The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-07-20
The Granite Industry

Interesting Facts Regarding The Business
In Montpelier.-The Leading Dealers and
Manufacturers Observation-Disclosures of
the War Upon This Industry.-Urgent
Need of More Sheds.-A Hopeful Outlook
For The Future.
Believing that readers of the WATERMAN,
especially in Montpelier and vicinity, would
be interested in anything bearing upon the
granite industry in Montpelier, a reporter
for this paper has during the past week
visited every stone shed within the city
limits and obtained interviews with the
proprietors. The reporters mission was to
find out what effect the war has had upon
this important industry, what are the pres
ent and future prospects of the business,
whether the current talk that more shed
room is needed to accommodate its growing
needs is well founded and incidently to find
out how many men are employed here as
cutters and polishers.
From small beginnings in this city the
granite cutting business has grown until 1t
effects materially the merchant, the butcher,
the grocer and all branches and kinds OF
business. The three hundred and twenty
four workmen employed by the seventeen
firms doing business in this city earn on an
average $3.50 per day This money, that
portion of it that does not find its way into
our savings banks, is largely spent among
the business men of Montpelier. Good
times in the granite business means in
creased trade among our business men,
with prompt payment of bills on "pay day."
while hard times and slack work are as
| quickly felt in the opposite direction.
The reporter in his travels found the pro-
| prietors OF the Montpelier sheds busy lot
| OF men, and in many instances the coatless
| and aproned "boss" was hard at work be-
| side his cutters Without exception they
courteously laid down their tools, or put
| aside the Office work on which they were
| engaged to answer the running fire of ques-
| tions to which they were subjected To
guard against misquoting any man their
statements were taken down yerbatin,, al
| though in the story that follows they are
necessarily condensed.
| Roberts & Son, whose sheds are in the
| Central Vermont yard, employ six men.
They work almost exclusively on Barre
| granite although an occasional consign-
| ment is received from Calais. Their work
is placed outside of New England. Mr. Ro-
berts said: "The war has had depressing
effect upon our business In the early
| spring the prospects for a prosperous sum-
| mer were exceptionally fine, and large
number of jobs were submitted for figures
and estimates. During the past two months
these have almost entirely ceased, due no
doubt to the uncertainty caused by the war
We have plenty of work on hand to keep
our force busy and do not worry about the
FUTURE
F. Ducette & Co., at.the Pioneer, employ
Eve men. They handle only Barre granite
| and their work is all shipped west. "We
have been crowded all summer" said Mr.
Ducette, land l see no bad effects of the
war. Business is good and we are getting
as good, il not better prices for our work
this summer than we did year ago."
No signs of dull times were in evidence
at the sheds Of G. P. Gill & Co. They en-
ploy seventeen men on monumental work,
which is nearly all shipped to New York
and western states. mo bad effects Of the
war have reached u.s." said Mr.. Gill. "Col-
lections are slow, but we cannot charge
we can do, and have work enough in sight
to last us nearly all summer" Mr.. Gill
asked to be excused from predicting what
the state OF business would be six months
or year hence.
The bluff and hearty response made by
T. j. Mcmahon to the questions with which
he was piled left no doubt but what he
meant Just what he said. He employs
eleven men and has work enough on hand
to keep them all at work for long time to
come. II didn't know there was war;"
thing about bankrupt nation, but we have
seen no bad effects of any war up here.
Collections are very good, when l get job
done / get the money for it, what more
could ask? Business Is good and have no
fault to find"
The Capital Granite Company, of which
T. W. Eagan is president and manager,
employs forty-fve men, and is one Of the
largest plants in Montpelier. Mr.. Eagan
was absent at the time the reporter called,
but W. G. Hamilton, his bookkeeper and
draughtsman, very courteously gave the in
formation asked. This firm is now engaged
in cutting the Coster mausoleum which is
to be placed in Woodlawn Cemetery New
York, 1t will be one of the most expensive,
as well as one Of the best jobs ever shipped
from Montpelier. The total cost OF this
mausoleum will be 100000, and it will re-
quire thirty.five cars to transport it. In
response to questions asked him Mr.. Ham
ilton said: 1--WE have got good lot OF bust
ness on hand and enough work in sight to
last us several months with good prospects
for further orders. Collections are pretty
slow but business is as good II not better
than it was year ago and we have no time
20 see any bad effects from the war" MI
Esgan was seen later and he was not en-
thusiastic over building additional sheds in
Montpelier at present. Ii such sheds could
be rented to reliable parties in advance
this would, in Mr.. Eagan's opinion, be
very different matter from building them
on speculation and renting. them, when
built, to whoever came along.