile craft. Note: All underscored transcription was by Mr. Holland Bozeman. Please note that all misspelled words were purposely done so . ' -RELEASE- Page 23 Dy letting us collect your traditions--stories, sonps, 111usic, renemberences ~ or beliefs of earlier days--you lw.ve made a valuable contribution to preserving aP.d understandinp Southern history, and especially the way of life of your co111munityo Because you have r;iven unselfishly of your time to do this, the Georgia Folklore Archives, whose representatives are dedicated to preservinr, these traditions, wants to protect your ric;hts to tf:..is material by r;uaranteeing that it l:rill not be used for unscrupulous cowmercial profits o By sizninIT this sheets you are giving- us permission to use this material for educational purposes so that people who are interested can understand how life was in the old days. If you don't want your name to be used, say so--we respect your right to privacy~ Thanlc you for the time you have p;iven to help us record a heritage that is an io,portant part of American life. "In consideration of "'Y intent in helpinc- to preserve ny folk heritar,e, I hereby grant permission to the Georgia Folk Archives and its Director, John Burrison, to publish, ot otherwise n>al:e use of, the material recorded from me by the agent of the Georp;ia Folklore Archives whose name appears on this sheet .. Sigi.ed Ac1.dress J~-l:!'~l;e:,!l':!1!!,!,'..!.. ~.. ePl'..-1~~rq,ft.04"4C~~'fM.l!SL _jfacs::t:!d~&/t.1-l.s.idl.!!~-~-::,P,~::!!,1'f?~Li:\..JL..~:!,,J. ...~ Additional Witness ---------------------------- Geo r r; i a Folklore Archives c/o Professor John Burrison Georgia State University 33 Gilmer Street Southeast Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Date___:/..c_/_-=.,3~-_,_7_._,3.,_____ ak'i JOHN TANNER STATE ' PARK f ~ -.""'w~ I (;c; ciiho,,t / ____ !!.!!!!:.. ~-~- ___ / McCa G E O R G I A STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AND CONNECTIONS PREPARED BY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OHIGE Of PLANNING IN COOPERATION Wtnf U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION ROAD CLASSIFICATIONS -.:'-(PROJ) i INTERSTATE MUlTILANE DIVIDED ACCESS CONTROLLED DIVI00 HIGHWAY HARD SURFACED TOPSOIL OR GRAVEL CONNECTING ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR PROJECTED MILEAGE FULL INTERCHANGE PARTIAL INTERCHANGE ACCESS DENIED INTERMEDIATE AND CUMULATIVE MlltAGE (,) STATE INTERSTATE SYSTEM, OTHER fRHWAYS, AND U. S. HIGHWAYS ARE SHOWN IN RfD rn -=-=------- U.S. SYMBOLS STATE ROADSIDE PARK OR REST ARE~ WITH F/ICILITl!:S WELCOME CENTER OOCK(GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY) STATE PARK )I. l LAMPING AREA :..- ~ FISH HATCHERY -t AIRPORT (MAJOR! RAILROAD I "ISTORIC SITE SCALE IN_Mlll:S POPULATIONS OF CITIES ANO TOWNS (SQUARED SYMBOL INDICATES COUNTY SEATI 0 UIIOER l,00 a l,000-0,00 5,000-25,0ll 20,000-50,0 0 r-----1 L ______ J OVR5,ooo STATE CAPITAL JANUARY 1973 Georgia Marble Company Hit INN0~AT0RS IN STONE PROOUCTS Page 25 11 PRYOR STREET, SW., ATLANTA, GEORG IA 30303 TELE PHONE 404/688-2861 The story of Georgia marble began about 600 million years ago. At that time most of North Georgia was covered by the sea, and there was an ancient mountain range further north and west. Streams from this range dumped sediments into the sea. Some distance off shore, an ancient bank or reef of shells deposited by calcium carbonate secreting animals formed and rose above the level of the surrounding muds and sands. This ancient carbonate bank was much like the great barrier reefs that form near lands today in tropical regions. The animals that formed the shells were different, but the fact that they built the bank or THE MARBLE QUARRIES IN TATE, GEORGIA reef above the surrounding sediments kept the carbonate from being contaminated .nd resulted in the purity of Georgia marble. After eons of time the sediments built up around the bank until they finally buried it and after more eons of time, the carbonate bank was buried beneath thousands of feet of overlying sediment. About 450 million years ago, a great buckling of the earth's crust took place in North Georg~a. Some of the ancient sediments were uplifted into mountain ranges while others downbuckled deep within the earth's crust. The carbonate bank that was to become Georgia marble was downbuckled deep within the earth's crust where the great heat and pressure caused the calcium carbonate shells to be transformed into beautiful calcite crystals of which Georgia marble is composed. It took many successive upheavals of the crust to bring the deeply buried marble to the surface and time for the overlying rocks to be worn away. Geologists can recognize several distinct periods of uplift, each of which was followed by erosion of the