The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-04-14
OFFER BARRE GRANITE
FOR KINGS STATUE
Aberdeen People AstOnished at Prom
ise by the Barre People and Then
Fearful Lest 1t Be Ac-
cepted.

A proposition by Barre men to fur
nish, free Of charge, block OF Barre
granite, from which to carve statue
of the late King Edward VIZ to be set
up in Aberdeen, the granite center of
the British Isles, has astounded Aber-
deem people; and the Aberdonians who
are loyal TO their home granite have
been worried lest the bona iide offer by
Barre people be accepted, The offer was
made when it was learned that 1t was
proposed to cut the statue in two pieces
because OF the inability OF the quarry
men to get out an Aberdeen stone large
enough.
When the information came to S. II.
Forsyth, says the Aberdeen Evening Ex'
press, he told it to Scotch friends in
Barre, who, in turn, declared II was
Something horrible" Mr.. Forsyth told
Arthur Taylor, the sculptor of Jute
street, Aberdeen who was commissioned
to cut the statue in granite, that il
would be better to smother any local
feeling in the matter and "accept the
offer from Barre principally
from Aberdeen-tha to erect figure
that would be lasting disgrace to the
trade and a laughing stock to visitors
The Barre offer promised a stone which
would hammer very white, be free from
knot or blemish of any kind and be
excellent for the King Edward statue
In continuing, the Aberdeen Evening
Express says;
"Mr. Alexander Gordon, another friend
of Mr.. Taylor, writing with reference to
the offer, says:
"'The granite men here would furnish
suitable block of granite, and deliver
IL at the docks in Boston or New York,
free of charge. ! hope you people will
see fit to accept the offer. 1t seems to
us here that 1t would be a mistake to
cut the statue in sections, as it would
be ever so much better If cut in solid
stone. If you should accept the offer, it
would be good idea to send small
model of the figure. so that the stone
could be roughed down to the size and
shape wanted and save r good deal in
freight. You would not have to wait
long for a block, as IL could probably
be shipped inside OF two weeks after
the order was received If you should
want good sculptor to do the work we
could send you one along with the block
of granite
'Tn another letter which Mr.. Tay.
lor has received, Boutwell,, Milne & Var
mum company, Barre, write that they
sent a cablegram to Aberdeen offering
TO contribute the granite block from
which to fashion the statue. The mat
/ ter was talked over at Barre amongst
the natives OF Aberdeenshire, including
Mr.. George b. Milne, one OF the prin-
cipals OF the firm, and the latter stated
4 without solicitation that the firm would
be glad to furnish the necessary block,
1 100, 40, 40, or approximately these di-
meusions, without charge, and also bear
their part OF the freight expense.
"The firm could furnish a fine grain
medium stone of even texture, suitable
for the proposed work, which would UNI
der the hammer appear much whittier
than Rubislaw, but perhaps not quite
so white as Kemnay. On the other hand
\ the mixture was so much finer, without
4 the gray mica grains so prevalent in
Kemnay, that the appearance in general
would be more pleasing and approx
mately of the same shade. This gran.
! ite worked well under any tool, and was
susceptible of very fine finish with a
pneumatic hammer.
"There would be no delay in getting
ont block of the dimensions required
1 II would be matter OF only few
davs. In fact. blocks this size, and even
larger, were shipped daily.
"The general opinion expressed among
4 the Scotsmen in Barre was that it would
be regrettable to have a statue cut in
sections, as part of any public mon
lument. and especially so in the case OF
the projected memorial. that, by reason
of design and material to be employed,
must endure so many years.
ait is understood that one of the
writer's was on visit to this country
last summer, and while in Aberdeen, had
been telling Mr. Taylor of the great
blocks they could get from the quarries
in Barre. and the fine quality of the
granite. Mr. Taylor ioeularly said that,
4 II that were the case, they might send
on a block to Aberdeen for the kings
statue, never thinking that the sugges-
4 tion would be taken seriously. II would
appear, however, that the Barre people
are quite in earnest in the matter, but
while their generous offer is much APP
preciated in Aberdeen. it would hardly
do for the granite city to 90 to America
| for granite for its own statue. Besides,
the committee have already decided that
the statue shall be cut in Aberdeenshire