The Newtown bee., 1892-07-08
NUMBER 28.
The Granite and Marble Industry of
 NorWaIk. Conn.

~N0A "oSAAs SoAAs
 In several years experience of repor- torial duty among the commercial and manufacturing interests of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, we were never so forcibly struck with the com- pleteness of any establishment in the retail granite and marble business as that of F. W. Bates, 42 Water street. The location embraces lot, probably of 200 feet front by 400 deep. In it's rear, we find new and commodious wagon sheds, carriage house and stabling for eight of the finest and heaviest draught horses in the State. Contigu- ous to these and beginning with the granite sheds, extending thence to the sidewalk, some 200 feet, we find all the departments under one roof. The granite shed is arranged for comfort as we'll as convenience, being entirely open in Sum- mer and closed in Winter. Close by are tons of rough granite stock, in the centre of which is a large derrick for handling the immense blocks with con- summate ease, placing them wherever desired. In this section of the building, all the granite and blue stone cutting is done, both for monumental and build ing work. This department is under the efficient management of John Mor- risson. The adjoining department is the smith shop, where every description of tool sharpening for stone work is done, including steam drills for quarry work, as well as for the city and other stone shops. Henry Mead has had charge of this department for number of years, as well as being engineer of the adjoin- ing section where we find a new horizon tai engine recently put in, with large up- right boiler for steam heating the entire building and for motive power. In the next section, we find the steam granite polishing machine, presided over by a most efficient workman lately employed by Phillips & Son of New Haven. Pas sing on, we reach the marble polishing department, which has been in charge of Peter McGowan of New York for F years. All finishing touches, ,tiling. vain sc0ting, plumbers slabs, monumental and mantel work, are here given. Next is the hewing and lettering department, in charge of MT Cavanaugh, an old res ident of Norwalk. Here are also to be found steam drills for drilling iron and marble bases and headstones are drill led in tenth the time of the old fash toned hand-hammer method. This room annarlataa thn fa aotn ments and, passing to the next, we see the result, in a show room filled with the latest designs of finished marble monuments and headstones at prices defying competition for the quality of work. With final step, we reach the draughting room and office. This is the main entrance, although there are many. The entire building is lighted from all sides; can be thrown entirely open for Summer breezes and ventilation and, in Winter, heated throughout by steam. Adjoining the office outside, a good portion of the lot is taken up with display of finished monume nts and headstones in Barre, Quincy, Mantle, Emerald Pearl, Swede and Branchville granites and, apropos of the great granite strike through New Eng land and New York, Mir Bates, unlike the Bridgeport, Waterbury, Stamford and other dealers in his line, is not af- fected by it, as, doing most of his own work and, consequently, requiring a large amount of rough stock on hand, I,,, %t, strike began. His is not a union shop and neither he nor his men are subser- vient to the ipse dixit of unions or as- sciations. sThe last but by no means the least important branch of the business is the setting of heavy jobs in the build ing work, as we'll as monuments and coping. This has been for several years in charge of John Bates, whose long experience in this line has placed him amongst the most efficient. Some of the correspondence, much of the draught- ing and the entire soliciting is in the hands of William Emerson Raymond, whose energy and pursuasive eloquence have materially added to the volume of business. Having been with the firm over four years, he has, by his candor and non-misrepresentatio won the con- fidence of his patrons, as well as the esteem of his employer. He travels by road and rail over an extended territory, building up trade in sections hereto fore neglected.
 The business of MT Bates is not simply devoted to monumental work, but also building work, freestone, granite or mar ble, as many of the large buildings here attest. His trade extends to North Car olina, where he makes yearly shipments; also to Haverstraw, Woodlawn, Green wood, Long Island and all surrounding within 30 miles of Norwalk. He built the soldiers monument at Putnam park. We found in F. W Bates a thorough go- ing business man,
 .. s'Whose hours are early and late,
 Anywhere from to S."
 and, although always busy, always eour- teous and, by strict and close attention to business, has risen from poor farm CT lad to man of confidence and ability among his associates.-[Obseryer.