USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > St Johnsbury > 150th anniversary of the founding of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, 1937 > Part 4
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Meanwhile the original firm was enlarged ; in 1843 Horace and in 1856 Franklin, sons of Erastus, became partners. Horace, from the date of the incorporation in 1874 till his death in 1888 was president, and in all 45 years was an officer of the business. Franklin was 50 years actively in the business, to which he contributed some important patents, and in later years was its president.
THIRTY-FOUR
1852043
The beautiful, dignified homes of the Fairbanks family, with their broad landscaped grounds, are still among the beauty spots of the town. Although the modern trend is for smaller homes and private families no longer occupy these palatial dwellings, they do not go unoccupied and are open to the com- ing and going of the people as much today as they were in the past.
Nearly all of the churches of the town have shared in the beneficence of the Fairbankses. They founded and wholly supported for a period of 40 years, St. Johnsbury Academy. When the time came for superior buildings and equipment, Thaddeus, accordingly in 1872, whose personal gifts to the institution aggregated $200,000, erected new and commodious structures of brick. The Academy quickly took rank as the first in the state, and among the best in New England, having thirteen instructors, 300 pupils. and an en- dowment from E. & T. Fairbanks & Co., of $100,000.
The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, the first free public library with en- dowment in Vermont, was built, equipped and presented to the town in 1871 by Horace Fairbanks; the Museum of Natural Science with its collections was established and endowed by Franklin Fairbanks; and Music Hall, which stood on the site of the Colonial Apartment building, was conveyed to the Young Men's Christian Association for the public benefit; to which was added the Association rooms section in the Y. M. C. A. block erected on Eastern avenue in 1885 by Henry Fairbanks.
After the invention of Thaddeus Fairbanks was exhibited at the Vienna Exposition, the inventor was knighted by the Austrian Emperor, who through Baron von Lichtenfels, forwarded to him the decoration of the Imperial Order of Francis Joseph. He also received from the King of Siain the golden medal and decoration of Nishan el Iftikar, Commander. Being an excessively modest man, not fond of titles or display, he had no use for things of this sort; but his men and townsfolk would not let him elude the stroke of honor, and to the day of his death he was known affectionately as Sir Thaddeus.
The experience of the past 106 years has not only established the cor- rectness of the principle of multiplying levers here first applied, but it has enabled the manufacturers, by new patents devised for hundreds of varieties of scales, to lead the world in magnitude of output.
A writer once said of the Fairbanks factory, "One may today, with absolute accuracy, weigh a ship with its cargo, or the lead which wears from the pencil in writing one's name."
THIRTY-FIVE
Cary
T HE maple sugar industry in Vermont would still be an unimportant one if a St. Johnsbury man, George C. Cary, had not taken 1500 pounds of maple sugar in payment for groceries. In this barter was the beginning of a million dollar industry, the Cary Maple Sugar Co., the largest of its kind in the world.
Maple products were lifted from isolation, so far as the world was con- cerned, to a place where they have become a food adjunct everywhere for the whole year by Mr. Cary's enterprise. In fact the "Maple Sugar King" as he soon became known affectionately, conceived the idea of using maple sugar in tobacco to keep it moist, well flavored and compact. All of the better grades of tobacco are still treated with maple sugar, a Cary suggestion of many years ago which tobacconists are still loudly proclaiming.
Mr. Cary was traveling over the state of Vermont selling groceries for a Boston wholesale firm. When calling on a prospect in North Craftsbury he was offered 1500 pounds of maple sugar in payment of an order. He took the offer. When the Boston firm found that they were "long" on maple sugar and "short" on cash they notified the salesman that if he had traded for the sugar it was up to him to get rid of it.
That same week he came in contact with a tobacco man from Rich- mond, Va., who was trying to push his product. And in the words of Mr. Cary published in the "Vermonter" a few years ago, he tells the rest of the story thusly :
"At that time cut plug tobacco was just being introduced, and out of curiosity I asked him how it was made. He explained that the leaves were dipped in West Indies sugar for the dual purpose of flavoring and causing them to stick together when pressed.
