Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-11-12

THE BIG STONE.

HOW 1T CAME To BHATTLEBoRo, HOW 1T WENT
UP THROUGH THE STREET, AND THE HORSES
AND MEN AND OXEN THAT IT TOOK To Do
THE JOB.
If history is 10 I've relied upon il has been
the habit of mankind in all ages Ia TAX, de
light in the hewing transportation and cree
ton into monuments of big stones The
Babylonians are understood 10 have piled
up very respectable sort of wall about
their city, the Hebrews had liking for
something of the sort in a modest way. and
the Romans did some creditable bits Of work
IN the same line which are said to remain
even unto this day. The old Pharaohs. long
before any of the rest Of these fellows were
thought of, liked nothing well a. to set a
few hundred thousand of their subjects
more or less, to hewing obelisks. building
pyramids and carving sphinxes. and the
men Of our time have found equal delight
in picking up some of those venerable
pieces of work and floating them across sea.
TO Paris, London and New York-but W.,
doubt if any community in all time has ever
developed SO much real sympathetic inter
est and excitement over any stone-mason's
Job OF whatever size as the people of Brat
tleboro have shown this week in the trans
portatlon of the base stone for the soldiers
monument from the railroad station 10 the
site OF the monument ON the common.
The stone was brought down from Dunn
merston ON the narrow gauge cars ON SIM
day, loaded ON the ends of two freight car,
so as To give it more play in coming around
the sharp curves. In size it is / / feet square
and Its thickness in the rough % To ~
inches. Its estimated weight is 20 10 n
tons. Monday It was lacked up off the
cars and let down ON an immensely heavy
truck wagon brought down from the Barr.
quarrles for the purpose Mr. Stockwel
then mtched seven spans of horses 10 il
they gave one good pull and started the
load a few feet after that they tangled M
like team of Esquimaux dogs. and So end
ed the first lesson. The next morning the
owners of big oxen were on hand bright
and early ii yokes We're hitched ON and
after sundry experiments and mishaps they
drew the load across the railroad track ami
/ up the NIL to Main street bridge. escorted low
sidewalk committee and procession such
aS Would have filled Barnum with Joy The
selectmen didn't dare risk the weight of the
stone and the heavy truck ON the bridge all
III bunch, and So the stone was lacked up
unloaded, and rolled across ON long heavy
timbers. This took nearly all day. the pro-
eession and committee aforesaid superiu
tending the job in state Of suppressed rN-
cltement. Toward night the stone was re-
loaded tins side of the bridge and started
/ ON It's exceedingly devious way up the hill
/ Every now and again the wheels had 10 ha
/ pred out of the deep ruts which they eat
IN the soft earth and the procession and
committee tugged brnvely al the ropes 90
show the poor beasts how It ought to Do.
I done, The stone rested Tuesday NIGHT m
Main street opposite Crosby block.
Next morning the procession and com
mittee had an early breakfast and were
! promptly ON hand. So were the oxen and
the Transfers and the men with big levers
and tmbers and planks who pried the
wheels out of the ruts every now and again
AFTER getting stuck in front of the Brooks
Rouse a good pull was made up as far as
Or holton's, where the load SHE'D of into
the gutter with two wheels up to the hubs
IN the dirt. With worthy determination
not TO slight one doctor while compliment
ing another, the operation was repeated at
Or Dearborn's, and the shades of night were
falling fast when the stone was got up near
enough the common TO get good look at
us nnal resting place. Thursday it was I'M
loaded and rolled over close To the fuunda
tioh "hlch has been prepared for il and will
ne lhere until 1t has been cut and made
ready to put in place next spring. The big
truck, which weighs 1910 pounds, is at the
station ready for shipment home.
When we began we meant % tell just
now many men in town knew that the way
the Job was being done was all wrong, and
now many knew just how it ought to be
Done but our memory is poor and we have
forgotten. Between the two, however,
they covered the whole community, except
one man, and he was made deaf. dumb and
bind by the talk of the other fellows
One-half the town knows that David
Miller offered TO do the job for $50, and the
other half knows that Stockwell took it at
$40 Neither of them happens to be right,
however. Carriek Bros. did it ON their
own account and what it cost is their affair.
II shey had it TO do over again perhaps
they would roll the stone ON long skids with
pulley blocks, a eapstan, and horses for mo-