USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > History of Waterbury and the Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 28
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"The management has also extended the use of the Scovill Hospital to employees of outside concerns, who may be working on the premises. Due to the extensive additions and alterations of the Scovill plant for the past few years, the number of outside concerns' employees receiving treatment at this hospital has shown a decided increase. During the year 1914, forty outside employees were treated ; 1915, 400; and indications for the present year are that 500 outside employees will probably receive treatment at this hospital."
The employment bureau of the Scovill Company, established as a distinct branch of the vast business, was opened in 1914, and is now in charge of Robert E. Platt, head of the industrial service department. All applicants, both men and women, pass through this department, averaging from 50 to 100 a day. When an employee is first taken on, he is given a set of instructions in the language he can read best, to which he signs his name. These instructions in effect tell him to "go to the hospital when he is injured or sick." He is given a ticket describing him, his injury, where and when occurred, etc. This, when
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injured, he takes to the hospital at once, where he receives treatment, the ticket being given a serial number and filed for reference.
The employment bureau is closely connected with what is known as the permanent safety advisory committee, a group of representative foremen and superintendents who carry on frequent inspection of dangerous localities and investigate all serious accidents with a view to carrying out such changes as will lessen the chance of a repetition. Furthermore, new buildings and machinery are designed with special reference to safety and health, while all dangerous tools, machines and localities are safeguarded as soon as recommendation is made by this committee. But in the matter of the help they do much to see that in the line of both skilled and unskilled labor, only physically able men and women are taken on.
The industrial service department was started in April, 1917, with Rev. H. D. Gallaudet in charge. He left in May to enter the army service and Robert E. Platt is now in charge of this work. It is rapidly developing into its proposed line of usefulness, which to begin with will be largely survey work so that special adjustments can be made intelligently. It is proposed to develop this department so that in its sociological work it will help the employees along educational as well as along recreational lines.
It is interesting to note here that the service flag of the company, which is now, December, 1917, in preparation, will have about four hundred stars in it.
The Scovill Manufacturing Company has had but little labor trouble. On August 25, 1915, the company increased wages 15 per cent and granted the Saturday half-holiday with full pay. Since that date it has made further sub- stantial increases with a bonus system which enables the skilled workmen to make excellent wages.
The number of women employed changes often. At present, December, 1917, about one-quarter of all employed are women.
The officers of the corporation have been as follows :
PRESIDENTS
J. M. L. Scovill 1850-1857
Scovill M. Buckingham. 1857-1861
Samuel W. Hall. . 1861-1868
Frederick J. Kingsbury 1868-1900
Chauncey P. Goss . 1900-1917
VICE PRESIDENTS
Frederick J. Kingsbury 1900-19II
Mark L. Sperry 1911-1917
TREASURERS
William H. Scovill . 1850-1854
Scovill M. Buckingham. 1855-1861
F. J. Kingsbury. 1861-1861
Henry Merriman for one month.
F. J. Kingsbury
1864-1865
Barrett Ripley I865-1866
Chauncey P. Goss 1866-1917
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SECRETARIES
Scovill M. Buckingham. 1850-1858
Edward S. Clark 1858-1862
Frederick J. Kingsbury. 1862-1864
Chauncey P. Goss 1864-1869
Mark L. Sperry 1869-1917
ASSISTANT TREASURER
Edward O. Goss 1900-1917
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Theophilus R. Hyde, Jr. 1900-1907
C. M. DeMott. . 1907-1917
DIRECTORS
James M. L. Scovill 1850-1857
William H. Scovill. 1850-1854
Scovill M. Buckingham. 1850-1862
George Mallory 1850-1855
Samuel W. Hill.
1850-1877
Mark L. Sperry.
1877-
Edward S. Clark
1855-1862
Samuel Holmes
1855-1878
Frederick J. Kingsbury.
1858-19II
Christopher C. Post.
1862-1869
Scovill M. Buckingham.
