Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-08-11
MORE PLEASANT WORDS

ABOUT BRArTLEDoRo AND VICINITY PROM THE
REV. DIR. cLAPP-THE MARROW GAUGE-rHR
DUMMERsToN GRANITE QUARRY-THE EsTFY
ORGAN WORKS.
Letter in the Congregationalistl
Before leaving Brattleboro the visitor should
prevail on Deacon Thompson, the apostle of
narrow-gauge roads, to take him on one of
the pleasantest of excursions over the new
Brattleboro d Whitehall railroad, now running
SO miles to South Londonderry, nearly all the
way through billy, wooded region seldom
equaled for wild, romantic beauty By all
means stop at the granite mountain in Dunn
merston, and see the early stages of a work
whose dimensions before many wears will re-
quire the aid Of q lightning calculator to
measure. Already a considerable number of
men are steadily employed in quarrying, and
car loads of granite, rough and hewn, are de-
spatched in all direotions A contract for A
very large amount, TO fill an order from Chi
cago, is only awaiting the result of neRotia-
tons as to freight charges. The stone is Of
the very best quality and color, and the sup
ply is practically illimitable, the quarrymen
having as yet only worked upon ledge pro-
jectng from the western base of the noun.
tain, which rises hundreds of feet and stretches
away to the east, north and south, a solid
mass, from base TO summit, of granite that
can easily be split and shaped in blocks of any
desired dimensions that can possibly be trans
ported.
And by no means fail in some part of the
trip-best on some steep up or down grade
to take a ride upon the well-tamed narrow
gauge engine Perhaps the deacon will pro
vide from his domestic resources q skilled
college-eduested engineer, whose gentle but
efficient handling of the plucky little hot loco
motive is something to enjoy.
Anotbar thing wall worth ts,,o 80.
who likes to see good work well done, and who
would learn the profit of minute subdivision
of labor, is a visit to the Estey organ works,
Brattleboro's chief manufacturing industry
The factory buildings and houses of the firm
and employees are in the south part of the viii
lage. occupying much of its territory and con-
tributing greatly to it's notable appearance of
beauty and thrift. Many neat houses are
built by the company and sold at low prices
to the workmen, who pay for them in month
ly installments from their wages. From its
humble beginning, in other hands, in 1916.
with only six workmen in 1852, surviving two
disastrous fires, in 81 and ga, and a crippline
flood in 90, the concern has now come to em,
ploy more than 500 workers-many of them
women, who are paid equal wages with men
for the same wOrk-and turns out from 1900
to 1900 organs monthly a business of more
than s 900, 600 a year. Yet the orders for
organs are to-day more than 2, 600 in advance
of the possibility of supply. In passing the
office telephone a notice to the bank officers
was overheard, calling for $a9, 900 for the
months payment of operatives, the monthly
range being from $4,000 to $500 One
of the pleasantest features of a visit to these
works is the evidence of most cordial relations
between employers and employed. In these
days of strikes it is worth something to see
proof that it is possible for labor and capital
to live together in the same house without
quarreling.