History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 51

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 51

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The financial crisis of 1837-38 crushed all business at this point, and after a struggle of about a year from the time when sawing began, the firm yielded to the pressure, gave up everything to their creditors and assigned to Francis Slason, of West Rutland. Under his direction the business was carried on three or four years, with Moses Humphrey as superintendent ; the Humphrey brothers soon gave up all interest in the business and removed from the place. Mr. Ormsbee retained some hold upon the property and associated himself with his brother, T. J. Ormsbee, who carried on the business two years longer. Their principal business was sawing marble that was drawn there from West Rutland, the local trade taking most of the sawed stock, and a small part of it finding its way via Whitehall to points farther west. Between 1845 and 1854

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the marble business at Sutherland Falls was substantially at a stand-still, quarries having in the mean time been opened at West and Center Rutland, and larger mills erected. The wood-work in the old mill fell into decay ; the quarry openings became frog ponds, and the entire enterprise seemed to have drooped into permanent stagnation.

For a few years before his death in 1848 Joseph Humphrey, jr., had carried on a business of considerable importance for the time in finishing grave-stones in a shop built by himself. A part of the period he was associated with Hills Taylor, under the firm style of Humphrey & Taylor, and their work attained a favorable local reputation.

In the year 1854 the North River Mining Company, which had been pros- pecting for marble in the town of Sudbury, undertook the resuscitiaton of the Sutherland Falls business. The railroad was now in operation, supplying means of transportation, and circumstances seemed more favorable for the business. But the quarries at West Rutland had been largely worked, as we have before shown, and there was a large quantity of the marble in the market; it was of a finer grain than that taken out at the falls and easier worked ; this labor being then nearly all done by hand labor, it was for the interest of mar- ble-workers throughout the country to favor the sale of the West Rutland pro- duct. These facts, with the active competition inspired by the energetic men who had engaged in the business, made it difficult to market the Sutherland Falls marble in large quantities. The old mill had been rebuilt and started, however, and some of the Sudbury marble sawed ; a small business was started and it gradually grew, one of the favorable conditions being the excellence of the marble of this locality for out-door uses. But the slow growth of the trade and other causes told heavily upon the resources of the company, and in 1857, after a three years' struggle, the company failed ; all business was again sus- pended.

The management of the works during this company's regime was in the hands of Francis A. Fisher, who resided at the falls until 1866, when he re- moved to Rutland, and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1878.

In 1857 a reorganization was effected and the " Sutherland Falls Marble Company" was formed. It contained as its leading spirits such men as George Madden, of Middletown, N. Y .; Emerson Bryant, of Boston ; ex-Governor John B. Page, and Judge John Pront, of Rutland ; H. P. Roberts assumed the position of superintendent and manager. The business now began to grow ; a few more houses for workmen were erected and six gangs of saws were added to the mill ; but still the workers of marble preferred the softer stone from West Rutland, the sales of which were being pushed with energy. Equal en- terprise at the falls, with the real merits and beauties of the marble, however, combined to foster the steady growth of the business at this point and it pros- pered accordingly.

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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

Mr. Roberts, the manager, lived at the falls five or six years and was suc- ceeded by J. S. Hughes, of Middletown, N. Y. Both of these men became engaged in railroad contracting after leaving this place. A. C. Wicker, of Fairhaven, was book-keeper and clerk for a short period, and after his depart- ure Warren Decker assumed the position. Between 1860 and 1864 J. E. Cor- win was clerk for about two years. He became in later years a bank president in Indiana. Mr. Humphrey mentions among those whose faces were familiar at the time of which we are writing, either in connection with the marble in- dustry or otherwise about the place, A. F. Manley, who was foreman for years on the quarry ; Hills Taylor, who worked many years in the coping-shop ; William Maynard, Henry and G. J. Cady, James and Daniel Rogers, J. C. and A. C. Powers, William and D. B. Humphrey, N. S. Warner, Leverett Chatter- ton and others.