1863-1889
Douglass F. Maltby
1866-1867
Thomas L. Scovill
I866-1886
Thomas C. Morton.
.1867-1876
Douglass F. Maltby
I869-1898
Chauncey P. Goss.
1877-
Washington I. Adams
1878-1896
William E. Curtis
1910-
Henry W. Scovill. 1889-
Guernsey S. Parsons. . 1890-1897
Joseph T. Whitlesey .
1896-1903
Theophilus R. Hyde, Jr
Edward O. Goss. 1897-1901
. 1898-
John H. Goss. . 1903-
C. M. DeMott. . 1907-
The present directors are: C. P. Goss, E. O. Goss, J. H. Goss, Mark L. Sperry, H. W. Scovill, W. E. Curtis, C. M. DeMott.
CAPITAL
1850-January, original $ 200,000
1852-January, increase 50,000
1854-January, increase 50,000
1865-September, increase 50,000
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1882-August, increase
50,000
1892-January, increase 1,200,000
1900-January, increase 900,000
1904-January, increase
750,000
1907-January, increase 750,000
1913-January, increase 1,000,000
$5,000,000
THIE MATTHEWS & WILLARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY
The Matthews & Willard plant on North Elm Street is now a branch of the Scovill Manufacturing Company, having been bought out in May, 1903. It was incorporated originally for $250,000 in 1890, and its officers then were: Presi- dent, F. L. Curtis; treasurer, C. P. Goss; secretary and manager, George G. Blakeslee. Its output is along the general lines of brassware made by the Scovill Company.
CHAPTER XVII
OTHER BRASS AND BRASSWARE COMPANIES
THE AMERICAN RING COMPANY-RANDOLPH & CLOWES COMPANY-THE WATERBURY ROLLING MILLS-A. H. WELLS & CO .- FRENCHI MANUFACTURING COMPANY-THE PILLING BRASS COMPANY-WATERBURY BRASS GOODS CORPORATION-STEELE & JOHNSON-THE NATIONAL COMPANY-THE SMITHI & GRIGGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY-THE SHOE HARDWARE COMPANY-PLATT BROTHERS & COMPANY- NOVELTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY-BERBECKER & ROWLAND MATTATUCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY-WATERBURY BUCKLE COMPANY-L. C. WHITE COMPANY-NOERA MANUFACTURING COMPANY-THE GENERAL MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY-THE AMERICAN FASTENER COMPANY-THE SIMONSVILLE MAN- UFACTURING COMPANY-THE WATERBURY METAL WARES COMPANY-THE SOMERS COMPANY, INC .- THE CONNECTICUT MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
The Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Company is one of the larger inde- pendent manufacturing establishments of the country. It was organized in 1869, assuming its present name in 1871. Israel Holmes was its first president and David S. Plume its treasurer. It constructed the older part of its present factory on Bank Street in 1872, also purchasing the brass rolling mill of the Thomas Manufacturing Company at Thomaston. Within the past twenty years the plant at Thomaston has been greatly enlarged and the factory in Waterbury, a very modest structure to begin with, has now a frontage of 679 feet on Bank and 144 feet on Jackson streets. There are in all twelve buildings in the present plant. The Waterbury factory manufactures general brass products which are sold to retailers and jobbers all over the world.
The presidents since 1890 have been : Lewis J. Atwood to February 23, 1909; Charles H. Tucker, April 19, 1909, to February 8, 1910; Walter S. Atwood, February 8, 1910, to February 14, 1911 ; John Booth Burrall, February 4, 19II, to the present time.
The vice presidents of the company have been as follows: Charles H. Tucker, February II, 1902, to April 19, 1909; Walter S. Atwood from April 19, 1909, to February 8, 1910; Robert C. Swayze, from February 8, 1910, to February, 1916, when he was succeeded by the present vice president, Otis S. Northrop. E. M. Burrall, one of Waterbury's most enterprising manufacturers, was for fifteen years, until his death in 1901, a director of this company.
