USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Danbury > History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896 > Part 23
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" ' He who would maintain an independent shop must be eter- nally vigilant and prepared for attack at all times, for the enemy never sleeps. If the alternative were submission to injustice, then I would maintain the fight to the end, or retire from the business ; but if I can be assured of being treated with fairness and justice, then, I say, give me the peace and security of acquiescence rather than the strife and danger of independence. Under such circumstances the advantages of an independent shop are not sufficient to warrant the cost of the struggle to maintain it. I believe that an independent shop, under the con- trol of a just man-as a protest against tyranny and wrong-is a good thing ; but, when used to degrade labor and deprive it of its just rewards, it becomes a curse rather than a blessing.
"'Our action here to-day will have consequences of great moment to the trade, which may be felt for years to come, and may, perhaps, reach far beyond the limits of our own trade, and have an important influence on the relations of capital and labor in other industries. It behooves us to act with deliberation and judgment, casting aside all prejudices, and remembering that the benefits of organization can only come through the surrender, on the part of each, of some amount of individual freedom.'
" A committee was appointed by the chair to draft a constitu- tion and by-laws to be submitted to the association for approval and adoption at a future meeting. The Connecticut members were : Edmund Tweedy, Charles Murphy, Danbury ; S. S. Am- bler, E. D. Richmond, Bethel ; Frank Comstock, William Brown, South Norwalk. This committee appointed a sub-com-
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
mittee which was to report to them 'as soon as practicable,' and the convention adjourned subject to their call. Owing to the opposition of manufacturers in New Jersey, the organization of the association was delayed, and the Danbury members of the convention, seeing that success was doubtful, organized a local association. Any person or persons engaged in the manufac- ture of fur hats in the town of Danbury, ' or what is known as the hatting district of Danbury,' was eligible to membership. The preamble explained the reason for the institution of the association :
"'We, the undersigned, fur-hat manufacturers of Danbury, in order that we may maintain harmonious relations with our employés and unite with them in the adoption of such measures as will tend to improve the condition of the business and pro- mote the general welfare of all employed in it, do hereby organ- ize ourselves together and adopt the following constitution for our government.'
" The constitution is as follows :
CONSTITUTION.
"' ARTICLE 1. The name of this association shall be "The Fur Hat Manufacturers' Association of Danbury."
"' ART. 2. Any individual, firm, or corporation engaged in the manufacture of fur hats in the town of Danbury, or what is known as the hatting district of Danbury, may become a mem- ber of this association by signing the constitution and paying the initiation fee.
"' ART. 3. The officers of this association shall consist of the president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and a conference committee of five members, who shall be chosen by ballot at the annual meeting. Amended November 9th, 1887: Conference committee to be appointed by the president.
"' The duties of the president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary shall be such as usually pertain to those offices in deliberative bodies.
"' The duties of the conference committee shall be such as may be delegated to them by vote of the association.
"' ART. 4. The regular meetings of this association shall be the second Wednesdays in November, February, May, and August. The regular meeting in November shall be the annual meeting.
251
HISTORY OF DANBURY.
Special meetings may be called by the president. The secretary shall give due notice of such meetings.
"' ART. 5. The membership fees shall be $10.
"' The annual dues after the first year shall be $10, payable at the annual meeting.
"' ART. 6. This constitution may be amended at any regular or special meeting called for the purpose by a two-thirds vote of all the members present and voting.' "'
Shortly after the organization of the Manufacturers' Associa- tion, agreements were made with the unions of makers and fin- ishers, the following being the principal features based on the employment of union help :
"'Each shop to regulate its own prices and methods of work without interference by the association.
" ' Bills of prices to be made each season, at stated times to be agreed upon, and to stand for the whole season.
"' All disputes between employers and employés which they cannot settle to be submitted to arbitrators, in the selection of whom each party shall have an equal voice ; the decision of the arbitrators to be final. The men to remain at work pending the settlement of any difficulty in a shop.
"'' All existing contracts with individual employés to be carried out, providing the men so employed insist upon it.
" 'Shop calls to be prohibited, according to the by-laws of the Hat Finishers' Association.
" ' Shop calls to be confined to the establishment of prices at the beginning of the season, and all difficulties among the jour- neymen makers in the making department, between themselves, to be settled by a standing committee of three of their members.'
