The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-01-06
BARRE'S GRANITE OUTFIT.
Statistics For Past Year Indicate u
Substantial Increase,


The Barre Times, in recent ISSUE
prints the following concerning the
gi8nite output of Bare during the
year just closed:
Because of the fact that granite is
still brought from the Barre quarries
by team, in addition to the far greater
amount drawn by the Barre railroad,
it is not possible to get the accurate
figures for Barre granite production,
as the teaming is done by several
persons and firms and it would be
impossible to gather the statistics with
any degree of exactness. However,
by careful estimating, 1t is possible to
reach fairly complete returns; and
fthis, as done by man who has been
connected with the granite business
for many years, shows that for the
year ending December 1, 1909, a total
of 1,679,700 cubic feet of stone was
taken out.
This, however, does not include
granite used for paving, wallstones,
riffraff, railroad grout or crushed
stone; so that, il these additional de-
tails were to be considered, the
amount would be considerably great
er Granite as measured by cubic
feet, does not perhaps convey to the
average mind an adequate apprecia-
ton of the amount of rock dug out
of Barre's two granite hills. Reduc-
ing those terms to weights, one finds
that the years production was PSI,
9S3 tons, or, approximately, five hun
dred million pounds of stone
Comparing these figures with the
production of the year just preceding
or from December /, 1907 to Deem
Der /, 1908, it was found that the new
year brought considerable increase
in granite output The total produc-
ton of monumental and building stone
for the year 19O7-OS was 2O2,651 tons
showing gain of approximately So
600 tons. 1t should be taken into con-
sideration, however, that there was
a labor tie-up during the early part
of prices was being framed up, and
that the production was somewhat
curtailed thereby. The figures of the
present year were not appreciably af-
fected by the disturbance, which is
as yet unsettled.
By these comparisons. it is shown
that the popularity of Barre granite
not only continued during the yeal
, just closed, but that it gained very
much in the volume of production
The Barre railroad of course, haul
: ed most of the granite, as it did all Of
the huge piles of coal which are con
. sumed in the process of quarrying
. During the year just ending there
were hauled to the quarries 1896
| tons, or 35,2OO,OOO pounds of coal.
e Barre is undoubtedly the larges
single granite center in the country
} One of its nearest rivals is Quincy
Mass, and it is interesting to compar,
the figures of the two as available
g Tie Quincy Ledger says that the to
: tai shipment of rough and finished
= Z ante from the two railroad termin
/, ais in the city for the single month
5 OF November was 14,977,0S7 pounds
q. 4, being practically the same as tn,
= output of the preceding month, Re
5 diced to tons, that would be 7,4S
tons.
= Allowing that perhaps Novembe
: was not the heaviest month of tn
. year for business in Quincy, it will
a still be seen that the balance of bus
e mess was very largely with Barr
during years time. But if Novem
n Der was an average month with Quin
n cy the total output for the year woul
q have been less than 10000 tons, a
9 against Barre's Pol 1888 tons.
/, That a spirit of progressiveness
t taking hold of Quincy quarry owner
S and manufacturers is shown by tn
n following statement from the sam
9 newspaper quoted above
h AT the present time the shipment
= are largely of rough stock as Their
r has been an increasing demand TO
y Quincy stock all over the countr!
', There was time when nothing woul
4, do but Quincy. Then the producer
j. became a little lazy and other grant
q began to be used. Dealers and Gus
% toners are firing of these other graz
d ties however, and are coming back
) their first love- With modern machir
cry and increased facilities, Quinc
, is better able today than she ever wa
. to enter into the markets of tn
10 world, with her natural product. A
"a it requires is a spirit of hustle to b
"a instilled into the quarry owners
N see great increase in the demand fC
n Quincy granite both for building &
re- well as monumental purposes
G Representative pIumIey