The present secretary is S. Kellogg Plume, elected February II, 1915, suc- ceeding Fred T. Millham. David S. Plume was its treasurer from January 25, 1870, to February 19, 1907. He was succeeded by John Booth Burrall. The present treasurer, John H. Hurlbut, has been in office since February 11, 1914.
Its capital is $1,250,000 and it employs about one thousand hands in the plants at Waterbury and Thomaston.
The Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Company are manufacturers of brass, copper and German silver in the sheet, wire and rod, copper and brass rivets and burrs, printers' rule strips and galley plates, brass butt hinges, brass and iron
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jack chain, escutcheon pins, "The Royal Lamp," kerosene oil burners and lamps, lamp trimmings and gas and electric fixture parts.
THIE AMERICAN RING COMPANY
The American Ring Company, now under the control of the Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Company, incorporated in 1852. It started at first on Canal Street in a very small factory. Today in its Bank Street factories it employs 500 people. Its capital is $50,000. This is the original amount for which the company had been incorporated and has not been changed.
The company manufactures furniture trimmings and bathroom accessories, which are sold to jobbers and retailers. It has a five-story factory and branch offices in New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.
The officers in 1893 were: E. M. Burrall, president; D. S. Plume, treasurer ; and David N. Plume, secretary. On the death of D. N. Plume in 1899, F. S. Chesson became secretary. In 1902 Charles H. Tucker was made president, with D. S. Plume treasurer, and F. W. Chesson secretary. In 1906 the officers were : Charles H Tucker, president ; D. S. Plume, treasurer ; John M. Burrall, secretary ; John B. Burrall, assistant treasurer. February 11, 1914, John B. Burrall was elected president and treasurer, and John M. Burrall secretary and general manager, which positions they hold in 1917.
One of its most successful patents, which is still manufactured in large quantities, is the Washburne fastener, a combination button and spring clasp. It is today a staple in trades and industries requiring fasteners.
The great success of this company was due largely to the business acumen and progressiveness of Edward Milton Burrall, its president from 1888 to 1901, the year of his death. He was for years vice president and trustee of the Dime Savings Bank and a director of the Colonial Trust Company.
RANDOLPH & CLOWES COMPANY
Of the various establishments in the brass industry aside from the Scovill Manufacturing Company, the Chase Companies, and the American Brass Com- pany one of the largest single plants is that of the Randolph & Clowes Company.
This firm began business in 1886, purchasing part of the plant of the defunct concern of Brown & Brothers. Edward F. Randolph, of New York, furnished the money and the management was placed in the hands of George H. Clowes. Work was begun in April, 1886, with fifty men and one clerk. At the end of three years, the business had grown to $600,000 a year, largely by reason of the ability and energy of Mr. Clowes.
In 1890 Mr. Clowes had developed the business to such an extent that he was prepared for the manufacture of sheet brass and sheet copper and bought the disused rolling mill of the old company for this purpose.
The death of Mr. Randolph in 1898 forced a change in the affairs of the company, and long litigation ended in the defeat of Mr. Clowes, Charles Miller and associates taking over the Randolph and controlling interest in the firm of Randolph & Clowes.
Mr. Clowes did much to develop Waterbury, not alone along manufacturing lines, but in the way of civic beautification. In a few years he worked marvelous changes at Norwood, the Pines and at Overlook. In 1894 Mr. Clowes was presi- dent of the Board of Trade. He died May 17, 1912.
In August, 1899, Randolph & Clowes was incorporated for $500,000 and its
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first officers were: President, C. P. Goss ; treasurer, Franklin A. Taylor ; secretary Curtis J. Birkenmayer. In 1904 Charles Miller, to whom the courts awarded a controlling interest, acquired by purchase during the previous few years, was chosen president ; Franklin A. Taylor, vice president and secretary, and Charles E. Hall, treasurer.
In 1917 its officers are: Vice president, Ralph H. Smith; secretary, Henry I. Farnum. Its president, Charles Miller, died February 6, 1917, and Mr. Hall died later in the year.