In the year 1864 J. B. Reynolds became general superintendent and man- ager of the marble business at the falls. Under his administration the industry made material advancement. The mill was increased to twelve gangs; tene- ment houses erected, etc. It is claimed, also, that some of the investments, particularly for the "crane shed," with machinery for handling and storing marble, that cost about $40,000, and the project of carrying water in a pen- stock from Beaver Pond for propelling the hoisting machinery and pumping the quarry, with other extensive operations, were unwise and resulted in heavy loss. Harvey Reynolds, a brother of the superintendent, was interested in the business for a time, and in connection with A. F. Manley had a contract for quarrying marble by the foot.

J. B. Reynolds finally made a contract with S. M. Dorr and J. J. Myers by which they were to carry on the business of sawing and selling the marble un- der a lease. While this arrangement was in force the two men purchased of T. J. Ormsbee the land and water privileges where the present large mill stands and in 1867-68 they erected the first eight-gang mill on the site ; it was their enterprise, also, that first conveyed the motive power from the water-way at the level of the old mill in the hollow, up to the level of the railroad track, where the bulk of the great business is now done.

The business as conducted by Dorr & Myers, through some complications and differences which need not be detailed, was finally placed in the hands of a receiver, in the person of Redfield Proctor. He assumed the management of the interest in the fall of 1868 and removed to Sutherland Falls at that time.

MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.

In attempting to describe the manufacturing interests of Rutland, it may be prefaced that they have almost entirely grown to their present proportions since the advent of the railroads, if we except the incipient marble opera- tions. Without railroads manufacturing industries could not thrive in compe-

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tition with those of other localities where transportation was rapid and cheap, even with the possession of the ample water power of this town. But the moment that manufactured products could he marketed at low rates, then cap- ital and energy were turned in that direction, and the lapse of thirty years has witnessed the up-building of a manufacturing interest solid in foundation, com- prehensive in variety and such as will surely grow and add largely to the wealth and prosperity of the village and town. Our description of these va- rious industries must of necessity be very brief : -

The Howe Scale Company .- Nine-tenths of the weighing scales used in the world are made in the State of Vermont. A large proportion of these are made in Rutland by the company above named ; the ingenious, accurate and beautiful scales turned out by this company are vastly different utensils from those of the days when our grandmothers went upon the principle that a pint of most ordinary commodities was a pound, or, what was little better, hung a package on one end of the tilting bar of the antique steelyard and a weight on the other, looked at the irregular notches and guessed at the weight. Those old- fashioned household utensils have long been superseded and to-day not only do Americans use the Vermont scales throughout this country, but on them the Chinese and the Japanese weigh their teas, the Australian his wool, the South American his gutta percha, the African merchant in Cape Town his ivory ; in short, they are seen wherever civilization has made their use desira- ble.

The invention of the Howe scale dates from the year 1855, when F. M. Strong and Thomas Ross, two young men of energy and mechanical genius, began studying the problem of how to make a perfect weighing device. Their success was ample and in 1856 their first patent was secured. In the fall of the same year they put up their first scale in Vernon, N. Y. About the same time they finished and exhibited specimens of their hay scales and other smaller styles at the fair of the American Institute, in New York, where they attracted favorable attention. In the spring of 1857 John Howe, jr., then of Brandon, Rutland county, became impressed with the value of the invention, purchased the patent of the inventors and began their manufacture at Bran- don. A stock company was subsequently organized and the business contin- ued until 1877 ; but the works at Brandon were not conveniently situated rel- ative to railroad shipments, and it was determined in 1877 to remove the entire plant to Rutland. In making this change Hon. John B. Page was largely in- strumental and has ever since held the office of treasurer or president of the company. Eleven acres of land, a tract triangular in shape, situated at the junction of the Central Vermont and the Bennington and Rutland railroads, was purchased and during the years 1877-78 commodius and convenient build- ings were erected for the works; to these various additions have since been made. A careful study was made to adapt the buildings to their several pur-

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poses in the best possible manner. A thorough watch service was instituted, and for protection from fire hydrants were located on the gounds, supplied by a powerful pump and furnished with ample hose. The buildings are all of one story, wood, lined with brick and supplied with the best apparatus for car- rying on all of the various branches of the work. We cannot go into a de- tailed description of the advantages which the Howe scale possesses over oth- ers ; but, in brief, their chief advantage (and it is a most important one) rests in the placing of chilled iron balls between the platform and the bearings which rest upon the delicate knife edges which contribute to the accuracy of the scale. The principal effect of these balls is to relieve the knife edges, upon the preservation of which depends the wear of the scale and its continued ac- curacy, from all possibility of injury from the inevitable oscillation of the plat- form when placing goods upon it. No other scale uses this feature, which is covered by patents.

