The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-03-03
CHARLES 7. BURT
LAYS ASIDE AWL :.
AND WAXED ENDS
Popular Harness Maker Closes
Long-Established Business
HAS SEEN MANY CHANGES
Town Has Doubled in Population
Since Shop Was Opened
40 Years Ago

Charles T. Burt, one of Bennington s
best known and most popular merch-
ants, retired from business March lst,
after 40 years creditabe and success
full active record. 1t might be sa ID
Of him that he has been 40 years in
the harness as harness maker.
For several months Mr. Burt has
been planning to retire and take a
deserved rest and he has recently been
closing out his stock in trade and
other accumu.ations OF many long
years in business. His long time
stand on South street will soon be
occupied by another, though the name
Of the new lessee has not yet been an
nounced by w S. Cullinan, owner of
the building.
Mr.. Burt came naturally y enough by
his trade, both by environment and
hered ty as his father and people be.
fore him were harness makers and his
father ran a harness shop in his ma
tive town.
Mr.. Burt had fairly digested some Of
the necessary points of the business
and was just making up his mind
as many youths are wont to do at
that age, that the task was hardly
worth the time, when the Civil war
broke out and volunteers began to
enlit
Daydreams Of patriotism and adyon.
ture loomed large in the mind of the
thirteen year old boy, larger perchance
than visions of need es waxed ends
and straps of leather, bothering a fell
low for countless time.
a good robust frame and a slight
exaggeration as to age made him
proud member of the 1st Vermont
volunteer batterya battery consisted
of Xix cannon and the men to man
them. He saw hard, actual service
and warfare Of the most concrete
kind. Ten months later he was trans
ferred to the regular army and became
a private in the ranks of the 1st Yer
mont arti lery.
This regiment saw service in some
of the severest campaigns OF the war,
at the opening of the war, in the nor
thern part Of the fighting zone, as far
south as New Orleans, and at the end
when Grant was forcing the last bit
ter pill down the rebel throats.
Mr.. Burt entered the army at the
tender age Of 13 years, was in the
toughest service continually for four
years and never received so much as
scratch, except one day when he cut
a stick to handle his rations.
He came home a premature man.
After a short attack of wanderlust
he settled down in Bennington to lead
a quiet life as harness maker in
one.story frame building that stood on
the site of the present County Ma
Two years later he moved into what
tlonal Bank.
is now the Cullinan meat market in
the bu lding on South street that bears
the same name. About thirty years
ago he moved in the store space in
the south end of the Cullinan book
and has been doing business in that
stand ever since.
In the palmy days of the driving
horse, Mr.. Burt often had as many as
four men in his employ. In fact he
says that in those times, he often had
orders for making fancy light harness
that kept him busy all winter get
ting ready for spring delivery. Mr..
Burt says that they can talk about the
passing of the work horse all they
want to. but facts disprove their state
ment. He finds from his own expert
ence that the demand for draft harm
ess and the repa ring of these harn'
ess is heavier now than in years
prior to the advent Of the motor truck,
In recent years Mr. Burt increased
his stock to a generous line of harm
es3 blankets, faddlery, hardware
equipment, whips, wagon umbrellas,
and trunks. He has sold his goods to
various local parties pr Hclpall9 W
G albert II. Ransom, George f. Small
and f. L. Potter,
OF the men in business when Mt
Burt started his harness shop here,
few are now living and practically
none are still in active business. He
has seen changes in every store, mill
and office, has seen the town double
in population and increase in all kinds
of public activity.
Mr.. Burt in his entire 40 years bust
nes has hardly taken real vacation
He wasn't brought up under the eight
hour idea and in busy seasons always
worked from IL to Is hours a day.
The quality Of his work was such that
orders for fine work came to him from
all directions When anything special
was wanted in fancy hand made harm
ess, the orders came to Mr.. Burt ali
the way from New York city to Port
land Me.
Mr., Burt was often called upon to
take part in public affairt, but most
generally refused. Once he was per.
suaded to allow himself to be elected
tp tho cnhnn1 hoord from ward nuh