USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 17
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This super-excellent Fitchburg Library catalogue contains, first, an author and title catalogue, with all books listed alphabetically by both titles and authors; than which nothing can be more convenient for gen- eral use. Then comes a subject catalogue, with everything classified by subjects, with numerous subdivisions, not only by kinds of literature, but geographically, and chronologically, and in various other ways. And then there is a subject index, which is a great convenience.
The expert cataloguer was employed for a year on the catalogue. The making of the card catalogue occupied 6 months, and then he wished to have the printers commence, using the cards for copy; but that was found to be impractical, as he wished to have some things that were writ- ten on the cards omitted in the print, and other things arranged in a dif- ferent order. So a force of copyists was engaged to put the matter in proper written form. The printing occupied about 6 months, and from 7 to 10 people devoted a large part of that time to the work in the print- ing-office; probably 5 or 6 worked on the library end.
The total cost of making up the card catalogue and printing the catalogue was about $8,000.00, a portion of which was paid by a public- spirited member of the board of trustees. The edition printed was 1,000 copies, of which 500 were bound in cloth and sold at $1.00 per copy,- books which it had cost $8.00 each to produce.
This was in 1886, and the Fitchburg Public Library has not had a new catalogue in the 35 years since that time. Two or three supplementary catalogues of books added were issued, after which lists of new books were published in the newspapers, and then bulletins were issued at short intervals, containing not only lists of the new books, but also lists of all books in the library on certain subjects which for a time were prominent in public interest.
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Reflections on Royalston
On account of my reputation for accuracy, probably, I was selected to attend to certain parts of the work of getting out this catalogue, in- cluding the correction of proofs, conferring with the compiler and making the changes he desired, and putting the matter in form for the press; and in the half year at that kind of work I got enough of the stuff into my system to qualify me as an expert.
"DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM SIMPLIFIED."
Following the removal of the Royalston Public Library to the new Phinehas S. Newton Library Building in 1911, a new catalogue was issued in 1912. A card catalogue was made, and the books were classified and numbered to some extent according to the "Dewey Decimal System," in a "Simplified" form. Labor and expense of compiling and printing were saved by the omission of the title and author catalogue, and the books are listed mainly under the Dewey subject classifications, alphabetically by authors, with some variations.
Approximately two-thirds of the books entered appear without num- ber designations. Those which are numbered carry the Dewey class numbers, and, as is the Dewey custom, the initials of the authors or some other letters following the figures. But this does not give each book a distinguishing designation, for there are in most cases several, and some- times as many as 10, having exactly the same figures and letter. In the Fitchburg catalogue this difficulty is overcome by simply adding another figure, as is illustrated here, the first designations being as given in the Royalston catalogue, and the others as they might be made.
BALLOU, M. M. Due North. 910 B 910 B
- Due West.
BEEHLER, W. H. Cruise of the "Brooklyn." 910 B 910 B 910 B1 910 B2
BELLOWS, H. W. Old world in its new face. 910 B 910 B3
HALE, E. E. Seven Spanish cities. 946 H 946 H
946 H 946 H1
- Story of Spain.
HAY, John. Castilian days.
946 H 946 H2
The departments of Fiction and Stories for Young People, embracing about two-thirds of all the books listed in the Royalston catalogue, have no number designations. In the "Dewey Decimal System" Fiction is in the 800 Literature class, and is designated by the figure 3 in the third place, while the figures in the second place indicate the nationality of the authorship. Thus: 813 for American Fiction, 823 for English Fiction, 833 for German, 843 for French, 853 for Italian, and so on.
In the Fitchburg catalogue all books in the Fiction division are rep- resented by single figures, -those in the second place,-1 for American Fiction, 2 for English, 3 for German, 4 for French, and so on. To these are added the authors' initials and designating numbers, mentioned above. Royalston Fiction, numbered by this plan, might read about like this:
ABBOTT, E. H. Molly Make-Believe. 1 A
- Sick-abed lady. 1 A1
ACKERMAN, A. W. Price of peace. 1 A2
ADAMS, W. H. Page, squire and knight. 2 A
BALZAC, Honoré de. Catherine de Medici. 4 B
- Country Doctor. 4 B1
- Eugénie Grandette Pierrette. 4 B2
Supplementary catalogues were issued in 1916 and 1920.
