The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-03-29
Carroll s. Page.
IN Y. Butchers Advocate

Carroll s. Page, Of Hyde Park, Vermont,
Ia the founder OF unique and, at the same
time. one of the most extensive industries
In the country. He Is, perhaps the largest
dealer In calf skins in the United states,
and draws upon all of the Union for mate
mess He received u liberal education IN
his youth, and experience sharpened the
ability with which nature endowed nm,
until to-day Mr.. Page is one OF the keenest
and most successful men In Vermont, ana II
self-made man In the best sense or the terh.'
He was originally in the tin and stove bust
ness, and as an incident to that business
bought and sold calf skins, as MS father
had done before him.
in 1884 the total number of skins he
bomrht was about 5000. These are the un-
tanned hides, with the hair on. In line
with the systematzing and classifying
which has revolutionized business during
the last quarter of q century, Mr.. Page con
ceiyed the idea of asserting the skins he
bought into the different grades. qualities
and weights desired by tanners to supply
the demands for leather for SPECIFIC pur-
poses. He developed remarkable apti-
tude for this wOrk-as, indeed. he has for
all the various branches OF business, wheth-
er commercial, financial or political, IN
which he has been engaged.
He soon began to extend the area OF his
oneratiOns to meet the increased demand
for assorted skins. In 1880 the active man
agement of the stove and lumber business
was assigned to other hands, and he devo-
ted his time and energies chiefly to his calf
skin business. lie began to instruct his
buyers, and through them the butchers and
farmers everywhere, in the ways OF taking
off calfs pelt so as to preserve 1t in per-
feet condition. Printed directions were
scattered over the land Buyers were
sought in all parts of the country, and cash
H. Il cnfi cfo
In 1881, his books show that he had $50 buy
ers. To-day the number has increased to
over 500, and they are found in every New
England ard Middle State, in Indiana, ILL
noiS, Michigan, Wisconsin. Missouri, Ken
tucliy, Tennessee West:Virginia, Virginia,
Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, Ala;
bama, North Carolina, Washington and
Utah Territories, the Provinces of Ontario,
Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Nova SEQ
tia and New Brunswick. His receipts have
grown from 5000 skins in an entire year to
more than 1900 in one month. Mr.. Pages
books show that 81, 224 skins were received
in single month, while his stock sheet
shows that on the first DAY OF eacn mon ata
for nine consecutive months, covering the
calf skin season, his stocks on hand were
as follows 94.329; 1901; 49, 42; ,224;
119,5 98,216; Is, 406; 1886; $3.50. Con-
signments come in lots varying from sin
gle bundle of 10 or ID skins to carloads OF
5000 to 1000.
By successive engagements, the "hide-
house." complete and convenient struct-
ure, on siding of the Vermont Division of
the Boston & Lowell Railway, has reached
the dimensions of 240 feet in length by 80
feet in width, with basement for storage
and chamber for dry stock. In this build
ing over 100000 calf skins are stored, con-
stock. at least double that of any other deal
er, all graded SO uniform in weight, that no
skin in any pack will vary One-half pound
from the centre weight.
1t is quite incomprehensible to one who
has never inquired into the matter that calf
skins should be collected from all parts of
the country-tens, hundreds and thousands
of miles distant-sent to a town in the heart
of the mountain region of Vermont, to be
sorted and graded, and then, possibly, to be
reshipped to the very locality from which
as rough hides they originally came. The
explanation in part is this; No tanner, even
if he were favorably situated for preserv-
ing skins in warm weather, could, without
great effort and care, collect enough of the
special grades and qualities to supply his
wants This has become a. business of it,
self. Cool water and air are so necessary
for preserving skins that business like
Mr.. Pages could hardly succeed in locali-
more, there was business sagacity, capacity
to see and embrace an opportunity which
favoring natural circumstances greatly aid
ed. A business integrity that descends to
no ''tricks of the trade" like mixing clay
with the salt to add to the weight of the
weight of the skins and enhance profits, has
also had no unimpOrtant part to play in Mr..
Pages success. We account it a remarka-
BILE and noteworthy matter that business
so novel, exceeding $25O,O0O yearly, has
been built up and sustained by Vermont
Yankee, away up among the hills of La
noble County.
And the last ''cause'' is not the least: Mr.
Page believes thoroughly In the efficacy of
ADVERTISING. Much of his success he at
tributes to persistent advertising, and he
allows no opportunity to advertise his bust
ness to pass unimproved. He is to-day by
all odds the best advertised hide dealer in
this country, and. as the result and in juSti-
ficatiOn of it all, he is one of the most sue
ceSSful.
Besides his calf skin business and other
enterprises, commercial ard financial be-
ing vice-preSident and tho largest stock
holder in the LamOille County National
Bank at Hyde Park, president and largest
stakeholder in the LamOllle County Savings
Bank and Trust Company at Hyde Park. |
and director of the st. Johnsbury and Lake |
Champlain RailrOads-Mr. Page has repre- |
sented his town and county in the House |
and Senate of the State Legislature, was
delegate to the Republican National Con- |
ventiOn in 1880, was for many years Secre- |
tary of the Republican State committee, is |
now its Chairman, and since 1884 has been |
State Inspector of Finance, discharging the |
duties of every office with signal efficiency