The Howe Scale Company is one of the institutions of Rutland and has contributed much to its growth and prosperity. From two hundred and fifty to four hundred hands are employed on the average. The annual value of the product of the company is now from $1,000,000 to $1,250,000. The present officers of the company are -- , president ; 1 W. W. Reynolds, superintendent ; W. F. Lewis, assistant superintendent ; J. W. Norton, cashier and clerk ; agencies are established in the principal cities of the world and all nations are patrons of the company.

The Lincoln Iron Works .- These works are now operated by a stock com- pany with $50,000 capital (increased to that sum from $40,000), of which Red- field Proctor is president ; W. A. Patrick, superintendent, and Rockwood Bar- rett, treasurer. The foundation of the business dates from the fall of 1868, when Thomas Ross began here the manufacture of stone, mill and quarrying machinery, and the crescent coffee and spice mill, the invention of Thomas and Crawford D. Ross. Thomas Ross was one of the inventors of the Ilowe scales, as before noted ; he was killed on the 5th of January, 1881, by the bursting of an emery wheel in his works. In 1882 the present company purchased the property and have since doubled its capacity ; about sixty hands are employed. The shops are on West street, near the railroad.

D. Shortsleeve & Company ( O. L. Robbins and B. E. Horton ), Foundry and Machine Shop .- The senior member of this firm was the originator of the busi- ness; having leased a small shop, in which he was the sole workman, in 1877. He is a good mechanic, an inventor of some note, and energetic ; hence he succeeded, and in the following year built his shop. Again in 1880 and 1881 he was compelled by increasing business to erect additions to his works. In 1883 O. L. Robbins and D. M. White became his partners. In February,

1 The late Hon. John B. Page was president of the company at the time of his death in October, 1885.

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1884, B. E. Horton purchased Mr. White's interest. Their general business is the manufacture of all kinds of quarrying, stone and slate-working machinery, and iron and wood-working machinery, granite turning and polishing machine- ry, and Shortsleeve's patent gang stone-sawing machines. About $25,000 are invested and thirty hands employed.

J. H. Holmes & Co., Boiler Manufacturers. - The firm of Holmes Brothers (John and Joseph H.) was established in 1872, on Strong's avenue, in the same business as at present. In 1881 the business was removed to its present loca- tion, near the railroads, and in the following year D. M. White bought an in- terest in the works. The manufacture of boilers is extensively carried on by them.

Rutland Foundry and Machine Shop and Charles P. Harris Manufactur- ing Co .-- The Rutland Foundry and Machine Shop was originated before 1840 by Blake & Daracut, of Boston, and was one of the earliest manufacturing establishments in the village. Through the influence of those gentlemen the Brandon Iron and Car Wheel Company's plant was brought here and the com- pany merged with the other firm. In 1860 Joel B. Harris became interested in the establishment and a few years later bought out the firm. In the year 1874 the firm of Harris & Clark (Charles P. Harris and George E. Clark) was formed for the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. In 1876 Mr. Clark went out of the firm, and in 1880 the Charles P. Harris Manufacturing Company was organized, a machine shop business added and the manufacture of cane-seat chairs on a large scale. Meanwhile the Rutland Nail Works, which were started about 1870 by L. W. Collins, of Fairhaven, sold a half interest to the Harris Manufacturing Company in 1876, and in 1880 the remaining half was purchased ; the works, which were situated near the Lincoln Iron Works, were removed by the Harris Company to their present location. In 1880 the Fair- haven Nail Works were also consolidated with the company and the manufac- ture of cut nails from worn-out marble-saws continued. In 1882 the two com- panies (Rutland Foundry and Machine Shop Company and the Charles P. Harris Manufacturing Company) were consolidated under a special act of the Legis- lature. The capital stock is $125,000. Joel B. Harris is president of the con- pany ; A. B. Harris, of Springfield, Mass., vice-president; Charles P. Harris, treasurer. A general machine-shop business, the manufacture of car wheels and railroad work, is carried on ; with sash, doors and blinds, cane-seat chairs and nails. Seventy-five men are employed in these works and 200 in the chair industry outside of the shops.

