Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/299

 A SKETCH OF BRISTOL. 271

facture of tally-board rules, surveyors and advertising rules, log calipers, etc. Galley & Currier manufacture crutches of various sizes and styles and of superior workmanship, and there are various other minor establishments.

MERCANTILE AND MISCELLANEOUS.

Bristol enjoys excellent facilities as a country trade center, both from natural advantage ot location and the fact that it has been for thirty-five years past a railroad terminus. The first store in town was kept by Ichabod C. Bartlett, and the old-fashioned, square-roofed building which he first occupied for this purpose is still pointed out, in the location to which it was long since removed, as an object of curiosity to visitors. Subsequently he erected and occupied the large store at the head of the square now occupied by Hon. Cyrus Taylor, who has been in business here for forty years, and has long been recognized as the leading merchant in this section. Previous to entering business on his own account he served for five years as a clerk in the store under Mr. Bartlett, and Bartlett & Sleeper, was then for about sixteen years in partnership with Gusta- vus Bartlett in the same store, and since that time has himself owned and man- aged the business. It is a general store fully stocked in all departments, and the annual business ranges from $30,000 to $60,000. Mr. Taylor has been prominent in town and general public affairs, and was a member of the state Senate in 1869-70. The other general stores in the place are those of L. W. Hammond, Seavey & Co., and Charles Boardman, each having a profitable trade.

William George has a large store filled with an extensive assortment of dry and fancy goods, boots, shoes and rubbers, jewelry, toy?, etc. He has been in business here ten years and enjoys an extensive patronage. C. H. Dickenson and Connor & Co. deal in clotliing, hats, caps, boots and shoes ; A. A. Butrick & Co. and Mrs. S. M. Ballou, in millinery and small wares, the former also being engaged in dressmaking ; S. W. Call and F. VV. Bingham, stoves and tin-ware ; Frank Bingham and C. H. Tukey, harnesses, etc.. and C. H. Blackstone, musical instruments and sewing machines, together with other small shops too numerous to mendon. F. H. Briggs, photographer, should not be omitted from the list.

There are two hotels — the Bristol House, O. K. Bucklin, proprietor, — a large, four-story house with fifty-two sleeping rooms, and Brown's Hotel, G. G. Brown, proprietor, with about twenty-five rooms, both well managed and extensively patronized.

Bristol Savings Bank, incorporated 1868, has now deposits and sur- plus together, in excess of $300,000. S. K. Mason has been president of the bank from the start, and Geo. M. Cavis treasurer for the last five years.

There is an Odd Fellows Lodge located here — Cardigan Lodge, No. 38 — with abqut one hundred and fifteen members. Weston Rowell, N. G. ; C. M. Coolidge, Sec. ; H. A. Randolph, Dep. to G. L. There is also a Masonic Lodge — Union Lodge, No. 79 — with one hundred and ten members. G. Gal- ley, VV. M. ; J. N. Dickenson, Sec. ; Ira A. Chase, Rep. to G. L. Both lodges have fine, well furnished halls, leased for a term of years.

The magnitude of the business at this point is measurably mdicated by the extent of the freight and passenger traffic, the receipts from which, at the Bristol station, amount to over chree thousand dollars monthly. From four hundred to one thousand passenger tickets are sold per month. The freiglit for half a dozen stores and eight or ten mills, outside of Bristol village, is also done at this I station.

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