Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-29
rHE rANNERY EIRE.
Some Prospect that the Fisher Plant
Win Be RebuIIt.--Notes.

Some Prospect that the Fisher rant
Win Be RebuIIt.--Notes.
At meeting Of the citizens of the viii
Iage held Tuesday afternoon OF last week
the following resolutions were passed.
The citizens OF Bethel. assembled in
mass meeting. extend to the z. G. Fisher
company the deepest sympathy for them
in their misfortune, at the same time rec
ognizing the fact that the fire OF today is
a hard blow to the prosperity Of the
whole town, and
Resolved, That it is the desire of the I
entire community that the Fisher COM
pany rebuild their plant here, and that I
the people OF Bethel pledge themselves to /
use all reasonable means to help the com 1
pany in rebuilding here.
Resolved, That the chair appoint a
committee OF three persons to confer with |
the Fisher company and take such steps
as may seem best as the situation devel-
ops and to report to future meeting to
( be called by the committee at the proper
time.
s. NJ. Washburn, A. Lee CadY and G.
d. Cushing were appointed members Of
/ this committee and have had several con-
| ierences with the members of the Fisher
company, and v lille the question is by
no means settled, yet the Courier can
state that there is a fair ground for ex-
pecting that the company will rebuild at
Bethel. There are a great many factors
that enter into the problem, such as
freight rates, a quick and satisfactory
freight service, the labor problem, fire
protection, etc., so that nothing definite
may be known for several days. The set
Element with the insurance companies en-
tiers into the question, also. A sub-com-
~
had a conference with the officials Of the
Central Vermont railway about satisfac-
tory freight arrangements and General
Manager Jones expressed himself as " ILL
ing to make such changes Is would meet
the needs of the company in that line.
The men employed in the Fisher tannery
evidenced their warm desire to have the
company stay here by raising over $1,000
by subscription last week to be paid in
labor.
petition has been addressed to the
selectmen to call q special town meeting
to see if the town will vote to exempt any
plant that may be rebuilt for term of
ten years. The official call for the meet
ing will be seen in another column OF the
Courier.
Chief Engineer Frank E. Wallace is
wearing face marked with several burns
received in fighting the fire upon the roof
: of the beam house.
A lot of hides worth about $50, 900 had
been received a few days before the fire
and were stored in the hide house, which
was saved. There was no insurance on
these hides.
About a dozen insurance men, repre-
4 senting the different insurance com.
panies, arrived Tuesday to begin work on
the adjustment OF the loss at the Fisher
tannery. Tuesday evening the party ad-
iourned to Waterbury to 60 over the
J. schedules, expecting to meet again in
! Bethel Wednesday. From here the final
adjustment will probably be adjourned ia
T Boston. 1t will probably take quite a lit
}. tie time 10 adjust the loss, both on &C
count Of the large amounts involved, and
n also on account Of the difficulty in arriv.
II ing at he salvage.
The first tannery in Bethel was con.
Quoted by Ephraim Morris who came tC
Z Bethel from Roxbury in 1912 and bought
: the premises now owned by Mrs. Rodney
y Shedd. He had his tanning pits on the
low land beside the river in the rear Of
y the house. About 1860, General Lille
is built his tannery in Lillieville. II was
n burned the first time in 1865 or 1865 anc
was then owned by Bugbee & Boynton
e at which time il was owned BY Lowell B
e Rowe. A part OF the insurance on thil
d last tannery was carried by the Globe In
surance Co. Of Chicago, which soon aftei
went into bankruptcy. A final dividend
D, on the insurance was received about two
years ago by E. c. Rowe, son OF L. B
Rowe.
The first tannery business in the pres
. ent location in Bethel was begun in abou
1865 by Elisha II. Bugbee. Since ther
the business has seen many vicissitudes
Re A great many different people have beer
Is financially interested in the tanning bust
ness in Bethel and generally 10 great loss
II Included in this number are WessoI
rt Newcomb Nelson Ellison J. ID. Cushing
Edw in Fisher, n. F. Clark, John Robin
n, son, S. 7. Coy, E. T. Bugbee, Henry
= Cushing, Harry Rowe, Phelps & Harrison
Meles 3 Aeurbach. Coming down to
later period was the Vermont Hide &
2 Leather company in which were interest
81 ed NJ. G. Stafford and others. Grifir
0, Place ran the tannery awhile. Messrs. q
II. Upper, A. A. Brooks and c. d. Cush
he ing sunk about $40, 900, through back
l., ing the Vermont Hide & Leather com
er pany. By a peculiar coincidence, thu
last payment of the $50, 900 and final ad
justment was made Monday evening
April 10, about ten hours before the fire
s. Jan. 10, 1900, the plant was swept b!
fire, it then being owned by Messrs.
IL Brooks, Upper and Cushing, who ha,
acquired the same by foreclosure agains
j., the Vermont Hide & Leather company
For some time the prospects we're yer,
poor for rebuilding. No one could b
'n found with the necessary capital. At on
time it looked as il tho site would pas
SIS into the hands OF Il . Tannery trust
he which was willing to pay an exorbitan
price for the land in order to crowd on
possible competitors.
Mrs. Mary E. Harrington, with he
ar customary public spirit, came forwar
and furnished funds with which to re
- build the plant with the aid of privat
: contributions. The town had voted i
~ May, 1899, to exempt for a period OF te
- years the plant from taxation. Owe
- $4,000 was raised by public subscription