USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Ryegate > History of Ryegate, Vermont, from its settlement by the Scotch-American company of farmers to present time; > Part 21
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Not far from 1825 John McLure began to make brick on his farm, where his grandson, Charles H. McLure lives, the yard being between the
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latter's house and the main road. Large quantities of brick were made there, and their manufacture was continued till about 1859, supplying most of the brick within a radius of several miles. Lime was burned in small quantities, many years ago from a bed of marl near the outlet of Symes' Pond.
In 1890, Martin H. Gibson opened a brick yard and began the manu- facture of brick at East Ryegate. For the first six years he used two Gage machines which produced about one and a half million of brick a year, but in 1896 he put in a steam brick plant, and thereby greatly in- creased the production. The brick manufactured at East Ryegate have a beautiful cherry color, probably the finest produced anywhere in north- ern New England, and have been used in the construction of numerous large buildings in northern New Hampshire and Vermont. Among these are the Washington County jail and jail house at Montpelier and the Avenue House at St. Johnsbury which were built by Mr. Gibson, the Merchants Bank Block, the Citizens Savings Bank Block, and other build- ings at the latter place, the Catholic Church at Lyndonville, the Barton High School building, the Newport School building, and Odd Fellows Block, the school building at Plymouth, Bank building at Bradford, Tenney Memorial Library at Newbury, the Remick building at Littleton, the Stoughton Block at Whitefield, the Bailey Block at Lancaster, the Catholic Church, Savings Bank building and others at Berlin, N. H., the brick block at South Ryegate and many others, were constructed of East Ryegate brick.
Since the opening of the works Mr. Gibson has made several million of brick, and employs a large number of men, and uses many cords of wood annually.
The business by which Ryegate is most widely known, which employs the largest capital and the greatest number of men, is the Granite indus- try, for whose manufacture Blue Mountain furnishes an inexhaustible supply. The first settlers discovered that they had a valuable asset in the possession of this mountain of granite of the finest quality. This gran- ite lies in sheets, varying in thickness from a few inches to twenty feet. This arrangement of the stone in layers affords a great advantage in allowing casy quarrying. Many varieties of granite are found on the mountain. There are quantities of fine, medium and coarse grained granite, both dark and light in color. One vein of very nice stone, run- ning around the mountain, has been traced for nearly half a mile.
Another important characteristic is the lack of iron, black knots or other blemishes in the rock. A further remarkable and distinguishing feature is the bright lively color of the stone, even after eighty years of
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exposure to the weather, as is evidenced by the granite used in the brick house of Archibald Miller, and in the brick house at the Corner. At one time the state prison had a good prospect of being located here, and would have been, it is said, but for the opposition of one of the leading citizens of the town. It was the design of the state officials to use the prisoners in cutting the granite, as was afterwards done on Mount Ascut- ney when the state prison was built at Windsor.
Among the emigrants from Scotland in the 18th century were several experienced quarriers, as they are called in Scotland, and the state was glad to secure their skill and experience in getting out the stone for the prison at Windsor. In 1807 and the following year, Alexander Miller, Allan Stewart, Robert Gibson, Jonathan Page, John Craig, Ora Wilmot and Stewart Harvey were employed in that capacity, the first named having charge for two seasons of the workmen and prisoners who were getting out the stone on Mount Ascutney.
It is not certain at what period granite began to be quarried on the mountain, but comparison of certain ancient drill holes with some on the Catamount in Haverhill, where the stone for Haverhill jail was quarried about 1793, indicate by their weather-worn appearance that they were of about the same date. The early inhabitants began to use the stone for the foundation work of the framed houses which succeeded the log houses. The lintels and other granite in the stone house built by James Whitehill in 1808 or 1809, a portion of which now forms part of the house of C. W. Whitehill, were from Blue Mountain. When . the brick church at Barnet Centre was built in 1829, stone for the steps were cut from Blue Mountain in sheets 40 feet in length, 8 ft. in width, and 8 inches thick. These were cut into three pieces, and may still be seen in front of the present church.
