ture of brick had been one of the first industries developed
at the farm. An inexhaustable supply of most excellent clay had been
discovered just at the edge of the village site, and speedily connected
with it by a short tramway. From this clay the product of Solaris brick
proved in every way desirable. In form, color, size and design, they
were much superior to ordinary brick. With them, the builder could, in
one half the time, with less cement, construct walls that were thick,
solid and durable, yet presenting beautiful surfaces both inside and
outside. These walls would remain for many years in perfect sanitary
condition, kept free from dampness by the dry air circulation, due to
the constructive design of the brick. The very fine appearance of the
new railroad station, so advertised the beauty and excellence of Solaris
brick, that orders from abroad soon came pouring in. To fill these
orders without delaying the work on the village buildings, it became
necessary to double the size of the brick-making plant; also to increase
the number of workers. The unexpected development of such a large and
profitable allied industry, at almost the first stage of the preparatory
work at the farm, so encouraged Fillmore Flagg and his co-workers, so
stimulated and quickened the spirit of inventive genius, that thereafter
the efficiency and capacity of the machinery kept pace with the steadily
increasing demand for brick, that too without further adding to the
working force or to the size of the plant.

A deeper excavation of the clay beds brought to light a much finer class
of clays, which proved so excellent for the purposes of manufacturing
general pottery, terra cotta ware, drain tiles and sewer pipe, that in
connection with the brick works, a factory for making that kind of
material was at once put in operation. The tramway was extended a half
mile further from the village to reach the newly-opened stone quarries
and coal mines, passing on the way large deposits of sand and gravel. By
means of the tramway, an abundant supply of all kinds of the necessary
materials could be placed on the building site very quickly. The best of
stone for the foundations, quantities of brick, lime, sand and cement
were at hand, waiting for the builder. All this made possible the swift
construction of superior buildings, equipped with all of the modern
improvements, including artistic ornamentation.

As a result, before the expiration of the first s