The Steam Stone-Cutter Company. - This company was organized and in- corporated under New York laws as far back as 1865, and in 1867 the works were established in Rutland, for the manufacture of the Wardwell stone chan- neling and quarrying machines. Mr. Wardwell, the inventor, is a resident of Rutland village, and the business is, therefore, a pure local enterprise. The

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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

machines made by this company are covered by patents in the United States, Canada, France and England, and are in use in most parts of the civilized world. Mr. Wardwell, who has given his entire attention to the perfecting of quarrying machinery for twenty-five years, was the pioneer in that work and built the first practical and successful machines. Three styles of machine are now made by the company, to which more detailed reference is made in the chapter devoted to the marble industry, in preceding pages. The use of chan- neling machinery almost revolutionized the quarrying of marble, limestone and sandstone, through their wonderful economy in labor, and they are now in use in nearly all the marble quarries of Vermont and most of the large quarries of the country. Like all successful and valuable inventions, this one has been re- peatedly infringed and the company has been forced to expend something like sixty thousand dollars in defending their rights. The company now employ an average of twenty hands. The officers are J. W. Cramton, president ; Geo. E. Royce, treasurer ; George B. Royce, secretary, and George J. Wardwell, superintendent. (See biography in later pages).

Mansfield & Stimson ( G. R. Mansfield and C. L. Stimson), Foundry and Machine Shop. - In the year 1853 J. H. Bowman came to Rutland and was connected with the Brandon Iron and Car Wheel Works, which we have men- tioned as having been removed here from Brandon, and in the following year G. R. Mansfield came here, and joined Mr. Bowman a few years later in the purchase of a portion of the company's plant, which they removed to their present location, on Freight street. Temporary buildings were first erected, and subsequently the present structures. In December, 1865, Mr. Bowman retired from the firm and C. L. Stimson took his place; there has been no change since that date. They manufacture all kinds of quarrying, marble and slate manufacturing machinery, steam engines, and deal in pipe and pipe-fit- tings, etc. About forty men are employed.

Gay, Kimball & Co. - This firm was established in May, 1875, at Gays- ville, Windsor county, where they remained until 1880. The business was the manufacture of vegetable ivory buttons and later of composition buttons. At the date last mentioned the firm removed their works to Rutland and occupied the buildings formerly used by the Rutland Chair Works. In 1883 they pur- chased the shirt manufacturing business of J. M. Haven, situated on Willow street, and removed it to their button factory. The shirt factory was estab- lished by Thayer & Co. in 1880. The manufactory of buttons is now tempo- rarily discontinued. About fifty hands are employed in the making of shirts and from 100 to 200 when the button factory is in operation. The firm is composed of Nelson Gay, E. B. Kimball and Frederick Gay.

J. E. Post is manufacturing Richardson's patent carbonized pipes for sew- ers and drains, a valuable article for those purposes. He also sells the Akron pipe.

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TOWN OF RUTLAND.

The marble manufacturing business of Brown & Bagley was begun by M. R. Brown at the House of Correction soon after it was built in 1877-78. In the year 1881 L. G. Bagley acquired an interest in the business. A contract was en- tered into by the firm by which they secured the service of the convicts in the in- stitution for five years at thirty cents a day ; this contract was renewed in 1884 for five years. About sixty convicts are constantly employed, with from fif- teen to twenty free men who are skilled in the trade. Their work embraces almost everything in the line of cemetery work and interior decorative marble, and their trade now extends to nearly every State in the Union. They man- ufacture in large quantities, confine themselves to work of excellent quality and command the confidence of their patrons and business men generally.

Clark Brothers (G. F. and }. S. Clark ). - This firm began working marble and granite in Rutland in the fall of 1883 ; their granite coming from Barre, Vt., and Quincey, Mass. Their product reaches a value of $7,000 annually.