"Thus began the still (1887) existing arrangements between the hat manufacturers and hat makers and finishers of Danbury. At the time these agreements were made the trimmers had no union. One was being organized, but there were no articles of agreement between them and the manufacturers. April 5th, 1887, the following address was sent to the Trimmers' Union :
"' To the Hat Trimmers' Union of Danbury :
" 'The future prosperity of the hat manufacturing industry in Danbury demands that there should be a thorough understand- ing and agreement between the manufacturers and the various
252
HISTORY OF DANBURY.
organizations of their employés, in order that all may work in concert and harmony together to maintain our present hold upon the trade, which is seriously threatened by the condition of affairs in other localities. If any large proportion of the busi- ness of hat manufacturing is to remain under the control of trades-unions, it must be because they realize the dangers of the present situation, and by fair, just, and reasonable action, will convince employers that their true interests lie in continuing relations with them. Nothing else will prevent a still greater increase in the number of independent shops, which is already alarming.
" ' The late rapid increase in the number of such shops has been the direct result of the unwise and unreasonable acts of the trades-unions elsewhere, who, too late, have seen their errors, and are trying to remedy them.
"' Had the same just and rational agreements, which exist between the makers' and finishers' associations and the manu- facturers of Danbury, been in operation in other hatting dis- tricts, the present state of affairs would not now exist. These agreements are fair and equitable, because they are founded in justice and reason. They have worked well for both parties. They have preserved the rights of all, and have prevented in- justice to any.
" ' We have heretofore asked for a similar agreement with your association, but our request has not been granted. We now re- new it, and shall insist upon your association placing itself in the same relation with us as the makers' and finishers' associa- tions now occupy.
"' This is but simple justice, and in the interest of harmony and the general welfare. It will place all upon a common plat- form and enable us to act together in the hard struggle which is before us to keep a fair share of the trade in Danbury, upon which we all depend, and without which we would all be sufferers.
"'No argument should be needed to convince you of the im- portance and necessity of this action, and we offer none. We rely upon your good judgment and sense of justice to accede to our request.
"'Our conference committee will be ready to meet with yours at any time, to arrange the details of such an agreement.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
" 'By order of the Fur Hat Manufacturers' Association of Dan- bury, Conn.
"' C. H. MERRITT, President. "' April 5, 1887.'
"The trimmers refused to comply with the request of the manufacturers to enter into articles of agreement with them. The Manufacturers' Association then issued the following notice, which was posted in all the shops belonging to the association :
NOTICE.
"' On and after May 16th, 1887, no trimmer or binder will be employed in this shop on stiff or flexible hats until she shall have subscribed to the following pledge-viz .:
"' I hereby agree to use my best efforts to secure the adoption by the Hat Trimmers' Union of Danbury, of an agreement with the hat manufacturers of said Danbury, to the same effect as those made by the Hat Makers' and Hat Finishers' Associations of said Danbury with said manufacturers.'
" The following is the agreement referred to :
"'Each shop shall regulate its own prices and methods of work without interference by the union.
" 'Bills of prices shall be made for each season at stated times to be agreed upon, and shall stand for the whole season.
"' All disputes between employers and employés which they cannot settle shall be submitted to arbitrators, in the selection of whom each party shall have an equal voice, the decision of the arbitrators to be final. The employés to remain at work pend- ing the settlement of any difficulty in a shop.'
AGREEMENT WITH THE TRIMMERS.
"There was a lockout of two days. The Trimmers' Union finally adopted the articles and returned to work. The agree- ment provided for the settlement of disputes much in the way arranged by the other branches of the trade, and is as follows :
"'ARTICLE 1. Each shop shall regulate its own prices and methods of work.
"' ART. 2. Bills of prices shall be made each season to stand six months. Prices for spring season shall be made not later than November 15th ; for fall season not later than May 15th.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
"'ART. 3. In case of any disagreement between employers and employés, which they cannot settle, it shall be submitted to arbitrators, consisting of four manufacturers and four trimmers, to be selected in such manner as each association may direct. In case such arbitrators cannot agree, those appointed by each party shall severally choose an outside party, and the two so chosen shall select a third, and the decision of these three shall be final and binding.
"' ART. 4. The trimmers to remain at work pending the settle- ment of any difficulty in the shop.
"' ART. 5. The Trimmers' Union are to supply all the trim- mers the manufacturers may require to do their work.
"' ART. 6. Cards shall be granted to foreman, assistant fore- man, and help required in trimming-room to do work other than regular work.
