Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-05
New Eniernrise NJ MInooskI.

manly a salesman as one could wish to deal
with.
New Enterprise at WInooski.
Corporation BLoCK"-THE NEW BUILDING
THE wooLLEN MILL COMPANY HAVE ERECT
Ed, AND WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO IN IT.
At the corner of Main and Canal streets,
in our lively and enterprising neighbor of
Winooski, is three-story building, newly
completed, of pressed brick front and with
the Canal street side of half pressed brick
with stone copings, and with the prevailing
red pleasantly relieved with lines of black;
of modern architecture and OF handsome and
striking design; and with a frontage of
thirty-six feet and depth OF something like
a hundred. This is the rev block, just
built by the woollen mill corporation, in
which they have established store land in
tend to soon add other features) for the ad-
vantage and benefit of their employees and
their families. A brief description of the
building and an account OF the somewhat
notable experiment to be tried in it las
gathered by our reporter on a recent VISIT
may not be embarrassing to our readers here
and at Winooski.
In the store are united the stocks usually
found only in half dozen differen. es-
adjustments. There are dry goods. clothing,
boots and shoes, crockery, paper hsngings.
groceries and provisions, with the minor
departments of hats and caps. fancy goods
and notions, gentlcmen's furnishing goods,
ETC., etc. And it must not be inferred from
the multiplicity OF the goods that the
variety in each is small. On the contrary
the assortment Is complete in each line, and
the establishment is practically the same as
six or seven separate stores-and large ones,
too-under one roof. The spacious apart
ample room for the lighter departments,
while in another large room at the rear is
the stock of groceries. In the centre of the
main room is the ofhce-a handsome affair
of ash and glass, where is placed the safe,
Managers, cashier s desk, etc. The store
is neatly and han dsoinely finished; and is
not only the largest but the most attractive
in all this region Our genial townsman,
George A. Billings. presides over the men $
goods department ID. W. SAKE, the dry
goods and crockery W. &. Sloane and d.
Lorin, the groceries; while the general
management is in the very competent hands
of ii. W. Mason. the business being con
Quoted under tine name OF Ii. W. Mason X Co.
In the cellar (which has a concrete foo
and is Of the whole size of the building) are
the boiler by which tho entire building IL
heated BY steam, bins for produce, tn
heavier groceries, etc , etc.
In the second story, which is reached by
q stair five feet i'll width, is a tenement
OF seven handsome and elegantly finished
rooms, in which Mr.. Mason Is to take up
his residence. By an ingenious adaptation
these rooms can be readily turned into
Offices, if at any time desired. These, in
common with the rest of the building are
lighted by gas and heated by steam. In
the rear is large storeroom. with hosting
apparatus. etc, in which. at the time of our
visit, a large quantity OF goods was being
unpacked.
On the third floor is hall, measuring 81
by 81 feet. This is high-posted. light, airy
and commodiOus and has connecting with
it two ante-roOms- something no public
hall should be without. At the rear Of this
are two large and wel-lighted rooms. neatly
finished in ash, in common with the rest Of
the block. As in every part save the hall,
the floors are OF hard wood. laid in cement
mortar. In ono OF these rooms it is pro-
posed to establish a reading room and the
nucleus of q circulating library. Some of
the dsilies and other current publications
will be taken and few books procured. |
This will be free to all the employees of the |
mill decent character and proper conduct |
while in the room being the only requisites |
for admission to its benefits. The second |
room will be used as librarian quarters, |
or as found convenient. IL the reading |
room experiment does not succeed these |
rooms will be turned over to the fremen. |
The architect of the building is Mr.. Carl
Febmer. of Boston, who has drawn the de-
signs for some of the finest buildings in that |
city. and who in the present instance has
satisfactorily combined the very desirable
qualities Of economy, elegance and solidity.
The block was erected in charge Of Mr.. G.
ID. Nash and its cost was SS,500-a sur
prisingly low figure for so fine structure.
1t has been the policy of the woollen
mill corporation (who at one time owned
pretty much the whole village) to sell land
at nominal rates, to encourage building |
but the lot on which Corporation Block"
now stands they have retained, having for
some ten years had the present enterprise in
view They have found, as their rivals in
Europe and in this country have found, that
for their own best interests land a. mat
ter of course those of their mill hands, it is
absolutely necessary TO set up an Establish
ment where their employees may obtain
tho means of living at the lowest pos
sible prices. For twelve years past they
have sold their employees the great staples
Of -four, wood and coal and following out
the same principle they have started the
general store we are describing. 1t is not
money making Operation-it the corpora
ton come out even" they will be more
than satisfied. Indeed, the experiment has
been on trial, on a smaller scale, for the
last two years and the Hon. +. T.. Kennedy,
who has been connected with the mill for
twenty-one years, sixteen Of them as Agent,
pronounces those two years the most smooth
and prosperous, as regards the employees, OF
the entire period. The low wages caused
by active and untiring competition are more
than Offset by the opportunity Of buying
the necessities and luIures Of life at almost
first cost toe frugal have saved money
and purchased homes; single mon have
been replaced by men OF families no com
plants have been heard, and the relations
Of employer and employee have been entire
" harmonious The wOOllen mill now en-
ploys $50 operatives, representing nearly if
not quite J, 400 souls depending upon it for
subsistence; and the well-being and pros
perity of 20 many people is no small thing.
The great industry we are speaking OF has
practically built up Winooski. and 1t will
continue to be the chief factor in its pros
perity.