The first monument, that of John Nelson, was cut in 1854 from Rye- gate granite, and after that its monumental use continued and increased. About 1868 the soldier's monument at Peacham was cut from Ryegate granite, and the beauty and finish of the stone attracted much attention. In 1869 the base of the soldier's monument at St. Johnsbury, which sup- ports the beautiful statue of Liberty by Larkin G. Mead, was cut from the same quarry. For some time before that the stone was drawn dur- ing the winter by teams of oxen, past Mr. George Cochran's to the station at McIndoes. The demand for soldier's monuments and other monumental and building work, from all parts of the country furnished a good market.
With the building of the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad in 1873, the granite business took on new life. In 1874, Robert Laird
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BLUE MOUNTAIN GRANITE. M. H. GIBSON'S QUARRY.
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bought of Archibald and James Park all the granite on their 100 acre lot, and shipped large quantities on a road built by the town, via the Peacham road to South Ryegate and thence by rail to St. Johnsbury, where the stone was manufactured. He carried on a large business for a number of years. In 1891 he sold his quarry to Martin H. Gibson, who a little later, purchased the quarry of the Ryegate Granite Works. The latter quarry had previously been operated by Carter & Kimball who shipped large quantities of stone to Montpelier, and later by the Ryegate Granite Works. Mr. Gibson operated the two quarries as one, carrying on an extensive business, shipping stone, chiefly monuments, to nearly every state in the Union. The quarry is modernly equipped, and was the first to use a steam plant.
Since taking the business in hand Mr. Gibson's aim has been to build up the industry of the town. To this end he has at times leased parts of the quarries, and has given considerable attention to the development of monumental work, having found a fine vein suitable for that. Stone can be cut from the quarry six feet square, and one hundred feet in length, and he has supplied a large number of manufacturing firms at South Ryegate with their rough stock, furnishing nice clean stock.
In the 70's M. F. McDonald and Dr. Nelson bought 100 acres of Albert Hall, and opened a new quarry, which was later taken over and operated by a corporation known as the Blue Mountain Granite Com- pany. The company was managed by M. F. McDonald and Robert Farquharson. Later, it was purchased by Henry Goodine who operated it for about two years, and then sold one half to William Frasier, and the other half to Rosa Bros. These last incorporated and organized the Vermont Gray Granite Co., which has equipped the quarry with a large derrick, and all the modern improvements, and is carrying on a success- ful business, quarrying large quantities of stone. Frasier operated his half for two years, getting out considerable building stone.
In the early 80's, Rodney F. Carter, a traveling salesman visiting the place, was impressed with the beauty and fine quality of the Ryegate granite, and, forming a partnership with Sumner Kimball, came here, and bought the Nelson quarry of 100 acres, and soon after commenced operations in a granite shed at South Ryegate. Mr. Carter soon involved himself and others in financial difficulties, and sold his plant to the Rye- gate Granite Works Company incorporated in 1885, becoming manager of the new enterprise. Under him the company lost heavily during sev- eral years, and in 1889 went into the hands of a receiver. It had done a large amount of excellent work, cutting many soldier's monuments, sev- eral of which were erected on the battlefield of Gettysburg, also several fine mausoleums.
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In 1889, A. F. Mulliken, D. W. Learned, Alexander Dunnett and M. H. Gibson formed a partnership which took over and operated with suc- cess the business of the Ryegate Granite Works for a number of years. In the spring of 1890 Mr. Leonard died, and the surviving partners bought up his share continuing the business successfully until 1897, when Mr. Gibson bought Mr. Mulliken out, and in the next year purchased Mr. Dunnett's interest in the business. Under his management a great amount of work was done. A McDonald stone cutting machine was installed at great expense, which accomplished the work of many men, both Barre and Ryegate granite being used.
Among the finest pieces of work made here were the soldier's monu- ments at Racine, Wis., and Cambridge, Ill., the Dr. Agnew tomb at Phila- delphia, and the receiving vault for Elmwood cemetery at Detroit.
In 1902, a fire breaking out in the office swept through the plant, and burned everything to the ground causing a severe loss to the owner, owing to the expiration of insurance policies which had not been renewed. The loss was about $25,000. At the present writing the site of the Ryegate Granite Works, at what was formerly called Quint place, is a desolate spot.