"' ART. 7. Shop calls are prohibited, except at time of making prices, and for that purpose, or during noon hours for necessary trade matters.
"' ART. 8. Shops cannot be adjourned without the consent of employers.
"' ART. 9. The Trimmers' Union are not to make any by-laws or regulations conflicting with these agreements.' "
Subsequently these agreements were severed by the Trimmers' Union, and a lockout took place November 17th, 1890, lasting until December 6th of the same year. During this lockout a Trimmers' Society was organized based on the old agreements, and a final settlement was reached by the aid of a committee of finishers and makers, the members of the Trimmers' Society, the new organization returning to the Trimmers' Union, the old organization, under the old agreements.
These conditions remained unchanged until November 27th, 1893. The following is a copy of a notice issued November 6th, 1893, by the manufacturers :
NOTICE OF SEVERANCE.
DANBURY, November 6, 1893.
Whereas, A committee consisting of the representatives from the various trades-unions and the Fur Hat Manufacturers' Asso- ciation was appointed to endeavor to formulate and agree upon some plan to remove the present obstacles to manufacturing in
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
Danbury, and preserve harmonious relations between the manu- facturers and trades-unions ; and
Whereas, After a full presentation of the necessities of the manufacturers by their committee, and a statement made by them in their address of September 13th, from the last part of which we now quote : " The matter rests with your unions, and on their action depends our future course. It is our expectation to give you formal and reasonable notice of our severance of the compact made in 1885, provided you cannot grant us necessary liberties ;" and
Whereas, None of the plans presented by this committee, that would be of especial value to the manufacturers, have been granted by any of the organizations, it becomes our duty to for- mally notify your association that we hereby sever all agree- ments we have made and entered into with you. This notice to take effect November 27th, 1893.
Signed by the officers and all the members of the Fur Hat Manufacturers' Association, excepting Michael Delohery.
Following this notice came the lockout of November 27th, 1893. This lasted about ten weeks. At its close some eight of the contending manufacturers decided to run fair or union shops, with added privileges, and eleven to operate independent shops.
Following is a list of hat manufacturers doing business Novem- ber 1st, 1895 :
Firm Name.
Product.
Holley, Beltaire & Co.
Stiff.
William Beckerle & Co
and soft.
Byron Dexter
T. C. Millard & Co.
C. H. Merritt & Son (1880).
Rundle & White 66 and bonnets.
E. A. Mallory & Sons. 66 Soft.
Meeker Brothers
White, Tweedy & Smyth
Stiff and bonnets. 66
Beltaire, Lurch & Co.
D. E. Loewe & Co.
66 and soft.
Lee & Hawley.
Davenport & Von Gal 66
T. Meath & Co 66
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
Firm Name.
Product.
T. Brothwell & Co
Stiff.
E. Griffin. 66
Crofut & White
66
Higson & Collings Company
Hats in rough.
Michael Delohery
Bonnets.
C. M. Horsch.
W. H. Burns.
J. B. Murphy & Co
H. Zuerva & Co
Sellick & Smith. Stiff.
American Hat Company .
66
James Higgins
66
Mackensie & Sons
E. F. Davis & Co
Dunleavy & Co
A. Sovets & Co.
Lynch Hat Company
Seaman & Mabie.
Following is the annual shipment of hats from Danbury since 1884 :
1884.
103,085 cases.
1885
111,048
1886.
112,868
66
1887
128,330 66
1888
124,435
66
1889
126,127
1890
133,315
66
1891
133,906
66
1892
133,472
66
1893
100,020
1894
99,233 66
1895
129,339 66
The average is three dozen hats to a case.
A. E. TWEEDY SILK WORKS.
This business was established in 1887 under the firm name of Butler & Tweedy, and is devoted to the manufacture of hatters' trimmings, especially silk bands, bindings, and braids. Owing
H. Mclachlan & Co
1
--
Hoy'r & LOVEJOY FACTORY. Now E. A. MALLORY & SONS.
VIEW FROM ROSE HILL, LOOKING SOUTH, TAKEN ABOUT 1870.
W. A. & A. M. WHITE'S FUR FACTORY.
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
to repeated failures the manufacture of hat bands has been car- ried on only to a limited extent in this country, and to-day there are but three of these factories in the United States. It requires long experience and study to successfully manufacture these goods.
