The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-24
Busting East Montpelier.

ington County.
Until within comparatively short time
Barre has had practical monopoly of the
granite business in Vermont, and partcu-
larly in Washington county. Stimulated by
the large sums of money that have been
made there by quarrying and manufacture
ing granite, and by the knowledge that
Barre mountain Is not the only place among
the hills that rise eastward from the valley
of the Winooski that are packed with gran.
| lite, men with capital, experience, brains
and business push have within the past
year established plant at East Montpelier
| and opened quarries near by, from which
medium and dark granite second to none in
| the state Is obtained.
Believing that the readers of the WATCH
MAN would be Interested in a somewhat de-
tailed report of the healthy boom that has
| struck this erstwbile quiet little village, a
member of its staff recently visited the
| place, looked over the business and through
| the courtesy of j. NJ. Willard, j. s. Whee-
| lock and A Jarvis, the president, treasurer
| and secretary respectively of the Eureka
| Granite Quarry Company, gathered "A fund
| of information regarding the new industries
/ in that locality, some of which, it is believed
will be interesting TO its readers.
Some time in September last j. NJ. vii.
| lard and A. Jarvis associated themselves
together under the firm name of Jarvis &
Willard for the manufacture of granite. Mr..
| Jarvis, by his long experience in the bust
ness is Justly entitled to be called an ex-
pert, while Mr.. Willard had capital aud ex-
cellent business ability to put into the VEN
ture. Sheds were erected just across the
river from the mills of j. s. Wheelock,
power being obtained from the Wheelock
dam. When the firm of Jarvis q Willard
commenced business they obtained the
most of their rough stock from the quarry
of Lawrence 81 Co.. in Calais, whose stock
they are still manufacturing to some extent.
The new firm started in determined to do
nothing but a high grade of granite work,
employing only skilled workmen and maxi
ing lettering, carving and drapery spe-
cialty. The sheds were built to accommo-
date forty cutters, but so rapidly has their
business increased that they are to at once
commence erecting extensions to their she'd
room that will double their capacity and
increase their working force to seventy-five
men. Four new polishing mills are to be
put in, equipped with the latest improved
machinery.
The firm now employs forty men. Their
output is at present about six carloads of
finished stock per month"; and their monthly
payroll averages $1,70O.
One serious hindrance to the develop
ment of their business has been the distance
to the railroad-the East Montpelier station
where most of their finished work is
loaded, being fully one mile from their
sheds. ID. II. Sortwell president of the
Montpelier & Wells River railroad, visited
East Montpelier last week, and surveyed
the route from the sheds of Jarvis & Will
ard to the nearest point on the line of the
, railroad, with view to building side
, track for their accommodation. The route
was found entirely feasible, the grade being
only fifty feet for the entire distance and
, Mr.. Sortwell gave them good reason to be-
lieve that the spur will be built this present
, summer.
, The immense derrick used at the sheds is
run by water power The mast is pine
/ sixty-tve feet high with spruce boom. 1t
r was manufactured by the American Hoist
& Derrick Company of ST. Paul, Mimi, and
. has a lifting capacity of thirty tons. With
! the exception of the monster steel derrick
. of G. L. Tayntor & Co., of Barre, it is be-
lieved this is the best derrick in the state
: Among the wholesale dealers to whom
. Jarvis & Willard ship their finished work
a are Jones Brothers and f. G.. Wilson
Boston, The New York Granite Co., New
t York. j. f. Townshend, Columbus, Ohio
Y w. NJ. Wattles & Co., Rochester, n. Y; L
/ G.. Widner, Dunkirk, Ohio Dawson & Son
0 NJ Wolf & Co., Mansfield, Ohio; c. II
More & Co., Barre, and r. G. Bowers Gran
lite Co., Montpelier
In September last Mr.. Willard, Mr.
Wheelock, Mr.. Jarvis and others purchased
six acres of land in the edge of Calais tina
it was believed would yield fine quality o
granite. The Eureka Granite Quarry Com
h, pany was formed with j. NJ. Willard presi
. dent, j. S. Wheelock treasurer, A. Jarvis
: secretary, and Clark Sibley working man
=. ager. Further development of the QUAR-
- has proved the wisdom and business sa
(, gacity of the purchasers. Their propert
% has proved vertable mountain of grant
4 in layers, of medium and dark gray color
# and of a very fine and even grain. 1t is al
# solutely free from iron and knots, and
:, especially adapted for monumental wor
4 and statuary. 1t has been found that on
u hundred feet face can be obtained by goin
y back only twenty feet something very III
n usual in opening new quarry. The ston
n is easy to quarry. The quarry is five mile
- from the sheds in East Montpelier, but il
y owners hope,that within a few years, at tn
- farthest, the branch railroad to the shed
! will be extended to the quarry. The qual
" ries of Dubec & Guernsey, Lynch Il Nj
y Mahon, Lawrence & Co, and others are i
, a close proximity, and it would seem that
:, railroad was not only necessity, but
!, sure to,be built before very long. The Eurek
! Company employs ten men at the quarrie
=, at present, and this number is soon to b
/. largely increased The prosperous farmer
=, for which East Montpelier is deserved
~ famous, and the little village where tn
= sheds are located, naturally feel the effect
a of the boom that has struck that localt.
;s aud have only words of commentator fC
20 the men whose capital and brains are dom
10 so much to benefit the community in whic
20 they live.
o While the prime object of the visit of til
WAT CHMAN's representative was to loo
% % over the granite industry at this poin
20 other important business enterprises di
- ~ not escape his attention, chief of which
81 the inely-equipped saw and grist mill of ,
a. S. Wheelock. When Mr.. Wheelock wen
~ to East Montpelier to locate five years age
o. o. about all he found was the remains of
-, ~ saw MILL water privilege and mi
10 dam that was practically useless. He con
al menced by putting in a thoroughly col
a. a. structed dam, aud later erected mill thf
~ AZ he has equipped with the best machiner
~ obtainable. His Office is quite curiosit.
no finished, as it is, with the different kinds
TO TO lumber that he has to sell. The grist mi
80 is fitted with three stones, and 80 large
10 his patronage during the winter montl
~ that it is necessary to keep night-man an
y. III run the mill night and day. The saw mi
~ is equipped with double edger, plane
~, flooring machine, shingle machine, an
na circular saws capable of cutting logs of an
NO size or shape. In the basement is a lat
no machine and a new clapboard mill that Wa
- put in last week. Most of the machinery
~ ~ from the Lane Manufacturing Company
no ; Montpelier, which is guarantee that 1t
" the best obtainable. Mr.. Wheelock Ell
~ ploys eight men, and has at present over
a, az million feet of logs in the river. He has il
u, vastal S16 OOO in his plant. and his larl