Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-01-05
PROSPERITY IN 1899,
Outlook For Development and EXpan-
sion in the Present Year.

Although those who have watched the
trend of business at Bellows Falls during
the wear 1899 have known that excellent
advances were being made in many direc-
tions, many important public improve
ments carried to a successful termination,
and large degree of prosperity shown IN
nearly every respect during the year. yet
a careful looking back over the year just
completed is a source of great surprise at
the magnitude of the improvements
Business of all kinds has been good, the
demand for paper great, and fair margin
of profit has been present in the increased
selling prices, although the price of many
materials which enter into its manufacture
have largely increased The sales of the
various devices of the Vermont Farm Ma
chine company, the second industry IN i'm
portance in our place. have largely exceed
ed those of any previous year. in fact
every ' ear for many years has shown an
increase in sales over the former one. A
comparatively new industry, that Of VIM.
A. Halls paint and sizing works, has
doubled its business, capacity and number
of employees during the year, and Is now
employing over 100 hands in its different
departments, including an office force OF
10 or is clerks and stenographers. Both
Derby & Ball and the Bellows Falls Ma
chine company have extended their busl-
ness and product over that of former years.
The demand for labor has been good,
and with the exception of few weeks in
the middle of the year when the extremely
low water prevented the running of some
of the mills, there has been no time when
any man who was ready to work could not
find a number of jobs awaiting him. Even
Al. I &c tbo fbara
were other industries calling for laborers,
SO that it may be said there was work wait
ing for men at all times The number of
families and inhabitants has largely in
creased during the year, and it is probable
the list of voters, as well as the number of
pupils enrolled in the schools during the
coming year, will indicate growth in the
number of actual and permanent citizens
This is shown also by the number of new
tenements built and at once occupied.
Increase in the business of the railroads
centering here, las well as changes in runs of
trainmen, have tended to bring additional
families here, and this will probably be more
marked next season, upon the completion
of the new connections of the Rutland rail
road The building of the Rutland-Cana-
dian road, north from Burlington to Rouses
Point, will complete an entirely new line
of western travel by the way of Bellows
Falls from Boston to Chicago via Burling
ton and the Rome, Watertown & Ogdens-
burg line. This will call for additional
train service here, especially in the freight
department, and passenger trains will
run through to Chicago, which now only
go as far as Essex Junction.
Probably in no year in the history of
Bellows Falls have such strides of improve
ment been made. This is shown some
what in new buildings and the rebuilding
of old ones as well as other permanent
structures 1t is estimated that about
$3.50, 900 have been expended here during
the past year in entirely new structures
and the rebuilding of the old ones. The
most important of these is the replacing of
the old wooden bridge of the Fitchburg
road, that has spanned the Connecticut
here for the past so years, with double
span stone arch bridge, one of the largest
stone bridges in New England, at cost of
about $4,000. The contract price for this
work, between the railroad and firm of
Boston contractors was between $40, 900 and
$5O, 200, and to this must be added a large
sum for caring for the old bridge, trans
porting stone and material blasting, grad
ing, ballasting, etc. The road is to expend
a large sum next season in blasting out tho
channel above the bridge on the New
Hampshire side, changing the current to
that side instead of the Vermont side,
when the river is at its normal heighth.
The electric railroad, between here and
Saxtoms River, has expended the bulk of
the gross cost of building the road, which
was estimated at from $500 to 500, coo.
The Moore & Thompson Paper company
have expended about $40, 900 in rebuilding
machinery, introducing steam power, and
IN other improvements required to secure
Its present increase of 80 per cent in aver
age production above that of year ago.
The Bellows Falls Machine company has
erected new and well-equipped brick
foundry building, adjacent to its machine
shop on the island, at cost of nearly $l0,-
600 when completed. 1t is not quite ready
for occupancy yet.
The International paper company have
expended about sob 600 in permanent i'm
prov oments among the mills during the
year, including the changing of a number
of paper machines from water to steam
power, new and important addition to the
sulphide pulp mill building, three or four
new water wheels to drive machines on
'Barrett's" side, and new shipping build
ing by the side of the Boston & Maine
tracks, opposite the coating mill.
The new buildings erected for the accom-
mediation of the increased business of VIM.
A. Hal, mentioned above, have required
an outlay of at least $500, and considera-
Die money has been expended in LAYING adj
ditional tracks to reach them.
Coy q Babcock have invested about
$4,000 in a new industry in the old Island
House building, and are producing some
excellent grades of parafine papers.
The wrapper factory that was last wear
in the Island House, has been removed To
A. +. Winnewisser's brick dwelling on Ca
nal street He has erected a three story
block beside it, costing $4,000, which has
this week been occupied by the Kimban
Carriage company of Manchester, N. III.
with an entirely new stock of carriages
and carriage furnishings. These represent
an additional value of about $4,000, with the
probability of larger stock to be added
later.
The electric light station has been i'm
proved by new arc dynamo, capable of
doubling the former number of lights. the
cost being in the vicinity of $4,000. This
company has much improved and extended
its lines outside its station.
Towns hotel has been rebuilt and refitted
at an outlay of S25, 900, necessitated by the
fire of April ~, making the building and
contents that originally cost $75 900 nearly
as good as new.
Q. l.. Barber has built new block on the
extension of Henry street, four-stories high.
to accommodate his increasing music trade
expanding over $4,000
The Suter block near the post-office has
been rebuilt entirely during the year, cost
ing from $4,000 to $12, 900, and making