"I found that he was paying five cents a pound for the sugar, and it occurred to me that here might be an opportunity to dispose of my maple sugar. Of course, this was something which had never been tried, or even thought of. We discussed the possibilities of the idea for some time, but he did not dare to buy much of the maple sugar, even when I offered it for half a cent less than he was paying for the other.
"Finally I told him that if he would buy the 1500 pounds I would agree to sell 100 boxes of his plug tobacco on my next Vermont trip, but he was a cautious soul and would take only 200 pounds of my sugar. He experimented with the amount, however, and at the end of my third Vermont trip I received a letter from him ordering a thousand pounds of sugar."
Today, some forty years later, the expansive buildings of the Cary Maple Sugar Co. and its subsidiary, Maple Grove Candies, Inc., stand as a fitting monument to the genius and founder of the corporation.
In 1900, a few short seasons after his meeting with the tobacco man, Mr. Cary's enterprise had gained such proportions that he could no longer handle it on a part time basis and he gave up his work as a wholesale grocery "runner" and devoted his entire time to the industry which he is given gredit for placing on a commercial basis. In 1904 he organized the Cary Maple
THIRTY-SIX
Sugar Co. with an authorized capital of $125,000. The company grew so rapidly that its authorized capitalization in 25 years reached three million dollars.
Ultimately the business was extended to Canada where in the Province of Quebec a large amount of maple sugar is annually produced. It finally be- came necessary to establish a Canadian branch with a factory located at Sherbrooke to care for the crop raised in that section.
The potentialities of the intelligence imparted to the white man by the Indians when they taught the pale faces how to catch the sweet sap from the maple trees, waited several hundred years for George C. Cary to commercial- ize the discovery for the benefit of all mankind. Today, what table has not been graced with the high grade syrups or the blends of the Cary Co .. whether that table be within shadow of the company's neatly kept buildings or thou- sands of miles removed ?
The history of maple sugar making is attended by much that is unique and each successive chapter from the time of Indian occupation to the present time has seen its changes and innovations. With the increase of population and wealth of our country maple products have changed from a primitive article of food to one of luxury. It is interesting in this Sesqui-Centennial year to look back with pride upon this transformation which took place main- ly in St. Johnsbury. The public palate seems to demand more and more of these delicacies and they generally look to the Cary Co. and St. Johnsbury to fill their needs. Wherever maple products are known, the Cary superiority is recognized.
Maple syrup has been called liquid sunshine. and in reality the expres- sion will stand the prosaic test of the scientific laboratory. Enough of the sap of the maple tree must be collected in an average three-weeks season to sup- ply the world for a whole year with syrup and sugar. The tireless farmer works day and night during this season. Approximately 60 percent of all the maple trees in the state are being used for sugaring.
Many of these trees are known to have been here and giving sap at the time the Pilgrim Fathers climbed ashore on Plymouth Rock. The unmistak- able gashes the Indians made with axes to gather the sap are even today plainly traceable in some of the older tree trunks. Tracing the life line of these old maples an experienced woodsman familiar with "sugaring" will see :
LARY MAPLE SUGAB CO.
JOHNSBURY.) V
Hundred Fifty Years of Pr 1937
first, the marks of gashes with an axe, Indian fashion ; next, holes bored with an inch and a quarter auger ; and still later a gradual reduction in the size of the holes made by augers and bits. It covers the period from the days of the pioneers to the present time.
An average production for an average tree in an average year may be set at approximately 40 quarts of sap - which boiled down will give one quart of syrup or two pounds of sugar.