About 1900 the granite business at South Ryegate began to show new life. Mr. M. F. Sargent built a large 100 ft. shed, and Alexander Beaton, Thomas Courtney, Axel Anderson, John B. Frasier and James Craigie erected new sheds. Rosa Brothers bought out the Blue Moun- tain Granite Co., and afterwards moved a large shed from North Haver- hill. In 1908 Mr. Fred Osgood leased the Frasier quarry, and the sheds at South Ryegate, beginning extensive operations in quarrying and cut- ting building stone. In 1909, he enlarged his plant, leasing other sheds, engaged Robert Farquharson as general superintendent, employing from 75 to 80 men. Among the buildings erected with his granite are post offices at Michigan City, Ind., Hudson, N. Y., Brighton, and Elizabeth, N. J., Ashtabula, O., and Keene, N. H. He has set up work in Washing- ton, D. C., and is to furnish granite for the Corsica Building, at Fifth Avenue and 26th St., New York, and the post office at Marietta, Ohio.
Mr. M. F. McDonald has been connected with the granite business since May 20, 1873, when he came here to take charge of a branch shop established by the St. Johnsbury Granite Co., which was composed of R. W. Laird and Hiram Moody.
In the spring of 1873, the rough stock was hauled from the quarry by four pairs of oxen, from the mountain down by the Martin Hall place, and No. 3 schoolhouse and the Henderson now the Fisk place, loading without a derrick. They were the first in the state to use granite polish-
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ing machines. In 1876 the St. Johnsbury Co., discontinued their branch shop and Mr. McDonald has since conducted the business alone.
Among those interested in the business have been the late Dr. Darling and his sons, the Robens and others. The Blue Mountain Granite Com- pany was organized, and did an extensive business during some years. Mr. Alexander Cochran was the financial head of the concern, furnished money, and indorsed its notes. Upon the failure of the company in 1892, Mr. Cochran was obliged to take the property into his own hands. Their plant included abont 60 acres of land on and about Blue Mountain, with sheds and a polishing mill at South Ryegate. As before stated, this plant was afterwards sold to the Rosa Brothers.
During the year 1900 about 140 men were employed in the granite business at South Ryegate, and the same business furnishes employment for numbers of quarry men, teamsters and the like.
The first work done with Ryegate granite was crude, chiefly monu- ments in what was called the Bunker Hill style, with marble slabs set in the side for the lettering, it not being thought that it could be lettered, much less polished. It is believed that the business has been carried on continuously since about 1865 when the McPhees from Barnet and Sortwell of MeIndoes and Peacham, who made the soldier's monument at the latter place, began work. Among the earlier workers, besides the Lairds and Hiram Moody were Joseph George, and Sumner Kimball of Montpelier, and Ryegate. Ryegate work has gone into every state in the Union and some parts of Canada.
Some of the best made here are the Morgan monument at Batavia, N. Y., soldiers' monuments Painsville, O., Davenport, Iowa, and many at Gettysburg and other battlefields of the civil war. Mr. McDonald has placed over thirty monuments in the cemetery at Orford, N. H.
For the last few years about two carloads of finished granite are shipped from South Ryegate each working day valued at about $10,000 per month. Within the past two years the introduction of electric power has made quicker and better work possible.
At present there are six different quarries on the mountain from which granite is brought to South Ryegate. Among those manufactur- ing granite are A. T. Beaton, James Beaton, Rosa Bros., H. W. Goodine, T. Courtney, James Craigie, Ed. Metcalf, M. F. McDonald, Anderson & Hartz, H. Samuelson, E. E. Eliason, T. S. Gray, The C. E. Greene Co., M. H. Gibson, manager, and the Osgood Granite Co. About 175 men are now employed in different capacities in the business.
In February, 1908, the manufacturers formed an association in order to better conditions, meet labor difficulties, and for mutual assistance.
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Few manufacturing communities have escaped labor difficulties, and differences between employers and employed. The granite business in Ryegate has been no exception, and the history of the rise and growth of trade unions here is of importance as determining and insuring the right of employees to form organizations. Mr. J. D. Grant, the secretary of the local branch of the Granite Cutter's Union, who was asked by the committee to prepare a brief historical sketch of the Union, responded in a paper which restricted space has compelled us to condense in its less important parts. Mr. Grant's paper seems a fair presentation of the Union's side of the case, yet it must be remembered that the same meas- ure looked very differently from the other side.