At the March, 1921, town meeting, Dr. Frank W. Adams, who had served as a Trustee of the Library for 40 years, and had been re-elected in 1920 for a 3-years term, resigned the office, and Mrs. Ida May Cross, wife of Hon. Fred W. Cross, was elected to the position.
These reflections on library matters have been made with the thought that perhaps sometime in the future, when all of the "present company" shall have passed on, they may meet the attention of others, to whom they may be of interest and value.
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SOUTH ROYALSTON INDUSTRIES.
South Royalston was a sort of an "after thought" in the making up of the town of Royalston, the land on which the flourishing manufactur- ing village grew up not having been included in the territory purchased by the original proprietors, as it had already been included in the towns later called Athol and Phillipston. In 1799 and 1803 sections were set over from those towns to Royalston, and the boundaries of that part of the town have since remained as they were then fixed.
As told on page 66, in the story of the early saw-mills and grist-mills, Benjamin Blanchard was the earliest user of the water power from Mil- lers River at this point, and built the first saw-mill and the first grist- mill here, beginning about 1785.
THE WOOLEN MILL.
In 1795 Blanchard sold to Edward Cambridge, of Templeton, a strip
SOUTH ROYALSTON STONE WOOLEN MILL. Destroyed by fire Aug. 20, 1892.
of land 15 rods long and 3 rods wide, with privilege on Millers River, for a fulling mill.
In 1812 "The Royalston Cotton and Wool Manufacturing Company" was incorporated, with 8 members named. The company erected a mill on the site of the present woolen mill, but it is stated that the business was not successful, and about 1825 the concern fell into the hands of Silas Coffin and Rufus Bullock. The buildings were burned in 1833, and Rufus Bullock then became the sole owner of the privilege and plant.
The next year Mr. Bullock built the stone mill at the location, in which he continued the business, with large profits, until the end of his life, which came in 1858. It is probable that this stone mill, like a simi- lar one built in Fitchburg a little earlier, perhaps, was constructed with- out the aid of derricks, the elevated ground adjoining giving opportunity for the building of a timber roadway to each floor as it was placed, over
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which the ox-teams with the loads of stone could be driven right onto the floors.
Following the death of Hon. Rufus Bullock, in 1858, the mill and business were sold to Col. George Whitney, as mentioned on page 88. Col. Whitney had as successive partners, Daniel Day, of South Royals- ton, Rufus S. Frost, of Chelsea and Marlboro, N. H., and James Phillips, Jr., of Fitchburg and Boston. Beginning in 1861, Roby R. Safford was agent and active manager of the mill for 16 or 17 years.
Col. Whitney's son, George Ellis Whitney, became associated with his father in the business about 1882, and it was incorporated as "The George Whitney Woolen Company" in 1890, with a capital of $80,000.
The old stone mill building was destroyed by fire Aug. 20, 1892. Following its destruction the company did business for a year or two in a mill in which operations had been suspended, in West Fitchburg, near the Beoli mills of James Phillips, Jr. But in 1893 or 1894 the business was removed to Enfield, N. H., where a mill had been purchased.
WOOLEN MILL DAM, 1906.
Later a building was erected at South Royalston, and business was resumed there. Col. Whitney died in 1897. In 1908 both the Enfield and the South Royalston mills, of which George E. Whitney had been man- ager, became links in the great chain of mills operated by the "American Woolen Company," and George E. Whitney became associated with that company, and was later stationed at Burlington, Vt., in charge of the Winooski link, with 2,000 operatives.
For a few years the old chair-shop building was used as a picker- house in connection with the mill. It was destroyed Oct. 25, 1904, in the most disastrous fire that South Royalston had ever known, details of which will be found on other pages.
In 1910 the American Company made extensive improvements in the plant, and added the large building on the opposite side of the river, con- necting the two buildings by a bridge. The product was changed from
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Reflections on Royalston
suitings to bed blankets. When run to full capacity the mill gives em- ployment to 150 or more people.
THE CHAIR SHOP.
It is probable that chair manufacturing in South Royalston was com- menced somewhat later than woolen manufacturing; no data is available as to the approximate time. "The Massachusetts Register" for 1853 gives the firms of Bruce, Whitney & Bowker as chair manufacturers, and Whitmore & Bruce as proprietors of the saw-mill,-really a part of and connected with the chair shop. Later the whole business went into the hands of Col. George Whitney, who continued it for many years, and probably as many as 25 men were employed. After the stone woolen mill had been burned in 1892, and another mill built to take its place, the old chair shop was utilized as an adjunct to the woolen mill until it was de- stroyed by fire in 1904, as already related.