newly formed mountains. The last great uplift was 40 to 60 million years ago and erosion since that time has stripped away the overlying rocks exposing the marble so that it is accessible for everyone's enjoyment and utilization. In the early 1800s, the Federal Government built what was called the Federal Road from Nashville, Tennessee, to Florida in order to supply General Andrew Jackson's forces in his Florida campaign. At regular intervals along the .oad there were taverns built upon sites that were leased by the government. A SUBSIDIARY OF,_ JIM WALTER CORPORATION Up here along the valley, the very heart of the Indian nation, these taverns were only a few miles apart. Two of them are important to our story. One belonged to Ambrose Harnage and it was the center of a small settlement called Harnageville. In the land lottery of 1833, Land Lot No. 147, which included Harnageville, was drawn by C. A. Fawns, and it was sold, in turn, to William C. Greene and then to his brother, Dr. Jesse D. Greene and finally, in 1834, to Samuel Tate. The other tavern, just a few miles east of Harnage's, belonged to James Daniel, an Indian. It was here, just after the purchase by Tate, that an itinerant Ir~sh marble cutter by the name of Henry Fitzsimmons spotted an outcropping of sparkling white rock, one that he had no trouble identifying as a particularly fine specimen of marble. Fitzsimmons wasted little time. He began to quarry the marble, and the extraordinary beauty of the marble products he turned out aroused the interest of Sam Tate in the hidden resources of his land. Word of the possibility of rich deposits of this exceptional marble spread to the North, and necessary money was found to explore the rich potential of Long Swamp Valley. Geologists studied the rock structures of the section and decided that the marble strata were large enough for further investigation. Test cores were taken from the bed of marble to a depth of hundreds of feet without going through the strata. Authorities called into consultation quickly agreed that the deposit was one of the richest in the world. Nor: r AM A1..so EMP1..0'iE D Iiu TH;S P,1.1.; .. 0: ,v (;. -; ,,M The quiet peaceful valley of farms was indeed a vast storehouse of nature, one that contained invaluable treasures of beauty under its crops and pastures. But, even more, this white gold of Georgia was found to be a denser, more durable kind of marble than any known in America--a marble that contained myriads of crystals that reflected its beauty like diamonds in the sunlight, a marble quite unlike any other ever found anywhere on earth. The saga of Georgia marble was about to begin. Long Swamp Valley was soon to be changed from a farmland to a major industrial community. "NATURES TRIBUTE TO MODERN ARCHITECTURE" The tremendous size of these marble deposits would astound even those who drilled the first cores. It is now conservatively estimated. that there is enough Georgia marble here to last :'or. at least the next thirty centuries at current production rates. Not only is this one of the world's most beautiful building and monumental stones, it is also the world's most dependable supply. Duplications, annexes or additions to buildings built of Georgia marble can be made at any time--and purchasers can be sure of a perfect match. But even more, as the overburden of dirt has been scraped away from acre to acre, and mile to mile, other beautiful varieties of marble have been revealed--a pale silvery gray suggesting the mist of a rainy day; and many unusual shades of pink with striking blue-black markings, The north Georgia hills are truly one of nature's great storehouses of beauty. Today, along the Long Swamp Valley, the Georgia Marble Company is cutting marble from nine quarries in active operation. Around them-inter- connected by 20 miles of CompanyCALCIUM CARBONATE MINE DEEP UNDERGROUND owned railroad tracks and four diesel electric locomotives--sawing and finishing plants at Tate, Marble Hill, and Nelson are producing structural and monumental marble for America and the world. Several hundred people are employed here--many of them now third and fourth generation craftsmen. Altogether, the four plants in this area have a combined floor space of over 300,000 square feet housing, among other machines and equipmeat, gang saws, diamond saws, wire saws and over 1300 lineal feet of roller conveyor production line. Modern machinery refining the ageless beauty .f marble! While steady progress was being made in the basic marble fields of building and monumental materials, the Company had long realized the possibilities of the material in crushed form, as it is almost a chemically pure calcium carbonate. Plans for expansion in that field were culminated in the formation of the Calcium