C. L. Long is one of the early wagon-makers of the village, beginning in 1852 on Woodstock avenue. He removed to the village and his present loca- tion in 1866 and built his shops. He makes all varieties of work and employs six men. L. Miner & Son (L. Miner, James and Levi F.) began wagon-mak- ing here in 1875. Previous to that time they carried on blacksmithing. They removed to their present location, West street, from near Main street in 1882. Ziba Terrill was one of the early wagon builders of the place, beginning as early as 1847, on what is now Terrill street. He carried on the business there until 1854, when his son Samuel joined him. The partnership continued to 1859, after which Samuel conducted the business until 1884, when his son, W. S., became a partner. The business was moved to West street in 1858.

The Rutland Cracker Company was formed in 1881, but was not incor- porated until the fall of 1883. J. S. Tuttle is president ; C. A. Thompson, vice-president ; H. E. Tuttle, treasurer, and C. H. Boardman, secretary. The company is extensively engaged in baking.

The Lyon Steam Bakery is the successor of Daniel Verder's bakery. T. J. Lyon purchased the establishment and put in steam power in 1869; it is the only steam bakery in the village and does a large and increasing business.

The working of marble, outside of the quarries and the large companies, is quite an extensive industry in this town. Among the firms engaged in this industry are J. Everson & Co., the senior of whom began the business in 1879 at No. 2 Church street and removed to the present location in 1884. They employ twelve men on monuments, cemetery work, etc. W. R. Kinsman be- gan the marble working business in 1883, purchasing the works of E. Bowman, who had carried on the work eight years. Monumental work forms the prin- cipal part of his business.

Mercantile. - The extended space already devoted to this town precludes the possibility of mentioning more than the leading business houses of the vil-

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lage, particularly those which are gradually developing a wholesale trade. The men who are interested in the prominent mercantile houses of the place are conspicuous for their high character, their judicious and conservative business methods and the general metropolitan appearance of their places of business ; the latter will compare favorably in many cases with the prominent stores of cities vastly larger than Rutland.

There is but one distinctly wholesale grocery house in the place - that of E. D. Keyes & Co. The business of E. D. Keyes & Co. was established in 1871, the first of the kind in the place. The firm comprises E. D. Keyes, C. O. Perkins and Erwin E. Keyes.

In hardware, French & Kingsley began dealing in this line in connection with furniture and carpets, on the site now occupied by E. D. Keyes & Co., in 1857, continuing until 1865 ; in that year Levi G. Kingsley took the entire business, which had been removed to the present location on Merchants Row in 1863 ; there was then but one other hardware store in the village - that of James Barrett & Son, where W. C. Landon is now located. Mr. Kingsley has an extensive trade, a fair share of which is in wholesaling. (See biography of L. G. Kingsley in later pages of this work.)

The hardware business of A. C. Bates & Son was begun in 1862 by Lan- don & Bates (Albert Landon), in the Bates House block. The firm next be- came Bates & Gibbs (E. W. Gibbs), and again in 1866, Landon & Bates. In 1871 Harry M. Bates became a member and the firm took its present style. They are jobbers of saddlery hardware, harness and wagon woods, belting, etc.

The firm of Dunn & Cramton are successors of the firm of Cramton & Dunn, which began business in 1858. In 1867 J. C. Dunn purchased the in- terest of Mr. Cramton and a year later formed a partnership with H. A. Saw- yer, C. C. Dunn and J. W. Cramton, under the style of Dunn, Sawyer & Co. Two years later C. C. Dunn sold to his partners and the next year Mr. Saw- yer also sold to the remaining partners. The firm has remained as at present since 1871. Their stock is stoves and general hardware.

In the jobbing of paper stock and kindred goods a considerable business is done. The business in this line now carried on by H. A. Sawyer & Co. was begun by H. A. Sawyer, J. W. Cramton and J. C. Dunn, on the corner of West street and Merchants Row in 1867. The next year Sawyer & Dunn purchased Mr. Cramton's interest ; then Mr. Sawyer purchased Dunn's interest and sold it immediately to C. C. Dunn. One year later the business was con- solidated with Dunn & Cramton's hardware trade and the wholesale part of the business was removed to the Dunn & Cramton store. This continued for three years, when the firm of Dunn, Sawyer & Co. was dissolved and H. A. Sawyer took the paper trade into his control in the south store now occupied by Dunn & Cramton. Two years later he sold out to the Globe Paper Company, and the business was removed to its present location. Mr. Sawyer was a member

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History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 51

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170