E
SOUTH ROYALSTON CHAIR SHOP. Destroyed by fire Oct. 25, 1904.
THE FARRAR SHOP.
It has been recorded, on page 66, that Salmon S. Farrar came into possession of the Blanchard mill-privilege and saw-mill, west of the woolen mill, about 1836. He was born in Winchendon, and learned the machinist's trade in Athol. He came to South Royalston in 1829, and for a few years had a machine shop near the chair-shop location. In 1836 he built a shop on the Blanchard site. His father had been a manufac- turer of wooden dry measures in Winchendon, and Mr. Farrar made them in his new shop by improved methods and of superior quality. This business was profitably continued at the shop for many years; but in 1912 a state law took effect, requiring all grains, fruits, vegetables, salt, and other commodities, to be sold by weight instead of measure, greatly re- ducing the demand for the dry measures.
Among the numerous other articles manufactured at this shop were
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coffins, sawhorses, pails and buckets, sieves and barrel covers, rolling- pins and dippers, children's sleds and wheelbarrows, rolling hoops, and mosquito bars.
Mr. Farrar built up an extensive lumber business, and the up-and- down saw-mill with which he began gave place to a circular mill in 1871. His son, Salmon Nelson Farrar, born in 1837, grew up in the business of his father and was employed by him after he arrived at maturity; in 1876 he leased a part of his father's shop, and following the death of Salmon S. Farrar in 1883 he bought the entire plant and continued the manufac- ture of barrel covers and mosquito bars. The establishment was de- stroyed by fire in 1884, but was rebuilt on a smaller scale the next year, and the manufacture of barrel covers and dry measures continued; and a circular saw-mill was added in 1890.
Walter Nelson Farrar, son of Salmon Nelson Farrar, born in 1865, like his father, grew up in the business, and remained in it with his
VIEW IN SOUTH ROYALSTON IN 1887.
father until the plant was burned. In 1890 he entered into partnership with his father under the firm name of S. N. Farrar & Son, and after the death of his father, in 1896, continued the business under the same title. Walter Nelson Farrar died in 1919. Here ended the control of a line of business by the members of one family at the same location for a period of at least 82 years.
THE FURNITURE SHOPS.
It is probable that pine furniture was manufactured at South Roy- alston before the Sawyer shop was established at the Center. David P. Foster, who was employed at the Sawyer-Holman shop about all of the time that it was in operation, was previously employed at the same line of work at South Royalston. He used to tell of the long days of work in those times, extending until 9 o'clock in the evening; and the em- ployers probably worked quite as hard and fully as many hours as any of their "help."
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The Massachusetts Register for 1853 gives the names of Beckwith & Twichell, Luther Harrington and Vose & Bartlett as cabinet makers in South Royalston in 1853, which probably means that they were manu- facturers of pine furniture. The Caswell book states that later than 1862 Caleb W. Day bought out the furniture business of Beckwith & Stockwell. These names probably include all who engaged in the manu- facture of furniture in South Royalston; and it seems likely that the business was discontinued in South Royalston not later than 1866.
THE SHOE-PEG BUSINESS.
Wooden shoe-pegs were largely used for attaching the soles to the "uppers" of boots and shoes during the first half of the eighteenth cen- tury. The footwear was made over wooden lasts or forms, the wooden pegs being driven through the outer and the inner soles with the edges
ANOTHER VIEW OF SOUTH ROYALSTON ABOUT 1887.
of the uppers between them, and after the lasts were drawn out the projecting points of the pegs were scraped out of the bottoms with a tool made for the purpose. Undoubtedly the early settlers of Royalston walked into the town without leg boots; the male bipeds of that time are always pictured in knee breeches, (which were sometimes made of leather,) long stockings, (all wool and hand-knit, of course,) and low shoes. But after a time leg boots came in, and they had their run, to the total exclusion of shoes with many of their wearers. Many men and boys among the farmers and country people had no shoes for either sum- mer or winter wear, but some of the well-to-do compromised on calfskin for "fine" leg boots, while the cowhides were for common wear for all seasons. I recall that I attended a celebration in Boston in June, 1867, in a pair of rather "fine" calfskin leg boots, taking along a pair of heav- ier ones to "rest" my feet, as I had no good shoes. But the leather leg boots "had their day," and are now seldom seen; combinations of felt and rubber and high rubber boots and overshoes have taken their place.