The South Ryegate branch of the Granite Cutter's National Union was organized April 2, 1885, to remedy by united action conditions which were far from satisfactory. The granite business had risen from very small beginnings in 1873, till in 1885 about 100 men were employed in the various processes by which the rough stone in the ledge on Blue Mountain was quarried, drawn, cut and polished for shipment. The conditions, which prevailed in the day of small things, were unchanged when the business became extensive. There was no regular pay-day, or fixed scale of wages, and other matters were far from satisfactory. The first step toward starting a branch of the National Union was taken by ten men who met in one of the granite sheds on March 24th, 1885, and affixed their names to a petition to the National Committee, in Philadel- phia for a charter to form a branch of the union at this place. The nec- essary authority being received, the Union was organized on the above date, C. C. Stewart being chosen president; H. A. West, vice-president ; J. D. Grant, secretary ; John W. Haley, treasurer; the standing commit- tee being Geo. Sheriffs, O. E. Clay, and P. B. Fraser. The other original members were John Dillon, Alex. Barrata, and Dennis Cleary. By the 9th of April the number of members had increased to twenty-four, and the employers being alarmed, met at the house of R. F. Carter, and united in addressing a letter to each member of the union declaring their opposi- tion to the organization, their resolve- to deal with each workman indi- vidually, and their determination to employ no man who joined the union. Looking back to this meeting, through many years, one feels to regret that conciliatory measures had not been adopted, and the parties assisted to a mutual understanding.
The members of the union united in a letter to the directors of the granite works, in which they disavowed any intention of making trouble with employers who treated their men fairly and their desire to see the granite business here placed on a basis of fair and honest dealing between
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employers and employed. The branch also laid their case before the National Union, and were assured of support, the shops of the Ryegate Granite Works and the Blue Mountain Co., being placed on the opposi- tion list. The letter of the union was tabled by the directors, who voted not to hire any man who belonged to the union. The members of the union, finding that they could with difficulty obtain employment else- where as their names had been placed on the "black list," conceived the idea of starting a co-operative company for the manufacture of granite work by the men themselves, and negotiations were begun with Dr. J. B. Darling for a site on which to ereet a cutting and polishing plant to be operated by the men themselves.
The granite manufactures, however, led by R. F. Carter, represented to the State's Attorney that there was trouble among the granite work- ers at South Ryegate, and Sheriff Sulloway with deputies on the morn- ing of April 16, under charges of conspiracy and intimidation arrested C. C. Stewart, O. E. Clay, George Sherriffs, Peter B. Fraser, A. M. Holmes, John W. Haley, Charles Exley, O. W. Lewis, Wm. D. Darling, Wm. Troup, John Ingram, H. A. West, Dennis Cleary, P. W. Hendrick, John MeGeough, and J. D. Grant, a deputy being appointed to guard each prisoner till the arrival of the train which was to take them to jail at St. Johnsbury. In the meantime the action of the sheriff had become known, and a bond to furnish whatever bail would be required was signed by Dr. J. B. Darling, Samuel Mills, Sr., H. G. Gibson, Pringle Gibson, J. R. Park, James White, E. G. Lind, S. Mills, Jr., M. F. Sargent, D. B. Cross, James Dickey, M. F. MeDonald and Robert Nelson, all men of good financial standing. At St. Johnsbury the men appeared before Marshall Montgomery, the State's Attorney, and were defended by Bates and May, assisted by Harry Blodgett, while H. C. Ide repre- sented the state. Bail at $500 each was promptly furnished by Dr. Dar- ling and Samuel Mills, Sr., representing the signers of the bond, and the men were released and returned home the same night.
Their hearing at St. Johnsbury before N. M. Johnson, Esq., was April 17-21, and their case was dismissed. The men were, however, re-arrested on a new indictment and taken before Judge Walter P. Smith, who decided to send the case to the County Court, where it was tried at the June term. Thirteen of the respondents were acquitted and discharged. The case of the other three, C. C. Stewart, O. E. Clay and J. D. Grant, officers of the branch, was continued, and taken to the Supreme Court on excep- tions. The indictment was sustained and the case remanded to the County Court, the bail of the three being reduced from $500 each to $100. The case was continued from term to term, mainly from the
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difficulty which the prosecution found in securing the attendance of wit- nesses, till the December term of 1887. The National Union, which had been paying the bills, was impatient to have the case settled, and sent Gen. Roger A. Pryor to assist the defense before a jury.