Due to the vast storage facilities, the Cary Maple Sugar Co., Inc., oper- ates practically twelve months each year and daily bottles Highland Brand 100% Pure Vermont Maple Sap Syrup. Their facilities enable them to make the various block sugars from syrup as required by the tobacco industry, ice cream trade, confectionery manufacturers and maple blenders who make cane and maple syrup. All these various industries require certain special sugar which must be uniformly made each time of the right grade of syrup so that the manufacturer will have no variance with the finished product. To do this requires a great amount of skill and special equipment as well as research work and the laboratory is considered a very important factor in maintaining a uniform product.
Since the farmers individually do not have a market for their syrup with the exception of a limited amount sold in gallon cans and practically no
HIGHLAND
HIGHLAND 100% PURE VERMONT MAPLE SAP SYRUP
Ask for Highland Brand at your Neighborhood Food Store
100% Pure Vermont
MAPLE SAP SYRUP
is just ALL MAPLE
From the Maple Orchards on the Hills in Vermont
Packed by Cary Maple Sugar Co., Inc.
ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT "The Maple Center of the World"
MAPLE GROVE
100% PURE VERMONT MAPLE CANDIES MAPLE'SUGAR CAKES MAPLE CREAM
Sold by leading dealers in all parts of the country
MAPLE GROVE INCORPORATED St. Johnsbury, Vermont
market for their lower grades of syrup, the development and growth of the Cary Maple Sugar Co., Inc., in marketing maple products was a natural de- velopment.
Maple Grove, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cary Maple Sugar Co., Inc., uses a vast amount of top grades of maple syrup in the manufacture of their maple sugar novelties and confections which are sold in every state in the union.
To facilitate deliveries a number of warehouse stocks of the finished Highland Brand maple syrup are maintained in strategic cities throughout the country as in addition to St. Johnsbury goods are stocked in New York City, Chicago, Ill., Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, Wash., Portland. Ore .. Phoenix, Ariz., Los Angeles and San Francisco.
A corps of well trained sales representatives who solicit business throughout the country is assisted by advertising from time to time in na- tional magazines and newspapers having a wide circulation so that today Highland Brand is featured by the leading food stores of the nation, endorsed by the best chefs of America, tested and approved by the Council on Foods of the American Medical Association and the Bureau of Foods, Sanitation and Health of Good Housekeeping Magazine and is therefore the standard of quality with the result that St. Johnsbury has been made "The Maple Center of the World."
It was John G. Saxe, a famous poet of an earlier day, who said that Vermont is famous for four things :
""Men, women, maple sugar and horses; The first are strong, the latter fleet, The second and third are exceedingly sweet, And all are uncommonly hard to beat."
The wilderness transformed. The heart of St. Johnsbury Village 150 years after the first settlement began.
Press
T HE Caledonian-Record this year reaches a century of continuous publi- cation. And it is celebrating its 100th year with a series of birthday events which come conveniently in the 150th anniversary year of the founding of the town to make the celebration a universal one in St. Johnsbury
Since the paper was established by Albert G. Chadwick who published the first edition on August 8, 1837 it has enjoyed a conservative, yet sound and healthful growth. Public interest and business demands were responsible for its becoming a daily, and as such it has been published regularly as an evening paper since Herbert A. Smith became publisher and took over the editorship in 1919.
The Caledonian-Record is one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in New England; and like most of the early papers the daily is the outgrowth of a weekly, the St. Johnsbury Caledonian.
From its earliest beginnings when Editor Chadwick published it "in the interests of the Whig party, the protection of American industry, the cause of temperance, and equal rights," the paper had grown to embrace all of the advantages of the metropolitan papers of the present day. It covers its broad field thoroughly, giving prompt and accurate news service, incorporating interesting and unusual features, vigorous and optimistic in its policies and with a well-trained local force, a large corps of out-of-town correspondents and up-to-the-minute news and picture services of the Associated Press.
Although it is 100 years of age, the paper has been under the manage- ment of only six editors during that time. For more than half that period the paper was controlled by one family, Charles M. Stone and his son, Arthur F. Stone.
Editor Chadwick published the paper from 1837 until 1855, and through- out his management across the masthead on every edition he carried these lines :
Here shall the Press the People's rights maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain ; Here patriot Truth her glorious precepts draw, Pledged to Religion, Liberty and Law.
