St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-04-23

meat gormandizers. No other article Of
rood is more severely criticised, or more
warmly defended. And with these re-
n'arhs Tor text, we proceed to show
something of this business in st. Johns
bury.
Ihe first meat market started in town
was by Augustus Sanborn in 1850. This
business was novel one in this region
then-there being none like it nearer
than Montpelier, Bath, or Lancaster.
At that time nearly all the inhabitants
kept the meats they used in their own
cellars, and it was not common custom
to patronize the cart or the market un-
til sometime after those institutions
were organized; and Mr.. H. S. Wright,
who was afterwards connected with this
market for Is years, informs US that at
one time salted meats had so accummu-
lated at his market that a large number
of barrels had to be sent to the city
markets to be disposed of.
Mr.. Sanborn run the business a short
time, when he took Harvey Gilman as
Il partner, and soon Mr.. Gilman took
the business alone, running it about
two years. Gilman then sold to Lam
bert Hastings, who employed Mr..
Wright to run the market, which he
did fer the next two years. Then came
the company of Hastings, Penniman,
& Wright, afterwards Wright and Pen
niman, and now for some years, Mr..
Leonard Penniman alone. The slaugh-
ter house formerly used was that of Mr..
Lambert Hastings. Mr.. Penniman has
now new establishment, little way
north of the st. Johnsbury cemetery ;
and the same old market where busi-
ness first began, is used to-day, situat-
ed in the basement of E. F. Browns
| store, on Main street and the same old
sign, with the fat butcher and quarter
of beef painted upon it, lazily swings
from its original position. We are told
that MIR. Penniman was born and bred
to this industry, that he is entirely at
home in it, and it is believed that a good
degree of success has attended his eff
forts. We have not learned from him
the details of the trade as it exists at
this time, but presume it does not differ
materially from other dealers in the
place. Mr.. Penniman drives a good
cart, and is considered q square busi-
ness man.
The first market upon Railroad street
was started in 1858 by R. B. Flint and
A. M. Daniels, in the basement of Mr..
Flint's building. After this the busi-
ness frequently changed hands, and was
run at different periods, first by Mr.
Daniels alone, then Daniels & Cook,
Daniels, Cook & Co., Daniels & Gale,
Daniels, Gale & Co., and Daniels, Bart
lett & Co. From Mr.. Flint's building
the business was removed to the base
ment of the HOyt Block, where it was
RED on quite while, until the COM
pany was formed of Bartlett, Lewis &
Co., when another removal brought it
into the basement of the Boston Cloth
ing Store it remained here a few years,
doing quite an extensive business, when
still another removal was made, to the
first floor of Johnson's block, where a
very heavy business was done for about
five years. This company's cash book
for 1871 showed weekly receipts of from
$4OO to $4,000; and their yearly busi-
ness must have been, to say the least,
from $60,0 to $4,000. During these
years Mr.. j. N. Gale, who has now been
here ~ years, was more or less connected
with the gentlemen of these various
firms, as partner in the business. or
their assistant. Mr.. Jarvis Bartlett.
who was formerly engineer on the Pas
sumpsic railroad, has been here 81
years, and he did business in the Bos-
ton Clothing Store eleven years. Two
OF these men who were associated in
business so long, Mr.. J. w. Lewis and
Mr.. A. M. Daniels, passed to the other
shores of life in the summer of 1879.
and when in the prime of life and use
fulness.
10 give the reader all the imforma-
tIon we can of this industry, and which
will, we believe, be a fair representa-
tlon OF the different establishments of
the kind in town, we will take him to
the slaughter house of
SYLVESTER AND GRAY,
situated in Summerville, just east of the
highway and railroad bridges. This
establishment, built about five years
ago by Bartlett, Lewis & Co., at cost
of $4,000, is probably one of the best in
this part of the state. 1t has all the
modern conveniences, and is kept re-
markably clean and sweet throughout
the season. The basement is made in
to pens where 20 hogs are kept, and
where stove wood and other materials
are stored. Upon the first floor are the
stables where cattle are tied, and sheep
and calves are kept for slaughter.
Here are also the barn floor and hay
mows IN the eastern half of the build
ing. In connection with the buildings
are seven acres of land from which are
cut from l5 to 16 tons of hay-all that
the company need.
The slaughter house, which is very
cOmmOdious, is in charge of Mr.. Ed
ward Drew, the butcher, who has been
here seven years and is considarod n