The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-07-09
BUILDING GRANITE IN BARRE.
"Rock Products" Comments on Recent
Steps Taken.

We are much pleased. says Rock
Products" to note the interest that is
being taken by the newly organized
board Of trade in Barre IN the matter
Of introducing Barre granite to the
building trade. While il cannot Be said
that anything definite has been done as
yet, Il is true that agitation is often
the mother OF good works, and the Barre
board Of trade is decidedly earnest in
its purpose to start things going IN such
channels al win lead Barre into the same
position in the building world as it holds
to-day in the monumental trade.
The fundamental reasons why Barre
granite leads all others in demand for
monumental purposes area First. its ar
tistic beauty, its lustre and its contrast
between polished and hammered sur
faces; second its eyenness Of texture
and freedom from imperieetions third,
its abundance and the unequalled equip
ment for quarrying and manufacturing
fourth, extensive adTertisingi and, fifth,
an intangible something which causes
Barre granite to appeal to the artistic
sense Of the American public as no other
stone has ever done.
While these reasons have been exhibit
cd and tribute paid to them in the full
BY purchasers 81 monuments, they are
Just az farceful when applied to building
work, although they have up to the pres
ent time been allowed to lie dormant So
far as this latter branch Of the stone
industry Is concerned, This may he due
TO the general Indifference Of the mouu
meufal man towards the possibilities Of
the building business, or Ii may be due
to the scarcity of local capitalists Who
would be able to swing 50 large a propo
sition, but il surely is not due to the
lack Of natural resources, for there are
certainly no better possibilities Ii the
United States for the successful promo
ton Of a mammoth granite building IN
dustfy than can Re found in Barre
The monument industry as It has been
carried on here during the past twenty
years has made many men well 60 do
but Barre is yonng, and its citizens have
no ancestral wealth. There are no capi-
talists IN this part Of Vermont and IL
would Ia d difficult task Ia find locally
a sufficient amount 81 capital to success
fully exploit companies for the production
81 building granite bat there Is plenty Of
capital elsewhere that win jump at this
whenever the proposition is
presented IN proper manner to the
proper parties
Samples Of Barre granite IN its yari
ous grades have been frequently sent to
leading American architects and their
approval has been enthusiastic IN every
case The natural resources and facill-
ties for production are apparent to any
visitor and If THE agitation which has
been begun by the board Of trade il car
ried to practical ends we may expect
before long TO admire Barre granite in
other places than in cities Of the dead
While il may not be generally known,
there are extensive formations Of Barre
granite aside from the monumental quar-
ries that are especially adapted for build
ing stone. There are at least two large
well developed and well equipped quar-
ries OF this class which have for years
been producing mausoleum granite as
speciality One Of these contains, aside
from an extensive quarry opening, near
ly De hundred acres of the very best
white granite lying in sheets and easily
accessible.