In 1855 the Stone family took over the paper which they published regularly for 55 years, Charles M. Stone being editor and proprietor until his death in 1890. His son. Arthur, then became editor, a position he was to re- tain until he sold the paper in 1910 to Walter J. Bigelow. Editor Bigelow re- tained the publication until 1918 when he turned it over to William Dudley Pelley, the author, who relinquished his holdings after only a year's editor- ship, to Herbert A. Smith, the present editor and publisher.
The Caledonian had its beginnings in the old two story white house removed in 1897 to make way for St. Aloysius Church. The building succes- sively housed Luther Jewett's apothecary, the Caledonian and the Cross Bakery. It was originally built by Major Thomas Peck for a tavern in 1799. Before Jewett's apothecary and the Caledonian occupied it, it was known as Willard Carleton's Tavern. Next door to the place, in 1845, Editor Chad- wick built the beautiful Colonial home which still stands at the corner of Main and Winter streets.
FORTY
The Caledonian-Record office force. Front row, 1. to r., Mrs. Marion Murphy, Mis. Olive Gadapee, Mrs. Annie Moran, mechanical department; Mrs. Helen Desrochers, Mrs. Ruth Wheelock, Miss Elizabeth Fuller, business office; Miss Margery Griswold, editorial. Second row, Robert Caswell, Horace Emmons, Glenn Perry, mechanical department; Herbert A. Smith, Editor and publisher; Neal Phillips, advertising; Lowell Smith, Ralph Morse, editorial; Russell Wheelock, advertising. Back row, Edward Jarvis, Craig King, Willis Pye, Eugene Page, mechanical department; Dwayne Sherrer, Joseph Keilty, Richard Furbush, editorial.
Those of an architectural mind have said that this house is typical of its day, and being still unchanged from its original design, will, if not inter- tered with, preserve for future generations a type of village architecture quite admired in its day.
While there were several small publications which pre-dated the Cale- donian in St. Johnsbury, the most important but, however, short lived, was The Farmer's Herald, edited by Dr. Luther Jewett, who saw in apothecary work greater prosperity than in publishing, so forthwith gave up newspaper work.
Daniel Webster, an American statesman then interested in printing, came to St. Johnsbury in 1830 to study Dr. Jewett's style of work. The greet- ing of the distinguished statesman and the doctor was marked by the cordial- ity of old friendships still cherished by each, for they both had served in Con- gress together a few years before. When Dr. Jewett sold the Herald to Sam- uel Eaton, Jr., in 1832, the new editor changed the name to The Weekly Mes- senger and Connecticut and Passumpsic Valley Advertiser, a banner line which surely must have over-taxed the width of the sheet.
These early papers gave way to Editor Chadwick's weekly Caledonian in 1837. The Caledonian had great difficulty in its early days in getting sub- scribers because the powerful North Star, published at Danville, was the only paper of any age or influence in the county. Prospective subscribers expected that the Caledonian would go the way of all other St. Johnsbury papers before it, and little was their response when horsemen went out into the country- side with the first editions of the new St. Johnsbury weekly.
FORTY-ONE
Danville and Peacham both were more important towns at the time than St. Johnsbury, and both had strong newspapers. The advancement of another paper in St. Johnsbury was regarded as an encroachment on the monopoly held on the county by the Danville and Peacham editors. A further obstacle in the path of the early Caledonian was the postage rate which at the time the paper was founded exceeded the yearly subscription price. There- fore many people looked upon newspapers as a luxury.
The Caledonian has survived three other papers established in the town : the St. Johnsbury Times which started up in 1869; the Vermont Farmer which was an outgrowth of the Times; and the St. Johnsbury Index which was revived with the properties of the Times and the Farmer. These three papers have been declared by St. Johnsbury historians to be "radical journalism for which St. Johnsbury is not a favorable field." The St. Johnsbury Republi- can is the only other local paper of note. It was absorbed and is still pub- lished by the Caledonian-Record Publishing Co.