In 1893 Mr. Tweedy became sole owner and proprietor of this factory, which to-day is in successful operation with fifty em- ployés. Mr. Tweedy speaks in high terms of the untiring efforts of his former partner, Mr. F. L. Butler, and also of the efficient oversight of Mr. Charles Widmere as superintendent. The suc- cess of this industry seems to be assured, and the future will probably see many manufactories of this kind in operation in this country.
HAT-CASE MANUFACTURERS.
There are three hat-case manufacturers-viz .: Isaac Armstrong & Co., Daniel Starr, and the Clark Box Company. The latter succeeded the firm of Theodore Clark & Co. in the fall of 1891, and is a stock company whose stockholders are the old firm of Theodore Clark & Co. and ten of the principal hat manufacturers. This company not only makes cases and band-boxes for the trade, but in addition does a large tip-printing business and stitches hat sweats. In its tip-printing department work is performed for Bethel as well as Danbury.
Besides the Clark Box Company, there are two individual tip- printers.
There are four fur-cutting establishments-viz .: W. A. & A. M. White, P. Robinson & Co., Young & Hunt, and Frank Hand. There are five manufacturers of hat wire and two manu- facturers of hat sweats, besides the Clark Box Company, and three firms supplying hatters' goods.
CHAPTER XXXII.
OTHER MANUFACTURES.
IN pursuing our investigations of the different manufactures in Danbury, we find that some time before 1780 Ephraim Wash- burn and brother built a mill for making paper on or near the site of the old Sturdevant factory. This mill afterward passed into the hands of two brothers named Ward, who sold it to Daniel and Seth Comstock. The latter was father of the late Philander Comstock. They continued business there for some years, when the mill was burned. The exact date of this destruc- tion we cannot learn, but it was some seventy or more years ago. Among the employés of Comstock was "Uncle" Jerry Wil- son, who died several years ago. Mr. Wilson enlisted in 1812, and Seth Comstock, being a major, was allowed a servant. He made Mr. Wilson his servant and kept him in the shop, but he received a pension and bounty. After this shop was burned Deacon Oliver Stone purchased the site and built a hat shop, which he sold to Elijah Sturdevant.
In 1852 Nelson Flint, Calvin S. Bulkley, and Amzi Wheeler started a mill for air-dried strawboard in Beaver Brook. The firm dissolved after a short time, and Mr. Flint continued alone. In 1867 George McArthur, with his three brothers, Robert, John, and William, purchased the mill and continued the manufacture of strawboard. The original building was a small one, thirty by thirty feet, and was built for a woollen mill by Samuel Morris. He was not successful, and gave up woollen for hatting and then comb-making. In 1870 McArthur Brothers built an addition to the first building, and gradually giving up strawboard, made straw wrapping-paper. In 1872 a second addition was built, and in 1875 hardware and wrapping-paper were made. Later on more machinery was added and manilla paper was manufactured.
The first paper mill, however, was one which stood on the stream back of the homestead of the late E. S. Hull. It was
--
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
long before the present oldest inhabitant can remember, but we learn from one who remembers his parents telling of the mill, that it was run by a man named Washburn. The dam by the mill flooded the Mill Plain flats, causing malaria and sick- ness, and in consequence the residents of that vicinity were ex- asperated at Washburn. The mill finally burned down in the night, and not a man of the Mill Plainers helped extinguish it. Uncle Amos Morris tells us about the burning of this mill. Ebenezer Benedict was suspected of setting fire to it, and a court of inquiry was held to investigate it. Uncle Amos attended the court. Benedict was on the stand three days, subjected to a severe questioning, but nothing was proven against him. When he was allowed to leave the stand he arose and said : " Gentle- men of the jury, you have had me here three days and examined me, with a serious charge against me. You haven't found out anything, but I could tell you in two minutes more than you'll ever know about it," and then walked off. It afterward leaked out that he did set fire to the mill, instigated by the Mill Plain people.
The manufacture of boots and shoes was another industry which once occupied a prominent position in Danbury. It was of recent birth. In 1869 C. H. Merritt built and occupied as a boot and shoe factory the brick building now standing at the north end of Main Street. The same year he took into partner- ship Lucius R. Sprague. In 1870 Mr. Sprague retired and Mr. Richard W. Cone went into the firm. This firm remained in the business until the latter part of March, 1880, and in its busiest seasons employed nearly two hundred hands.
