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Uisa Nary Temasi
63 Barre St.
Montpelier, Vt.
The rlranite rJorker
Italian
fl ITALIAN STIED 0111Ert
rerhaps a dozen sheds are strung along the banks of the
Winooski in the Pioneer section. For the most part they are
neat and well kept, prosperous looking sheds, but the in-
evitable grey of stone and dust, and its unavoidable associate
dreariness pervade the Beene. Opposite the last 'hod and on
a knoll across the width of cement road is a red brick house.
A carved urn rests upon the step landing.
"I had it built when I bought that shed over there,"
Tornaszi said with a vave of his hand towards the sprawling
riveri.flat building.
was a small man, over sixty, fair skinned, with silky
hair of salt -and -pepper grey. ris features were delloately
molded and sensitive.
Tc said* I was born in Baveno, Italy. That's in northern
Italy near Lake naggiore. I studied sculpturing eight years,
and graduated from the Reale 4cadepia of Belle Arts di Lrera
in rilan. I worked in the northern provinoes for two years
and spent one year in raragoesa CO Slain. There's always
a demand for coed carvers in both Italy and Spain. There
was then. Not only for memorials but for buildings. The
architecture in these countries is much more ornate than
here in the rtates. but the pay is less. When I was over
therc last year, the average worker was getting around :3.00
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Yes* I married. Uy daughter tells no it's like a story
in a book, From Barre I came to New York; and from.there*
direct to Barre. Passing through the town in the train* my
first impression was not unalko that of several small In-
dustrial commumities in Italy* France and Spain. Small
stores* back yard washings* a town that was very mach lived
in. Not of the use nor mandeur of Milan where I had been
studging* but a live* thriving town in the center or hills*
like my home town. I'd hardly stepped off the train when I
heard mg brother calling* "Fttore$ Ettorer There pp was
waiting for me an the platform* and beside him was a pretty
girl* red -checked and very slim. I must have stared at her
like a country fool. She mumbled a good-bye to my brother
and hurried away. Carlo* my brother* was eager to hear the
news from the old country, now were the parents* and the
sister? Did I have a good trip? I'm afraid I answered him
briefly. I was nterested in the girl. Who was she? Vies
she already married, Lid Carlo know her well? Ner name
was ROBS. Carlo told me. She was born la Barre and educated
there, ner parents were Italian. She worked in a millinery
shop on nain Street. That was information enough for me.
For a week I made it mqr business to pass that milliner's
store every day. I saw her* and she saw me. She wouldn't
even smile. I didn't have the courage to speak to her.
finally persuaded my brother to introduce us. 1:e were
married the following year. It wasn't a Roman Catholic
service* Just a civil ecremony. Rosals people had already
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broken from the church before they left the old country.
have one daughter* She went to the public 9411461s bare and
to The Castle, a ftrinhine school on the Madsen. She was
married two year* ago to an Irish boy from Barre. Hets here
with us now learaing the granite business, in the shod itself
and in the office. I leant him well trained. Some day the
business will be his and my daughter's.
There isn't the profit in the business that there used
to be, In the old days a roof over the head, a good carver,
and good granite were about all that were necessary. Today
there's too Tiluell overhead. Three or four tames a year,
machinery, and that expensive dust removing equipment, Today,
too, much of our granite is sent out unfinished. That le,
the customer has it finished in his own locality. That'll
why our really good carvers are thteeteg out. There isn't
the demand for them that there used to be. I have a quarry
over at Groton, it hasn't been operating for a dozen years
or SO, It's good gmanite„ but I was interested in supplying
only my own shed. Vorking it on so small a scale I found it
more profitable to buy from the large Barre quarries.
"I've done little sculpturing these last years," Mr.
Tornazsi said, "This is one of my favorite pieces."
It VAS a delicately sculptured Grace, about fourteen
inches high, tiptoeing on a pedestal at the foot of the
curved stairway.
:r, Tornassi continued: my favorite memorial and what
I believe is sterpiece is one of my very early statues.
It's called The Little Margpret. It stands in the Green
rountain Cemetery in Montpelier. There's a story to that,
too. I won't tell the customer's name, although you can
easily find out by going to the eemetery and looking at
the memorial. This customer vented me to carve a statue
of his little daughterirhe was dead. I'd never seen the
girl. aer family predneed a full length picture of her and
asked me to make the statue identical in clothing, posture,
etc. I said it would be difficult since the picture was a,
poor one, and faint, but I'd do wiliest. I cample1WWLit„
and vas Justly proud of it. The parents liked it, too. I
remember the mother cried and said it looked real. Hut in
spite of their satisfaction they bated to pay the price
agreed upon. I admit it was a steep price, but it was good
work, and hard, and they could afford it. Well, the father
came to me one day. ae pointed to the picture and said,
'Look, you promised to make the statmo emastly like this
picture. You didn't. On the memorial there's a button
missing on one shoe. Since they aren't identical you should
lower the price.' It made me mad. I'd been very careful in
carving those Shoes, they were those old-fashioned, ugh
buttoned shoes the girls wore at that time, aryl since the
picture was so dim I'd been careful to make sure of each
detail. They are identical, I assured him, and proceeded
to prove it, A nagnifying !Tiese held over the picture showed
that sure enough one button was missing on the shoe. Well,
the short of it is the man stopped quibbling and paid the
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price I'd asked. nother one of my best pieces is the stQtue
of Christ the Shepherd, in Chi040.
Of late I haven't done =Oh carving, I have enough to do
taking care of the business end of the shed. Strikes are bad
for both the shad owner and the workers. I've lost customers
because of oantraets for memorials that fall due during a
strike period. If the stone isnot delivered an the day milled
for in the contracts they can refuse to unapt it. There have
been times when I've been tempted to work the shed scab, but
T finally decide that it isn't worthwhile. I've had workers
came to me secretly during a strike and offer to wor14 Their
reason is a good ans., they need the money to support their