The most distinguished graduate of the Caledonian office was Col. George B. M. Harvey, who came over from Peacham in young manhood to
THE CALEDONIAN.
The first Caledonian, published August 8, 1837. Note the absence of headlines, the custom of papers of its day.
EXTRA
THE CALEDONIAN-RECORD
EXTRA
Val, KII-No. 101
Juhuabort
It Nowml+ 1, 19J7
Price Two Cents
Report 2 St. Johnsbury Men Lost
CLYDE BUNDY
từut In order to reach Albany, N.
Locod people are making tplet-
scene of the d'd contributi ins of clothing, bed-
AND HAROLD
fresh reporta
of victims that Among fired viet/m. but mare all
PELOW MISSING ist runderably
river.
Arringumente have been
On faut of admittedly incom- made to
receive donati04s
plete information of the disaster Methodist Church.
Clyde
Dundy, 33, and Harold which overtook; ruinent, of Win
All imports og request to gener.
Felww, 24, Are dead, vicums of the onuld valley, where 80 porsons cre al con Muffee should be talephoned
Vermunt flood, according ti
telephone Pomaranlestor meerited feared that complete check of Je
The
committee hands, & apr
of Forest avenue from
her hus
voal further borfirs.
wetuding wholesite committee, L.
Land Col. Tinker, who 'phored
Tise St. Johnt- with ad fstulitie in ff in4 mmdd
Johnsons; relief committee, H. E
bury" men Jout fair line ut Elton iste vilrusty
Waterbory huf 21, whim Barre c re committee,
H. E Hollister; Ar-
according to what nest with T known dead wad lington, kenneth Datles: Railmad
the report Effort w being made a reported poubility that thet fup
ure right pach 20;
coriml;tes, P. HatLo: Housing
Duxbury and North
Truskury complice Allen Health ; eluthin,
al wer sual to have fort 12 pirjons comml;tra, Mis Ma Gilfiliun.
-
. There is great Wrothood
lee wery ardersu witharsw' by cho wic lint this eve-
Major-General
Crown hing Feonomicn! want will be ury-
BOSTON, Nav 7, (AP)-Ato commanding ih. Dr& cofre qha, vu
agualle sod frerung wrather add.
who few to Ti former
Lake panomal . Faree of auxins fu zetrice,
Travel to Derton
by kay nf
Furnacei were woeless 1"
pisces.
The dead m Doel atex known
AT OPLEANS
Finns todiky
bent estaria towant
feeding an.
Concord avance
bandye ib open.
etothing of the."
homes ard Luward prevention of
Parking two feet over herty abd
Hi ldbe. Als wct sent
bag> were piled alory
achen by Ulri: Legare left with a load
cono persona reposted route! frit, dwellings in
Springfield,
Orleans water
supply la rut
Mad close ut 10 o'clock tomår-
off. Eleetale Tikt am us. 2162 ore
morning, Nit
Truck
Still farther south, Connetticol & gJut. New cement bridas on jad for a
" da mad for all points south.
was braring the brust of svage
www in Chicane is valy belly.
CONCORD. N 1 Nov. T.
lies had had thele
I. UDLOW. Nm_ 7 (y wireless . AP)-Lieut R. C. Cnhh of the
vway and rwer thune
I abyred no dow of to Aunawied Prosa From Mide &
East Bustin airport is the first
derkaring na deadly rise. Thirty achusetts Institute of Technology mas to bring tellef by with
foot floo4 etage wan tacy rapid.
food radio atoLon)
Magix tur, since the city was iso-
ly approached at Tisrtfont
Fine which broke out bers sady loted by
the Windowku
in number af pace, innorulk
wwny threatened for Lint to carry float
and other cut work of ilestrarttom jeft um
At least 150 Lars u r+ ruinrel
enutionary incauza.