Mr. Miller was one of the most prominent business men of Waterbury, having come here in 1860 and with Henry H. Peck founded the Miller & Peck Dry Goods Company. In 1899 he retired from this and devoted his time to the devel- opment of the business of Randolph & Clowes. Mr. Miller died at the ripe age of seventy-nine years and five months.
The Randolph & Clowes plant today comprises twenty buildings in which about seven hundred men are regularly employed. Fully half of these buildings are of modern factory construction and equipped with one of the finest crane systems in the city.
It manufactures seamless drawn brass and copper tubing and shells to 32 inches in diameter; sheet brass and bronze; brass and bronze rods; Muntz metal sheets and rods ; marine bronze sheets and rods; brazed brass tubing and mould- ing ; spun brass kettles and Brown & Brothers seamless copper range boilers.
THE WATERBURY ROLLING MILLS
The Waterbury Rolling Mills, Inc., was organized in March, 1907. Its capital is $200,000. The first officers of the company were: President, Ambrose H. Wells; secretary and assistant treasurer, Fred B. Beardsley ; treasurer, Frank P. Welton.
Its officers in 1917 are: Cornelius Tracy, president; Fred B. Beardsley, secretary and treasurer ; R. D. Somers, vice president and assistant treasurer.
In 1908 additions of considerable importance were made to the plant. The new factory building put up in that year is of brick and steel construction, one story high, 65 by 150 feet in size, with wing 32 by 40 feet. The casting shop and boiler house are of the same construction, also one story in height. The dimensions are 50 by 64 feet and 34 by 45 feet, respectively, and were put up in 1908.
In 1909 the one-story concrete and steel building, 48 by 150 in size, was erected, together with some frame additions. Further additions followed and in 1917 a shipping building, blacksmith shop, and a new garage are under construction.
The Waterbury Rolling Mill employs about one hundred and twenty-five hands, and manufactures German silver, bronze, gilding metal, platers, bars, low brass and other special alloys in sheet and rolls.
A. H. WELLS & CO.
A. H. Wells & Co. began business in 1887. Its incorporation, however, was deferred until 1907, when its capital was fixed at $50,000. In 1916, this was increased to $250,000. Its first president was A. H. Wells, who died February 15, 1910. The company since then has had the following officers: President, S. J. Wells; secretary, C. H. Wells; treasurer, G. H. Wells.
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Its output is confined to small sizes of seamless brass and copper tubing. The plant gives employment to 160 hands.
In 1905, the new factory building on Watertown Avenue was added to the plant, and from that time on extensions have been made repeatedly with the growth of business.
Both brick and concrete and frame additions were put up in 1907. 1908 and 1909, the latter 40 by 100 feet in size. The additions in 1911 were one-story brick structures, 64 by 107 and 35 by 55. Smaller additions were made in 1914, and in 1915 and 1916 a 100 by 160 factory was erected. Many improvements have been added in the past two years.
The plant is today one of the most complete of its kind in the country.
THE FRENCH MANUFACTURING COMPANY
The French Manufacturing Company was organized in 1905, with F. W. French as president, L. R. Carter as treasurer, and George L. Jenks as secretary. Its capital was $25,000, increased March 2, 1910, to $50,000, and March 14, 1913, to $100,000.
The first factory was built at 128 Robbins Street, and was 40 by 60 feet. Since then additions have been built every two years. The factory is now 260 by 80 feet, and three stories in height. It is of brick and steel construction, with cement floors and roof. The company manufactures seamless brass tubing in small sizes and fine gauges, also seamless brass copper, aluminum and other alloy tubing and various products made from seamless tubes. It also manufactures piano player hardware and copper electrical linings. Its product is sold to other manufacturers.
Its plant is operated by electric power. It employs 140 hands, of whom 35 per cent are skilled workmen.
