JARRETT R. JONES. MIDDLE GRANVILLE, WASHINGTON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Two inseparable companions, one a large, tall 75 year old gentleman and the other a red haired freckle-faced five year old little boy can be seen almost daily in the vicinity of the New York-Vermont state line on East Main street. One is grandfather Jarrett R. Jones and the other is grandson Roger Dillingham Allen. Mr. Jones is the only nearest of kin of the late General William H. Hughes residing in Granville and this fact brought to light one of the most tragic chapters in the history of Granville.Hugh Hughes, the "Slate King" of America, of whom an article was written in the Granville press a few years ago, was an uncle of Jarrett R. Jones and the son, Will Hughes was a first cousin. The mother of Jarrett Jones was a sister of Hugh Hughes. Jarrett Jones recalled the popularity of Will Hughes after his father's death and how Will Hughes became a leader in the community and after a most active career in business, fraternal and political circles he took his life and it was a long time before the Will Hughes tragedy was forgotten in Granville.
Generations have come and gone and few of the present residents ever mention the name of General Hughes. The General lived in a house which stood on the site of the present Pember library. It was the former residence of Judge Betts. On a day in November 1903, Will Hughes arose in the morning and went about the house as usual. He left his home to go to the barn to visit with his faithful employee Hugh Owens and left for the Central House, the hotel which stood on the site of the present Washington County National Bank building.
He returned home soon after that and was found dead. He had hung himself. Business reverses which he had suffered shortly before his death were more than he could bear and he brooded continually about his financial reverses. Granville lost one of its most popular and beloved citizens. Jarrett Hughes spoke about the fine type of man General Hughes was and what he meant to the Granville community.
Mr. Jones is one of the few survivors of the older Welsh settlers who came to Granville before the turn of the century. He was born in Caernarvonshire, North Wales, July 13th, 1866, and came from a family of 13 boys and one girl. When he became 25 years of age he joined his mother Ellen Hughes Jones to come with her to the United States, April 8th, 1891. His father Richard Jones had died while Jarrett was a young man in Wales and he and his mother came to West Pawlet, Vermont, to join his brothers Owen R., Richard R. and Robert R. Jones.
Jarrett Jones spent four years in West Pawlet, coming to Granville after that. He has resided here since that time - a period of nearly 46 years. His first job was with his cousin William H. Hughes for whom he worked both in West Pawlet and in Granville. After the death of General Hughes he became superintendent of the Hughe Slate company and worked for about 30 years with the Progressive Slate company. He also was employed by the Owen W. Owens Slate company.
Mr. Jones is consodered an expert slate man and his knowledge of slate rock has been invaluable to slate manufacturers of the New York-Vermont slate belt. He is an authority on slate rock blasting and he has uncovered several quarries for the Owens Brothers Slate company in the past.
With the exception of a very short period, Jarrett R. Jones has lived in close proximity to the slate quarries across the state line for about 40 years.
When he married Jane Jones in 1902, she and her parents lived on the then Whiting farm which is now owned by Michael Caiazza on the Pawlet road. He and Mrs. Jarrett Jones lived on the farm with her parents, Mr and Mrs. Robert Jones (Llangollan), until their only child, Sara E. was born January 25th, 1904.
After his father-in-law sold the farm, Jarrett and his family moved to the present Frank Kibling house on North street where they lived from March until December 1907, when Jarrett built his present residence on East Main street, on the New York-Vermont state line where he now resides with his daughter and family. "I don't know what I can tell you about the Welsh boys of the early days. Most of them are gone. There are but few left. I felt pretty bad when when Robert (Bob Lloyd) Roberts died. I used to know everybody from West Pawlet to Fair Haven. David Pritchard, about whom you wrote in the 'Friends and Neighbors' column, was in West Pawlet when I came there," said Mr. Jones.
"I have seen a lot of fine slate rock taken out from the quarries around here," continued Mr. Jones, "and I have seen many serious accidents in them. Slate quarrying is hard work and I have seen fine men pay with their lives while trying to earn a living in these quarries.
"I have had several narrow escapes myself," continued Mr. Jones, "but I was no exception. I came near being killed on two occasions and I broke my arm once while fixing a carriage. David P. Williams was injured at the same time. He had his leg broken.
"We didn't get too much pay" said Mr. Jones, "especially in the early days in West Pawlet and in Granville. I was working in the pit and I earned 17 cents per hour, but we seemed to get along much better on the small wages we were getting than some do on the higher wages. I guess it is the cost of living. We even saved money in those days from our small pay and we would walk from West Pawlet to Granville to deposit the money in the First National Bank.
"We had pay day once a month." said Mr. Jones, "and our monthly earnings totalled about $35. I did my business with Joe Green who had a clothing store in the present Goldberg block. Nellie Matheson's husband used to make my made to measure suits for me. He was an expert tailor. And we also traded with Nathan Abrams."
Jarrett Jones thought for a moment and said : "I used to mix with the boys a lot. We wouls attend concerts and Eisteddfods and we would have Welsh plays and I used to enjoy hearing Welsh singong. Yes, sir, I knew a lot of people and they knew me, but now when I go down the street I hardly know anybody. Robert G. Roberts is another one who is of older Welsh settlers in the village. He came from the same place I came from in Wales."
Mr. Jones has been in retirement from active work since 1933, and he enjoys his spare time in the company of that little red-headed freckle-faced boy, his only grandchild and son of Henry D. and Sara J. Allen. Little Roger was born October 4th, 1936. His parents were married June 18th, 1935. Henry D. Allen being the son of the late Myron and LeMoyne D. Allen.
Jarrett R. Jones is highly respected not only among the Welsh people but by everyone in this community. He has been a member of the Welsh Congregational church for a number of years and was once a member of the Foresters and the True Ivorites. He is still a member of the Maccabees.
Although in retirement, the scenes of his early activities still attract him and he can be seen on the highway between his residence on East Main street and the Old Whiting farm and the slate quarries to the east of the farm. Mr. Jones stops and reflects on his earlier years and some times, deep in thought, will stop and study slate rock.
He has been superintendent and boss over many slate workers in his day, but now he has a boss to supervise him - Roger D. Allen. Little Roger tells his grandfather what to do and Jarrett Jones is agood grandfather and does as he is told. He derives a lot of pleasure from a five year old youngster in the sunset of his life when those whom he knew so well years ago are practically all gone.
Mr. Jones is happily situated in a most cozy and pleasant home with his daughter Sara who is devoted to him and where he finds a lot of comfort and a well deserved rest at his old age.