ps = ie am by rising water, Fanned by ir the flood which arept the mam high wind fire warnt
falroad communicative
was building on river front and sparks the railroad youds HAD new units,
being gradually restored. Ir. Vet
mont little could be Jebe, but in
ally sere put under control with were tre- formel
New Hampshire ant
water bamyed frata river,
fit only for the junk heap. Cobb
their oferta to putch
together bet work of lines which -As volebalve
situstino an this
city and other
citlow unaTreled by finnd wine-
of X+. Enpland
flood tallerere,
erhat
Infter, The pin gram
DL4THR
Binnor wid AT _ti succeeded in dwelloph, frpbring
houerholil
f pwale furnthing of rinthing and r & 14-le | P 9 -
hem proting
of thestuck and farm che de, KiMal al Minh Dubel's
t". "imple ments.
Robafhittation wCi be
y -t beine financal entirely froma hallonul
MEATHIER
trasury of Ked Crow
toluntary contributione as ceme Ip. smi winds
The 3-column single page Caledonian published with a hand press during the 1927 flood.
1837
THE CALEDONIAN-RECORD
STRIKERS RETUI
Over $9.000.000 SIX DROWNED
A Year Wanted
WHEN BOATS
CAPSIZED
Cheap Lobbying
Sit-Down Ball
LOVE OF SLALS
Is Grer
ARTISTS' MUJI
---- ----
ad to discerfor of fooded arem
wort humes Med bien ojtround- aml relief mapbund Juetes by id and cellar ffled
with mebar
Fresdet Coolidge. In army base + ittleten,
by the
bridge over
Mocne
River hire J. M. Smak
to exceed 170. Krluf
While water in the berthem
C H. Gex empmy ard doven
state continued to subelde, npen
tsor. to south primaned zoite will
whom corth mutles of fako shyM' af mul This morning for Concard,
Ismn of giving way. Th. wed N. E.
lake waters
with load ut HE Johnsbury mail.
Thurc Jall . fret ef the Cong-ru
eu! rner at floor stage w imm bomy experienced.
broler oh Willsugaby Take tout jeuves
Auf Jeuves fur Concord
N. 1. with
Burton mad washed away. I'm-
SUCCESSFUL RUN
START MOTE TO
HANDICAP FLOOD CONTROL MEASURE
Laber Rie
----
Accusea Formatry . Governor May Department of Not Approve
---
MILLIOI
To Rum State
ASKS EIGHTEEN
19
THOUSANDS BUDGET BILL
OF
---
RITZ CARLTON
Starta NEXT WEEK COOKING SCHOOL
Plan to 1 attend.
=
RELIEF WORK
P.em Vermont,
most severe los
came dliry and Iske for
datribution
Kreatesco to boast present death
poadded to outfit people along
last night by M+%. John W. Tisser ra-littured river crune Hools Tv
Bolton led ad Vermont
F. Lesch; retall commutire, E.
from Waterbury.
Hollytes:
%% Jumper Centre
uben m flood current swept Uz r
their automobile,
Jh-ne# Cosgrove; Phince
get further laforma rot
Mr. Bundy leavea two children.
Both mmen luft here Thursday
acraged in fuad construction at Bolton, where Y'> lives were lut
All tryps frum fort Etbar Al
DIARY REVEALS
----
==
ANTAL TRADE FROLIC ENJOYS A
attack of -wen Hundreds of dium
mrduy aly54 cad wns anade
About The deputy constables have
to Oriesce for Esly as wofar wal boen sworn in fur venons duties
A Lodge truck comished by the
Lie aopra to make return
brought back af D
y telegram¢
WASHINGTON. Nov. 7. (A") and hitters as he esteld carry f.om
storm turned to destruction, Muk
conducted
# miemicatd news of their anfly to
Cross IM brnicht frlinds in relatives butelde.
That so mod to not
¥M include
SOLD CR SELTED
--
-----
reconstruction Mentyrlitrites
Through treets, Lieut. Cubb waid, and in
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