THE PILLING BRASS COMPANY
The Pilling Brass Company was incorporated in April, 1907, with a capital of $25,000, increased July 8, 1915, to $100,000. Its business from the outset has been that of making thin gauges of brass, copper and German silver. Its first officers were: J. W. Pilling, president and treasurer, and Jacob L. Sweiger, secretary. Mr. Sweiger sold out in 1909 and was succeeded by James H. Pilling as secretary. It has greatly enlarged its plant, building a new addition in 1916.
On November 1, 1917, the business was sold to the Connecticut Brass Cor- poration of West Cheshire, Conn., which is now operating the plant under the name of the Connecticut Brass and Manufacturing Corporation. The Con- necticut Brass Corporation was started in 1912 by Michael E. Keeley and sold in 1917 to the Liggett interests, who also owned the Mayo Radiator Company of New Haven, and wanted to secure an assured supply of sheet brass. About five hundred hands are employed in the two plants, and this will be increased soon to 800. The company is planning large extensions. The Connecticut Brass Company supplies all of the metal needed for the manufacturing of the Mayo radiators, and the Cheshire plant furnishes sheets to be further manufactured into small sizes by the Waterbury plant.
TIIE WATERBURY BRASS GOODS CORPORATION
The Waterbury Brass Goods Corporation was incorporated in July, 1904, and took over remanufacturing departments of American Brass Company subsidiaries.
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Its capital is $500,000. Its president is John A. Coe, Jr., its secretary John P. Durfee, its treasurer Gordon W. Burnham.
The company is a large manufacturer of brass goods, lamps, kerosene burners, butts, hinges, chains, and brass and bronze castings. It occupied part of the Holmes, Booth & Haydens plant. It erected its first two buildings in its Wash- ington Street plant in 1909, and added two large buildings in 1911 and 1912.
THE STEELE & JOHNSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY
The Steele & Johnson Manufacturing Company was incorporated on March 17, 1857, as the Steele & Johnson Button Company. In 1874 the business was removed to its present location on South Main Street and in 1888 the company purchased the property and erected its first structures. In 1894 the officers were : Charles M. Mitchell, president and treasurer, and Benjamin L. Coe, secretary and superintendent. Elisha Steele, the founder of the business, died in June, 1875. Charles F. Mitchell, the present executive, succeeded his father in the position. Benjamin L. Coe still holds his position as secretary.
Its capitalization is $150,000.
The company manufactures brass goods from sheet wire, rod and tubing, sheets, drawn, stamped and spun ; stamped shells up to 24 inches diameter, nuts, washers, chain, brass and iron chandelier chain, buttons for uniforms, ornaments and novelties, supplies for lighting fixtures, electrical and plumbers' trades, and automatic screw machine products.
Since 1900 the company has put up eight factory buildings on its present site. The largest of these buildings, four stories, 42 by 150, was put up in 1909 and 1910. A four-story factory, 40 by 89, was put up in 1907 and 1908, and another of four stories, 33 by 51, was erected in 19II.
OTHER BRASS COMPANIES
Newcomers in the field are the Waterbury Brass and Bronze Company, which in 1917 changed its name to the Connecticut Brass Foundry Company. Its business is devoted to brass, bronze and aluminum castings. It was incorporated originally in 1916 for $10,000, with Bernhard L. Coe as president and Henry L. Silver as secretary and treasurer.
The Eastern Brass and Ingot Company, of New York, entered the Waterbury field in 1916. While incorporated in New York, it is a Chicago firm, with Howard Baker of Chicago as president. A. C. Duryea, vice president, is in charge of the new plant erected in the fall of 1916 on East Aurora Street. Its business is the conversion of finely-divided metal scrap into solid briquet-ingots. It employs fifty hands.