In 1843 P. W. Hoyt had a "Shelter Rock factory for wood and iron turning," and Richard Evans was a cloth manufacturer here.
As far as we can trace back, we find an oil mill on the south side of what is now known as Crofut's Pond, or Oil Mill Pond. In 1812 Friend Starr, father of Mr. C. H. Starr, used to make linseed oil from the flax raised in this section. It was quite a prosperous business at one time. The mill was pulled down many years ago-so many, in fact, that none of our old citizens remember it. Many of them have indistinct recollections of this building in their early youth, but the date of its destruction is lost. On the north side of the dam stood a saw mill owned by
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
Friend Starr and Benjamin and Fairchild Ambler. Benjamin was the father of the late Rev. E. C. Ambler, who used to relate the following anecdote : Mr. Starr was an Episcopalian, but for some reason he was temporarily offended with the Church, and would go to hear Rev. Mr. Trumbull, the Baptist pastor. One Sunday, after Mr. Starr had come in, Mr. Trumbull arose and gave his text : " Friend, friend, how comest thou hither not hav- ing a wedding garment ?" Mr. Starr at first thought this rather personal, and manifested his disapprobation plainly, but the minister proceeding, he saw that the text was not intended for him, and became calm.
The manufacture of sewing machines was another industry for which Danbury was once well known. It was a machine pat- ented by Walker B. Bartram. The first manufacturers were the Bartram & Fanton Sewing Machine Company. They started in the old shirt factory on Ives Street in 1865. The next year they purchased the brick building on Canal Street, now occupied by P. Robinson & Son, and moved there. The company continued running with varied success until 1872, when it was reorganized, and many of our people, poor and rich alike, took stock therein. In two years more (1874) the company failed, and the stock- holders mourned for the faded dreams of fortune.
It will probably be a matter of news to many of our readers, even to some of our oldest people, that the manufacture of cut and wrought nails was once carried on in Danbury. Yet it is true. In the summer of 1816* (the cold summer) Eli Seger lived
* The Hartford Times thus describes the summer of 1816 : " There are old farmers living in Connecticut who remember it well. It was known as the year without a summer. The farmers used to refer to it as ' eighteen hundred and starve to death.' January was mild, as was also February, with the exception of a few days. The greater part of March was cold and boisterous. April opened warm, but grew colder as it advanced, ending with snow and ice and winter cold. In May ice formed half an inch thick, buds and flowers were frozen and corn killed. Frost, ice, and snow were common in June. Almost every green thing was killed, and the fruit was nearly destroyed. Snow fell to the depth of three inches in New York and Massachusetts, and ten inches in Maine. July was accompanied with frost and ice. On the 5th ice was formed of the thickness of window glass in New York, New England, and Pennsylvania, and corn was nearly all destroyed in certain sections. In August ice formed half an inch thick. A cold, northern wind prevailed nearly all summer. Corn was so frozen that a great deal was cut down and dried for fodder. Very little ripened in New England, even here in Connecticut, and scarcely any in the Middle States. Farmers were obliged to pay $4 or $5 a bushel for corn of 1815 for seed for the next spring planting. The first two weeks of September
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HISTORY OF DANBURY.
in the red house on the Mill Plain Road, which stands on the corner of the old road leading to the Fair Ground entrance, across Fish Weir Bridge. The lower part of this house Seger used for manufacturing nails, living in the upper part. Soon after this date he moved to Ohio, where he died.
Comb-making was another industry which was once exten- sively carried on here, and which is now extinct. From a series of papers published in the News in 1875, written by Mr. A. T. Peck, we gather the following facts :
In 1810 Nathaniel Bishop started a comb factory on the site of Peck & Wildman's store. He kept a large number of hands at work for twenty-five years.
Foote & Barnum began comb-making in 1814, in a shop that stood near the corner of Main and Centre streets. Otis & Whiting had a shop just this side of St. James's church, West Street. Alfred Gregory, Peck & Gillett, and several others had small shops scattered about town. The comb business-the value of the goods and the number of hands employed-exceeded that of hatting from 1826 to 1831, and continued about equal till 1837. In 1847 T. T. Peck occupied the woollen mill on West Street, near Beaver Street, and was burned out. The shop was rebuilt and the business carried on till 1852, when it was removed to A. T. Peck's old shop, which stood upon the site of the fac- tory of Beckerle & Co.
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