Products Division of the Georgia Marble Company. Starting in 1947 with one crushing plant and a brick machine, the success of this division over the years has been little short of fantastic. Charged with the development, production and sales of ground, crushed and allied products, the Calcium Products Division has opened markets never before envisioned in the field of marble production, They originated white marble roofing chips, developed a harmless white line marking material for athletic fields,and ground marble into micron sizes for use as extenders and fillers by the paint and rubber industry. CPD found so many uses for its crushed and ground products that they are now a part of hundreds of different manufactured items, ranging from cosmetics to flooring, tires to tennis shoes, chewing gum to wall paper to welding rods, CPD's 12 modern plants can turn out more than four thousand tons of these marble products every day. Six completely equipped laboratories keep a constant check on quality and furnish a continuous flow of technical information to the industrial users of these products. Another prime duty: esearch for new ways to use crushed and ground marble. The surface has arely been scratched, In keeping pace with ecological advancement, the Georgia Marble Company subscribes to all of the necessary measures which will insure improvement for our environment. The Willingham-Little Stone Division is one of the nation's largest suppliers of agricultural lime, This product plays a valuable role in the wholesome growth of grasses, pastures, reforestation, and the prevention of soil erosion. Also, a special calcium product is currently being sold as a purifying agent for the treatment of water discharged into rivers and streams. At home, too, in our plants we have developed a plan to meet the standards set forth by the water, air, and land control agencies. Our Company, along with the fullest cooperation of its employees, maked every effort to work in the safest environments and we continue to strive fat improvement in every phase of our operations. In this way we know we can continue to bring you "Georgia Marble," the finest product that Mother Nature has bestowed upon this earth of ours, The Georgia Marble Company has subscribed to the improvement of ''life and living" in the world community. We hope that through our research that we can touch the lives of each and every citizen. Many of our customers and friends have given us suggestions and ideas which help to improve our products. We hope to continue and expand this public awareness so that our products will make ''life and living'' just a little better for you and yours in the days and months to come. Let us hear from you and if you have a suggestion, complaint, whatever. Your views and concerns are valuable assets to our success. ONLY THE BEGINNING-- The present operations of the Georgia Marble Company comprise the largest organization of its kind in the world. The Company has 17 divisions in six states and operates a national and international sales organization. A broad range of services and products are always within easy reach to meet the needs of everyone. The classic beauty and extraordinary durability of marble, the first material of architectural and monumental art, is being shaped and carved and used more today than it ever has before. Its remarkable properties--formed by nature millions compliment, continued of years ago--are still unsurpassed THE WORLD FAMOUS LINCOLN MEMORIAL or by the materials of man. With con- sistent and dedicated research, the Georgia Marble Company is bringing the - value and the beauty of these properties to more and more people, places, and things as time goes by. It's all in keeping with the Company credo-- if it's good today and better tomorrow, the best will never come. Mfl. Boz..1:M;t,J W-:r..Tff f R.IfY\ AR.'( Q. U. TTE./?_ Mil . .BoA. M.A.tJ'.s WoR. KSHo-P IrJ T>tl::: BASE./VI ~NT fl\R.. Bo:i! e-ri-ArJ lA. s :I. ,_, <;;,. .Pci...:tSl-1.E (l MA.. 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AL I: f>Lf.}AlT B'--o'-K.S OF RAw GE o R.f:rI. 4 frJAR.f>LI!' fAR.T 0 ,::(; eo~'-;,4 !IJ A/2 /IJ LE' .PJ.ANT f'\fl. Sozsl>IAAI AtJC boG s- - Gx,.Jr;.E R. AAltJ Yo&I. Lfl'iENTAR.Y SC?.1.\-0Cls.. MAO rr F fl bl/\ GFoitG..:I A /YlA~~.{ - - NE4R.. QL4.!lfcl2.J:. S /l11t. 8ou111M-: IN FR.01J1 DF 1/-ou..Se A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us in a position to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials accurately. Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment. We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created. Additionally, our work to use reparative language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete is ongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.