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Reflections on Royalston
From all accounts it appears that the manufacture of wooden shoe- pegs was first undertaken by Salmon S. Farrar and Leonard Wheeler, somewhere around 1835. The Caswell book states that "their business did not prove a success, and they soon disposed of it." Perhaps Bemis & Jones were the next peg-makers; it appears that they were in the business around 1846, when Caleb W. Day began with them. Caleb W. Day continued with Bemis & Jones a dozen years or more, including three years as partner; and in 1862 he bought out the other partners and prob- ably continued the peg business alone until it became unprofitable for lack of demand. In 1864, 6,000 bushels of shoe-pegs were made in South Royalston, and in 1871, 12,000 bushels. Before that time a machine had been invented for fastening soles with screw-wire, and another machine for sewing the soles with thread or cord. The use of the wooden pegs for repair work was continued for a time, but they were gradually su- perceded by metal nails and tacks of various improved forms.
VIEW IN SOUTH ROYALSTON, ABOUT 1906.
THE BRUSH-WOOD SHOPS.
The brush-wood business, which probably developed into the manu- facture of wooden handles and parts for a great variety of brushes, might have been commenced by John M. Upham and Caleb W. Day, as the firm of Upham & Day, or perhaps by John M. Upham alone. It was continued by Caleb W. Day until 1885, when his shop in South Royalston was burned. He continued the business in a shop at "State Line," near the New Hampshire line in Winchendon, with his two sons as partners, until 1908.
Edmond Stockwell manufactured brush-woods in a shop which is shown a little to the right of the center of the picture on page 140-the dark-colored building with light trimmings. Jonas M. Turner continued the brush-wood business at this shop for a year following the death of Mr. Stockwell. The shop finally went into the hands of George Whitney for other uses.
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We may well ask why Caleb W. Day, not then an old man, with two sons in the prime of life to assist him, did not rebuild his shop at the old location after it was burned in 1885, instead of going to that out-of- the-way place over in Winchendon to do business. Possibly the answer cannot be given in one sentence. I have recollection that as far back as 1861, I think, I was told that Day's water power had been injured by the raising of the woolen-mill dam, and legal action was pending or contem- plated. The other shops between those previously controlled by the woolen-mill interest and Day's shop, that is Edmond Stockwell's brush- wood shop and Luther Harrington's saw-mill, had discontinued business before 1885, and Day's was the only one in active operation to be injured by the further raising of the woolen-mill dam. . Just how or when the woolen-mill interest obtained control of all the water powers may not be told, but as early as 1900 it was taxed for the Stockwell, Harrington and Day "privileges," in addition to those of the woolen-mill, grist-mill and
SNOW SCENE IN SOUTH ROYALSTON, ABOUT 1905.
chair-shop,-a pretty sure indication that South Royalston would never again have the benefit of the diversified business done on the water- powers to the west of the woolen-mill.
A writer in the Memorial, in 1865, after noting the development of the woolen mill, said:
"Since the starting of this second mill, South Royalston has been steadily pushing on upon the rising scale. It is now securely established as the center and seat of Royalston business. Millers River here makes one of its graceful bends, just as though intent on giving us a goodly stretch of water-power; and here also the railroad strikes us just at the fitting place. Thus are blended the two great powers, which, in modern times, rule and control both business and population. * In 1833 South Royalston contained 10 dwelling-houses, a saw and grist-mill, and a factory in ashes. Now, the factory, risen, phoenix-like, from its ashes, stands at the head of thronging mills, shops, and business operations,
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while 2 meeting-houses, 2 stores, a depot, public house, livery stable, and 78 dwelling houses, justify South Royalston in claiming to be catalogued among the vigorous and promising New England villages."
Little did that writer anticipate the "swallowing up" that would obliterate those "thronging mills and shops" within half a century.
INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS.
The Memorial gave the statistics of the products of Royalston for the year 1864, as reported to the state, as follows: 1,440,000 feet of lumber; 280 cords staves; 50,000 shingles; chair stock worth $5,650; 32,000 chairs completed; 36,000 pails; $10,866 worth brush-woods; 6,000 bushels shoe-pegs; $12,000 worth of other wooden wares; 1,585 cords firewood and bark, and 200 bushels charcoal; "all of which runs up an aggregate of $86,556," the Memorial stated.
