Page:Miscellaneous Papers on Mechanical Subjects.djvu/144

 wheelwrights and artizans of that class, who from the nature of their employment attain great skill and aptitude, enabling them to turn their hands to almost any variety of work, and rendering them a most useful and important class.

38. Stone-planing Machines.—In an establishment at Washington, which has but recently commenced operations, there were two planing machines, and a grinding or polishing machine. Considerable difficulties have hitherto attended the employment of machinery for planing stone such as granite, and stone of similar formation.

These difficulties have, however, been surmounted most successfully by the construction of planing machines such as are used in stone works in New York and Washington, in the former of which upwards of 400 men and ten machines are employed.