TRIBUTES
Everyone at Newmont Slate is inspired by these
stories—
• BERNIE CAPRON RETIRING AT 90
Above: Bernie
Capron, nearing his retirement at age 90
Left: Bernie,
as a dapper young man
BERNIE CAPRON, RETIRING AT 90
Bernie Capron, born in 1912, was a man of
character with a work ethic seldom seen today. At the age of
90, Bernie finally ended his career trimming his last batch of
roofing slate for Newmont Slate Co., Inc., in August of 2002.
At 12 years of age, Bernie began going to
the quarries with his stepfather. A quick learner, he became a
yard man and a splitter, but what he loved most was trimming
slate. In fact, he honed his math skills while working as a
trimmer. Just by looking at a piece of slate, he could
efficiently tell how to size it to minimize waste.
It is safe to say that the phrase,
“idle time,” may not have been in Bernie
Capron’s vocabulary. While working in the quarries in
Poultney, Granville, and Wells, he also ran a small dairy
operation at his home in Wells on 365 acres of land, housing
15-20 cows.
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In 1959, at the age of 47, he
began working at General Electric Company (GE) in
Rutland. During his tenure there, for a nine year
period, Bernie never missed a day of work.
While working a full 12:00 am to 7:
00 am shift at GE, he took the initiative to work
either in the quarries during the day or as a rural
mail carrier. Somehow, during that hectic schedule, he
also found time to trim roofing slate in his
“spare time.”
At age 72, Bernie retired from GE,
but retirement was another word not yet in his
vocabulary.
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Bernie worked at Newmont Slate Co.,
Inc., and other quarries at the same time he navigated a
bulk mail route that covered six towns and about 60 miles.
He worked for Newmont Slate Co.,
Inc., off and on for many years and finally, on his
90th birthday, he went in and trimmed a square or two
and said, “I think that’s it.”
Jack Williams of Newmont Slate
thinks of Bernie often. “Bernie had a
remarkable work ethic, a terrific disposition, and
loved being here. Bernie’s presence at the
quarry will long be remembered,” says Jack.
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Below: One of Bernie’s various jobs
in the quarry was holding the chisel for the man swinging the
beetle (mallet). Pictured far left is Bernie’s
mother, Gladys Capron, carrying a white purse, who stopped by.
Photos courtesy of the Wells Historical
Society with detailed information from Bernie Capron’s
son,
Joe Capron of Wells, Vermont
Joe Capron of Wells, Vermont
Website: Newmont Slate Co., Inc.©2007
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