THE NATIONAL COMPANY
The National Company, manufacturers of brass, copper, bronze and nickel seamless tubing, has made a record in 1917, its plant having been increased in the past twelve months from 7,000 square feet in its main buildings to 21,000 square feet. It was incorporated in April, 1913, with a capital of $250,000. Its officers then were: President and treasurer, M. J. Byrne ; vice president, A. A. Tanner; secretary, George M. Beach. These are its present officers, with the exception that the vice presidency is now held by Walter N. Lovell. In addition
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to its officers, its directors are B. M. Gardner of Cleveland and Miss Mary C. O'Neill of Waterbury. The company employs about one hundred men.
It is doing some excellent housing work near its plant on Huntingdon Avenue. having in process of construction a 28-room single story dwelling, which is to be for the use of four families. Each seven-room section has a cellar, city water, electric light and every possible convenience.
THE SMITHI & GRIGGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY
The Smith & Griggs Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1869 for $40,000, and this capital was not increased until 1907, when it was fixed at $400,000, the amount of its present capitalization. The original partnership was formed in 1864 by John E. Smith and Henry C. Griggs.
The company manufactures all kinds of brass and metal goods, buckles, clasps, auto and carriage hardware, etc.
In 1894 A. S. Chase was president ; E. S. Smith, treasurer; R. H. Smith, secretary.
Its officers and directors in 1917 are: Ralph H. Smith, president and treas- urer ; J. R. Smith, assistant secretary ; directors, Ralph H. Smith, J. R. Smith, H. S. Chase, I. H. Chase, A. J. Smith, R. F. Griggs, Julius Maltby.
Its plant on South Main Street, near Pearl Lake Road, was enlarged in 1906 by the addition of two factories, sizes 43 by 137 and 20 by 30.
THE SHOE HARDWARE COMPANY
The Shoe Hardware Company of Waterbury was organized with a capital of $25,000 in 1898. This was increased to $400,000 December 20, 1913, and reduced to $100,000 April 19, 1917. It is a subsidiary of the United States Rubber Company and manufactures much of the hardware used by that corpora- tion. Its annual output of buckles runs into many millions. There have been few changes in the personnel of its officials since its organization. In November, 1917, Henry L. Hotchkiss, of New Haven, who had been president since its organization in 1898, resigned and A. D. Field, of Waterbury, who had been secretary and treasurer since the company began business, was elected president ; Mr. Hotchkiss becoming vice president and E. W. Rutherford secretary.
The company's plant on Brown Street has been greatly extended, additions having been made nearly every year of its existence. In 1900 the central three- story building, 86 by 97, was erected, and in 1908 the large addition, 66 by 82, and the brick boiler house were added. In 1909 the wing, 73 by 107, was added. In III and 1912 the five-story brick building, 84 by 99, and the three-story brick building were added.
Henry L. Hotchkiss, who was its president for so many years, has been closely identified with the United States Rubber Company as a director and was on its executive committee for the first seven years of its existence.
THE PLATT BROTHERS & COMPANY
Among the long-established manufacturing enterprises of Waterbury is that of the Platt Brothers & Company, which was incorporated in 1876, but was founded on the first of April, 1847. Even before that date the business had its inception, having been established by Alfred Platt, grandfather of Lewis A. Platt. who is now president of the concern.
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It continued the manufacture of buttons until 1910, when that branch of the business was taken over by a newly organized company under the name of the Patent Button Company, capital $48,000, of which Lewis A. Platt, however, remains the treasurer. The original firm of A. Platt & Co. was afterward reor- ganized under the name of A. Platt & Sons and upon the death of the founder of the business it was incorporated in 1876 under the name of The Platt Brothers & Company. The capital is $30,000. It has not been changed. This company manufactures all kinds of light metal articles, including eyelets, and sells direct to manufacturers. It employs about one hundred operatives in the factory, 50 per cent being skilled labor. After the incorporation of the company, W. S. Platt was chosen president, with his brother, Clark M. Platt, as secretary and treasurer. The latter succeeded to the presidency on the death of W. S. Platt in 1886, while Lewis A. Platt, son of Clark M. Platt, became secretary. He continued in that office until chosen to the presidency, which position he still fills.
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