BOSTON AND MAINE RAILROAD STATION, 1906.
The palm-leaf shop prepared 18,000 pounds of leaf, and the esti- mated value of the hats and bonnets turned out in 1864 was $12,000.
The woolen mill worked up 160,877 pounds of scoured wool into 166,673 yards of cassimeres, valued at $233,346, as stated; but if the first figure be made 3 instead of 2, the amount will be $333,346, or exactly $2.00 per yard, and we may wonder whether that was not what was in- tended and an error made in the return, the record, copying or printing.
The Memorial gives statistics of agricultural products for 1864 as 8,220 bushels grain; 15,760 bushels vegetables; 2,429 tons hay; poultry and eggs sold worth $580; value of honey $288; maple sugar $1,400. No mention is made of fruits, meats, milk, butter and cheese marketed.
From another source we glean that South Royalston turned out in 1871: 12,000 bushels shoe-pegs; $15,000 worth brush-woods; 6,000 mos- quito frames; 70,000 trundle hoops; $32,000 worth chairs; and $200,000 worth of other manufactured goods, largely woolens, of course.
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MILL LIFE AND CONDITIONS IN 1861.
From sometime early in May, 1861, until the Saturday previous to Thanksgiving week of that year, I occupied a "position" in the carding- room at the Royalston Woolen Mill, as it was then called, at South Roy- alston; my "engagement" was terminated at the time stated in order that my education might be further developed by attendance at the winter term of the Center district school. That my services were pass- ably satisfactory may be supposed from the fact that in the spring, after my school term was closed, Col. Whitney "tendered" me the "po- sition" of "second hand" or assistant superintendent of the carding room; but my mother preferred that my labor should be performed else- where than in the woolen mill; thus I escaped whatever chance I had of ever reaching the exalted position later occupied by William M. Wood.
My step-father expressed the opinion that perhaps, if I continued at the mill work, some day I "might be in Robert Hancock's shoes." Rob-
RAILROAD STATION AND HOTEL, 1906.
ert T. Hancock was brought up on the farm of his uncle, Orrin Thomp- son, in the north-east part of the town; probably he had acquired more education than the district school afforded, as he had taught school and later served on the school committee. He did not begin his work in the mill in the carding room; when I began there he was employed as a sort of general utility man. Robert must have left his downy couch as early as 4.30 a. m. on each week day, as his first duty was to ring the factory bell at 4.45, to arouse us wage slaves to the fact that we must be on our jobs at 5 o'clock. He rang us out and in at meal times until the end of the day's work at 6.30 or 6.45 p. m., incidentally snatching a bite for himself; I suspect that after everybody else was out he looked after fires, lights, windows and doors, to keep everything as safe as possible. Between bells apparently there was always plenty of work for Robert. Roby R. Safford was agent and superintendent; he and Robert were the only persons employed in other than mechanical capacities; they attended
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to the office work, accounts and pay-roll; measured, rolled, packed and shipped the finished goods; (as the office where all of this was done was a part of the carding-room floor, and all connection with it was through the carding-room, I had opportunity to observe much of the doings;) and there was probably no limit to the odds and ends of work that a faithful fellow like Robert might find to do. Robert T. Hancock never became the superintendent or an owner of the mill; death claimed him before his turn came; perhaps his abundant cares and labors had nothing to do with his early passing.
I was not there to step into Robert's shoes. But if I had been there, perhaps I might have stepped into another pair of vacant shoes, occupy- ing the path in which I had been started, a few years earlier, when Syl- vander C. Clement, superintendent of the carding room, retired to die of tuberculosis, from which he had been suffering while employed.
As heretofore stated, work in the mill began at 5 o'clock, and the day's toil ended at 6.45, which, with 30 minutes out for breakfast and 45 for dinner, left a working day of 1212 hours, for five days, and 91/2 hours on Saturday made up a working week of 72 hours. This was the sum- mer schedule. A state law prevented the employment of mill operatives by artificial light previous to Sept. 20th, and so, when the shortening days required it, we had breakfast before going into the mill, and work was begun as soon as the natural light would admit and continued ditto, with the meal time out limited to 30 minutes for dinner, I think; this of course gave a working week of less than 72 hours, and I cannot say whether the proprietors or the help took the loss. But with the 20th of September came a schedule that covered the regulation 72 hours per week of labor, by natural and artificial light.
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