The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-12
HERE AND THERE
ABOUT BARRE

Barre has changed good DEAL" said
man who returned to the city after
only half dozen years, and he then
went on to mention the physical changes,
most of which We're for the better, as
he thought. And, indeed, there are con-
siderable changes being made from time
! to time, which are not SO noticeable to
the resident as they are to the returning
resident after an absence of some years.
Along with these physical evidences OF
change there are many others which are
even more striking. Walk up and down
the business section of the city and see
how many of the familiar store signs
of a score OF years ago are still in place
and then 90 into the stores and see how
many of the old faces are back of the
counters.
That there are many changes in the
last score of years is shown by a glance
at cook book published by the Eastern
Star ladies in 1895. Out of 80 firms
which inserted advertisements in that
book there are but Is now in existence
which show any semblance of their
makeup of the former year. And that
was only 10 years ago!
Even more remarkable has been the
change in the personnel OF the men en-
gagged in the granite manufacturing in
dustrY- Out of SO firms or individuals
who made up the manufacturing indus
try n quarter of century ago, but a
single firm remains to-day. That firm is
Mari & Gordon; and even the makeup
of that firm has undergone some change
inasmuch as William Mari takes the
place of Charles Mari in the business.
The firm of E. l.. Smith & Co. continues
in the granite belt, but it is now out of
the manufacturing end of the industry.
With the change in the personnel Of
the industry, there has come marked
change in the methods of doing business,
due to natural progress and to the in
ventions of the past score of years. For
instance, we find that the travelling crane
was just coming into use in 1889 and the
equipment was more or less of wonder
to the natives. A historian of that day,
in writing up the firm of Mari g. Cor
don for sketch of Barre, remarked
upon the equipment, saying that "be-
tween these sheds 1.-THE old Mari & Cor
don plant is novelty in the way of a
hosting machine made in Aberdeen,
Scotland" and he then goes on to de-
scribe the modern travelling derrick.
just how Barre would be able to get |
along without the travelling derrick in
the present day is matter of some spec |
ulation. Indeed, the industry would |
be put back great deal if |
deprived of the use of this very useful |
equipment. 1t is one OF the essentials |
Of the Barre granite industry of to-day. |
Those who marvelled at its operation a |
quarter of century ago would have
opened their eyes in amazement could |
The have forseen the other marked |
changes in the Main street skyline, due |
to the razing of old buildings and the |
erection OF new structures. Not the |
east agency in this work of transfer
nation has been the fire fiend, which |
mas worked much havoc now and then,
although none of great consequence. since
1902, when the Currier and Sheplee build
ngs were burned to the ground. Indeed.
hose who witnessed the former fire and
he incipient conhagration last night
we're somewhat fearful that under the
conditions that prevailed at midnight the Il
disaster of 1902 would be repeated; and
hey were very much pleased to see the
iremen get the upper hand of the flames.
Barre desires to acquire its changes in
'ome other way.