Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-08
BARRE.
Some Prosperous Indus!rie.,The
Granite Business-Other Industries.

granite business The granite quarries were
opened to some extent half century Oh
more since, and the State house at Mont
pclier was built from material from them.
The business of finishing the stock is, how.
ever, of quite recent Inauguration, the first
establishment to engage in this undertaking
having been founded on a small scale in
1872 A very rapid development oil the
bushes has since occurred as the following
statement will show.
There are now in operation in the town
some twenty-five different separate firms,
engaged in quarrying and the manufacture
of monumental work. A small proportion
of this number are quarrymen only, disros-
ing of their stock in the rough to such man.
ufacturers as do not own Quarrics, and to
granite workers in Montpelier, Burlington
and elsewhere in the State, rs well as in
other States, more or less distant, Ten four
horse teams, one thrcc-horsc team and three
two-horsc teams are usually employed during
| the season of good roads in hauling the rough
stone TO the finishing shops or to the depot,
usually making two trips daily and probably
delivering upwards of one hundred tons of
granite each day of good weather. This is
probably about onc-half of the stock quar-
| ricd, as the waste is estimated to equal one
half of the amount removed from the ledge.
Upwards of half of the entire shipments
of granite by rail is rough stock for dealers
and workers elsewhere.
| The most extensive establishment for
| working granite is that of Wetmore " Morse,
who employ iifty.eight men in the shop
and twenty-five men upon their quarry.
White Brothers of Rutland have built during
| the past year an extensive establishment,
| which in its capacity will equal that OF the
above named firm, when fully developed.
| They now employ thirty men in the shops
and fifteen upon their quarry, while Kelly "
| Russell occupying part OF their premises,
employ eight men in the shop, using about
| 1900 cubic feet of stock annually, and
manufacturing some S15, 900 worth of goods.
Wells, Lamson & Co., employ sixteen men
in the shop and eight upon their quarry,
| using some 1000 feet OF stock annually.
Several other firms are also engaged in finish
| ing, and principally in the manufacture
of monumental works, increasing the aggre-
| gate production to an estimated value OF
5000, 900 annually. The wages paid to
workmen on stone average about Sl.T5 per
day to quarrymen, and range from 81 to 50
per day for skilled workmen in the shops,
the average being perhaps S2.75--the highest
price named being paid only TO workmen of
highest skill. Perhaps one-half of the
workmen are Americans. OF the foreigners
the Scotch are the most numerous. Taken
altogether the stonecutters of Barre are
exceptionally reliable and free from dissoute
habits. No strike has ever been organized
since the business commenced here and the
relations between employers and employed
have been maintained in the most harmonious
manner. The aggregate tonnage OF granite
shipments for this station during 1882
amounted to 49O2 tons. These figures will
increase largely this year and the probabilities
are perhaps indicated by the fact that the
granite shipments in April, 1888, amounted
TO 317 tons, as compared with 1872 tons in
April, 1882. The largest single stone ever
shipped from this station was monumental
base, shipped during last season by Smith Il
kimball, weighing IL tons, and the largest
| finished stone was monumental shaft 26t
feet long, shipped by Wetmore & Morse
during last month, weighing about IA tons.
A probable increase IN freightage is likely to
be promoted to large extent by the making
of paving blocks from the waste of the
quarries, and negotiations are now pending
which il successfully closed will contract
$50 carloads of paving blocks to be sent to O
Western city, and to be shipped TO this
station before November 18th.
Three hundred and thirty-five or more mer
now find constant employment in this town
by this industry, and with the inexhaustablI
resources of the quarries, the superior
quality of the granite in all the essentia
qualities of its working and finishing capaci
ty, and the peculiar advantages for further
development of the business there is every
reason to anticipate that it will continue tt
increase in importance as leading industry
Of the State.
Another industry of imp lrtancc is that o
the Stafford II Holden Manufacturing Com
pany. This is stock company engaged il
the manufacture OF steel tined forks TO
farming purposes The company have
capital OF $4,000 The stock is held in 40
J shares, now owned by about twenty-five
persons and all by local stockholders. Tin
! stock is paying 0 per cent annually on tn
: par value, and ii hardly needs saying tina
, there is none in the market for buyers. III
, fales during the current business year, end
, Ing August /, 1883, will aggregate $500
+ in value and Is, 900 dozens of forks in nun
Y Der. The market is both domestic and fol
4 cign, perhaps about onc-half in eac
c direction, the foreign trade being in England
Germany, Russia, Austria, etc., etc. Tn
s company would be glad to extend thei
4 facilities, having been compelled to declin
h orders for at least 500 dozen forks durin
4 this year, but seem to be limited in opportt
. nifty at present to find available ground fC
y such extension. The stock used in this maj
Il ufacture is ash, mostly of Vermont growtl
5 for handles, and American steel exclusivel,
= Sixty men are employed here and Il
a monthly pay roll amounts TO about
$4,000
p,h T. x,,,,
1t the Twingvillc water privilege, have SON
m $4,000 invested in the manufacture of pillow
Ii and with some recent improvements in the
plow to stimulate trade, are increasing the
re annual production.
lie The commercial interests of the town a
&c also of an enterprising character. and
Ii view of its numerical size somewhat r
al markable. Some sixteen merchants are
I'D trade, six of whom carry stock on hal
IT. which In value can be expressed only by Il
he use of five figures for each name. A som
cir what careful inquiry which has been l
ey spended 10 in very willing spirit to 81
he the needed information, enables your corr,
sr- pondent TO make statement of the sto
carried by these traders and the aggreg,
all annual sales, which is probably as neal
h accurate as can be made without invoiciI
IN This information reveals the fact that no II
at than $125, 900 in stock on hand is carried
X, the traders of Barre, and the annual So
Of will aggregate at least $3.50, 900, while "
informed judges put it at a half million. 7
he produce dealers also contribute TO the g
& eral activity of business interests in addiii
icy to the above, having shipped at this 5
IL ton during the year 'S2, $4,000 bushels
! q potatoes, 400, 702 lbs of butter about Il
900 lbs. wool, over 100 tons of maple sug
mr. with q general assortment of other produ
ndI Nl..c &C f..s ..l.k Mt
his station in 1882, while 6S40 tons were s
Der from it. The present year is likely to exc
on these figures to large extent both in 81
lily ments and receipts During April, 'S3,
yer tonnage amounted to 792 tons received
his Barre station. In view of the fact that