Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/331

 SKETCH OF LITTLETON. 301

world. This firm commenced making mountain views for the stereoscope about eighteen years ago. The pictures soon attained a wide popularity, and Mr. Kilburn visited other sections of the State and of the country at large, as well as Canada, Mexico, the Bermudas, England, Scotland, and Ireland, con- stantly increasing the variety until he has now from four to five thousand nega- tives, including statuary, fancy groups, etc. A large three-story building, erected for the purpose, is occupied by his business, and the number of pictures produced and sold last year reached 417,000.

Mr. G. H. Aldrich, successor to F. G. Weller, also does considerable busi- ness in the manufacture of stereoscopic views, but his specialty is portraiture, in which he has a monopoly of the business in the town, and a large patronage from abroad, the excellence of his work in this line being widely recognized. In this connection should also be mentioned the studio of John Ready, a student of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, who has developed remarkable talent as a crayon artist. He has produced some superior portraits in this line, while his pictures in oil are also excellent.

In general mercantile business, Litdeton leads all towns in Northern New Hampshire. Its merchants include many enterprising and substantial men, long established in business, with large and well-stocked stores inviting the patronage of a wide extent of territory. The firm of C. and C. F. Eastman, at the " Depot store," so called, have a heavy trade in flour, grain, groceries, hardware, iron, agricultural implements, salt, fertilizers, building materials, and other heavy goods. Col. Cyrus Eastman, the senior partner, has been in business in Littleton since 1836. He has long been the leading trader in town, and has been extensively engaged in outside business. He was a member of the Executive Council of this State in 1859. Nelson C. Farr, who has a' large general store, commenced business in Littleton in 1843, but removed to Bethlehem two years later, where he remained till 1863, when he returned to Littleton. He has an extensive trade, as have Southworth, Love- joy & English, in the same line. Dow Brothers and Charles A. Farr have also well patronized general stores. L. D. Sanborn has a large furniture store, unsur- passed in the State north of Concord, while Bellows & Son do a large business in clothing, carpets, crockery, and paper hangings, and C. C. Smith in stoves and tin ware. Mr. Smith's business has been established nearly fifty years, having been commenced by his father, H. B. Smith, in 1833, in the same location now occupied. The restaurant, fancy grocery, and oyster house business of S. Ouvrand, established in 1870, is worthy of special mention for its excellent management and success. Eaton & Greene have a large trade in groceries and provisions, and Calhoun, Blake, & Bowles in meats and provisions. Other dealers are C. VV. Brackett & Co., hardware ; E. C. Mansfield, Litdeton One Price Dry Goods company ; O. M. Fisher, dry and fancy goods ; Tilton Brothers and Opera Clothing company, clothing, hats, caps, trunks, valises, etc. ; L. P. Cole, boots, shoes, and groceries ; E. Flint and T. W. Stevens, clocks, watches, and jewelry ; Truman Stevens and Asa Colburn, harnesses, trunks, etc. ; W. F. Robins and Robinson Brothers, drugs and medicines, both having fine stores ; D. O. Wallace & Co., books, stationery, and fancy goods ; W. A. Matthewson, baker and confectioner ; beside milliner shops, variety stores, and other minor establishments.

The Littleton National and Savings banks, established in October, 1871, are both flourishing institutions, among the most successful of the kind in the State. John Farr is president of the former, and George A. Bingham of the latter — O. C. Hatch being cashier of the one and treasurer of the other. The capital of the National bank is $150,000. Its average deposits exceed $175,- 000, and the surplus and undivided profits are upward of $40,000. 'i'he

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