The case was, by conference of the representatives of all the parties, settled by the payment of the nominal fine of $20 for each of the three respondents and no costs. Thus the right of men to organize themselves into a U'nion was established.
Mr Grant says: "Meantime the co-operative idea had materialized. And a number of the Union men became associated under the name of the Union Co-operative Granite Co., and commenced to manufacture granite work. This move by the union men was looked upon with dis- favor by the opposition firms, and many inducements were thrown out to the men to desert the union and go back to their former places, and some did so. But the Branch kept on gaining in membership and in determination to stick to the union. The sentiment of the community was greatly divided between ' union' and ' non-union.' Even the churches were affected to some degree by this 'bone of contention.'"
Such a state of things could not continue in a well ordered commun- ity, and the first firm to enter into harmonious arrangements with the union was the Blue Mountain Company, run by McDonald and Farqu- harson, who agreed to recognize the union, and hire union men on the same ternis as other men. Hendrick Bros. had before started a shop on the same basis, making three union and one non-union.
The year 1886 was a very good one in the granite business, several new men came into the place, a branch of the National Union was formed at Barre, the employees of the R. G. W. Co., felt interested in the union, 19 joined in a body Feb. 1, 1887 and all parties came to a mutual under- standing by which a settlement of the difficulties was effected.
The Company agreed to use their influence with their employees to prevent suits by them against members of the union by reason of any damages sustained by them, and that the Company would not discrim- inate between union or non-union men, agreeing not to employ men who were objectionable to the Union. Several minor differences were also set- tled, and the long struggle came to an end, to the great joy of the whole community. Greatly improved conditions were secured by the men, and the employers also were benefited by the better feeling between the par- ties, as the following will illustrate.
In the winter of 1887-'8 the R. G. W. Co., feeling the general financial stringency, the men of their own motion offered to work till the 1st of April for five per cent reduction in wages, and by offering to assist the
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Company by allowing a part of their wages to remain unpaid till April and May. This offer was accepted in the spirit with which it was ten- dered.
But the settlement of the trouble between the granite companies and the union was the ruin of the co-operative company ; the members fell off one by one, the company disbanded and James White was appointed as receiver to wind up the affairs of the concern, settling with the creditors for fifty cents on the dollar, a discouraging outcome financially. But Mr. Grant considers that the enterprise had the good result of keeping the men together during a critical period in the life of the branch until the principal of organization by working men was firmly established in this state.
The South Ryegate branch has been remarkably free from misun- derstandings and disputes with the employers. It has had its "ups and downs," like other organizations sensitive to the influences of good or bad times. It has survived two general lock-outs, the great New Eng- land lock-out of 1892, and the more recent suspension in 1908 when there was nothing doing from March 1st to April 10th.
The average membership may be placed at from 60 to 70.
CHAPTER XIX.
LOCAL MATTERS.
INDUSTRIAL CHANGES .- MR. WHITELAW'S OBSERVATIONS .- WILD ANIMALS .- DAI RYING .- FARMS .- FAIRS .- CREAMERIES -BLUE MOUNTAIN GRANGE .- MISCEL- LANEOUS.
B EFORE leaving the subject of manufactures in this town it may be noted that the changing industrial conditions of the past sixty years have occasioned the discontinuance of many trades and small indus- tries which once flourished in country towns. In almost every town in this vicinity are sites of former industries, some of which had considerable reputation in their day, and were the centers of small hamlets in which the workmen lived. Some of these passed away so long ago that only the older people know where the buildings stood. The discontinuance of these small industries has assisted in producing the decrease of popula- tion in many towns, a fact not sufficiently considered by those who write of the loss in the population of rural communities.
Before the days of railroads many industries which are now concen- trated in large towns where great numbers of workinen and large aggre- gations of capital are employed, were scattered all over the country in small concerns, where local capital found employment, and where the operatives were gathered from the immediate neighborhood. They also provided, to a limited extent, a market for the farmers in their vicinity. Sixty years ago there were woolen mills in Barnet, Danville, Sutton, Bath, Haverhill and other towns in this vicinity ; foundries and machine shops at Bradford, extensive iron works at Franconia, tanneries and starch factories in almost every town. These have all disappeared, and, in most cases nothing has taken their place. There were, also, fulling mills, flax mills, carding mills and the like.
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