The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-11-07
Says P. W. Rapalee Of Barre
Granite Exhibit
AT ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION
Declares That Only Real Benefit Was
to the Firm Which Had
Charge Of the
Exhibit.

IN letter to the Monumental News,
Pearl W. Rapalee declares that the Barre
granite exhibit at the st. Louis fair was
/ a failure. He thinks that the firm ii
charge Is The one which was benefited
thereby. His letter is as follows.
The fair is something wonderful and
one Who has not been there cannot mag.
me what a grand sight and lesson it
really is. Every one who can possibly
afford il ought to see the fair. was,
however, very much disappointed at not
finding larger and more extensive dis
play of monumental work. Practically
the only exhibit of such work was that
/ Of the Barre Branite Manufacturers As.
sociation, and that was managed in such
q way that ii was Of very little interest
lor benefit to the average dealer.
/ With the exception of sign bearing
tho words, Barre Granite Exhibit, there
was no information that would interest
the retailer to be had The exhibit was
lin charge Of local st. Louis firm, who
seemed to be so afraid that some other
dealer would find out something new
that they could give no information as
70 the exhibit except that it was Barre
granite Imagine my surprise when in
answer to a question as to who made
certain job and what particular stock
/ 1T was made of, | was told by the one
/ in charge that he did not know, and was
lstill more surprised to have him tell
me he had no idea Of the price Of some
lof the jobs, and yet while | was there
III heard him giving q prospective Gus
toner prices on this same work It
lseems strange that a man would know
what to seel Job for and yet not have
i pretty good idea OF what ii cost, One
would have thought that the exhibit
was that Of this said local firm, az they
had numerous designs with their names
lon, leaning on the monuments All the
advertising matter was their own, and
the general public was given to under
stand that it was.
Now it seems TO mo that If the OBJ
iect Of the Barre Granite Manufacturers
Association was To advertise Barre gran
lite they have made miserable failure.
lit is the retailer who is interested in
Barre granite, not the general public,
Ibut 1t looked as II such was the case
with this exhibit A retailer sells just
/ whatever he takes q notion to, and 1t
would seem to me that It was the retailer
THAT they should have tried to interest
/ II this Association had hired a man
to take charge Of their display as an
lexhihit, not as a saleroom, and had tried
Ito interest the retail trade, then they
might have reaped some benefit Be
lyond the firm in charge | failed to sec
who reaped any benefit by this exhibit
most certainly the h. G.. M. Association
ihas not, except to the extent Of selling
"a few jobs they had on exhibition, for
1.-THE very reason that the retail trade
Ihas been ignored throughout and they
lhaye no moro reason for using Barre
lnow than before
1t is to be hoped that ii there Is
lever another fair and there are any ex-
lhibits of this kind--and there ought
to be more-that they viii be in charge
Iof some one who can and viii give those
that are the most interested some infor-
Imation If they wish it. IL think the
manufactures made big mistake By
mot having much larger exhibit than
they did. / believe the most Of the
dealers are interested in who the maker
Iof each and every job was, and feel
he has a right to know. would like
Ito hear from other dealers Who have been
to st. Louis
Pearl NJ Rapalee
SiouS City ID