Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-31

chester, and the sympathetic and harmo-
NOUS relations which exist between the
company and its operatives and If you will
come to Proctor you can find another con-
spicuous corporation that is not souless,
and an army of workmen who are satisfied
with their treatment and are glad to pro-
mote tie prosperity of their employers.
Largest Concern Of the Kind
The Vermont Marble Company is the
largest concern of the kind in the world,
and the outgrowth of nearly forty years of
prudent and progressive enterprise. 1t has
been called trust, and does represent the
consolidation of many small competing in
terestS, but every one of the nine directors
lives in this little town, is actively engaged
in the business of the company and has
grown up with it almost from childhood.
The company has seven agencies or
branches in many cities of the United
States, and every one of them is in charge
of man who raised in this town and
educated in the works.
a hundred years ago or more Peter
Switzerland obtained a grant to a farm on
the banks of Otter creek, VT. He built a
sawmill and a gristmll to utilize the water
power and was a prosperous progressive
citizen; yet he lived and died without sus-
pecting shat millions of dollars worth of
marble lay concealed where he dumped his
sawdust. 1t remained for two brothers,
named Humphrey, to discover the quarry,
and they worked it in a small way for
many years until 1870 their company be-
came bankrupt and Senator Redfield Proc
tor, then a lawyer practicing at the neigh
boring town of Rutland, was appointed re-
Ceiver. In the settlement of its affairs he
recognized the vast possibilities involved in
the business, bought in the stock reor-
ganzed and enlarged the company, and
gradually consolidated about twenty quar-
ries in the immediate neighborhood of Rut-
land at Belden Falls, Brandon, Dorset. and
Proctor, under the title of the Vermont
L. T. no, aroS
of land and a railway fifteen miles in
length. which connects the several quarries
with the dressing and polishing works. The
company has its own woodworking and ma
chine shops. it's mills and supply houses, its
lighting and power plants, its merchandise
store. which is conducted on a cooperative
basis and conducts it's own business. 1t
has large interests in Tennessee as well as
in Vermont, and practically controls the
marble industry in North America.
Monthly Pay Roll of $4,000.
Under the management of Senator Proc
tor and his sons the plant has increased
from one to twenty quarries, from ten
gangs and seventy-fve employees in 1870, to
$50 gangs and $500 men in 1907. The pay
roll averages $3.50, 600 a month, and twenty
three different races are represented. One
third of the employees are Scandinavians.
who do the best work and make the best
foremen. The fine cutting and artistic carv-
ing is done by about 80 Italians: from
three to four hundred French and Irish
mechanics are in the shops, while the COM
mon quarry labor is done by the Germans,
Poles, Hungarians, Greeks. Russians, Arme-
mans, BohemianS, and various other nation
alities. There are many Americans scat
tered through all the different departments.
They are mechanics eamsters, designers cut
tiers and are engaged in other lines of work.
Each of the nationalities has its own
corner of the village, usually clustered
about church, and there are almost as
many churches as there are races, tnclud-
ing Orthodox, Greek, Hungarian and Irish
Catholics, Swedish, Lutherans and the vari-
Gus Protestant denominations that we are
accustomed to. In addition to the Sectarian
organizations there Is modest little mar
BILE church of exquisite architecture where
union services are held.
For Mental Improvement.
The most imposing building In the place
is the Y. NJ. C. A, which Is the social and
educational center and the home Of the
athletic club. Senator Proctor takes a
deep interest in this institution, and con-
tributes literally to its support. 1t has a
complete gymnasium with competent in
structor, a night school, where foreigners
can learn the English language, and where
employees of the company who are engaged
in the quarries during the day can attend
classes IN the evening; hall for lectures,
concerts and other entertainments, and &C
commodations for social gatherings which
occur frequently during the winter months.
The club is under the management of the
employees, but the company contributes 81