Michael:

I worked at Dorr Woolen Mill in Guild, NH for a summer in the 70's. I worked in the Dye House making sample patches of colored wool. The process was complicated & time consuming to make a small, about 3" in diameter, round sample for the guys in the Dye Op's to use. The sample was stapled to a paper form that had the chemical formula for the specific color. If your "chips" are color samples perhaps they were put in an envelope and attached to the formula form. I would be happy to show one of these "chips" to some people in the area who may be able to positively identify it.

On a side note, these old Tannery sites are now very nasty business. E.P.A. clean ups are costing us a fortune. There is an old tannery site in Milford, NH about 10 miles from me. The buildings were torn down a few years ago & now the whole site is fenced & the E.P.A. has monitoring equipment permanently on site.

Dave