USA > Kentucky > Jefferson County > Louisville > The city of Louisville and a glimpse of Kentucky > Part 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
Some twenty years ago a citizen of New Albany, Indiana, decided to make plate glass. The enterprise was not prosperous and the owners could not pay for the requisite machinery, which had been ordered in England, when two New Albany gentlemen induced W. C. De Pauw to go into a company for the manufacture of plate glass. Mr. De Pauw loaned the company $200,000, besides taking an interest in it on his own account. W. C. DE PAUW The company lost money steadily in manufacturing, as well as in bad debts and in shrinkage. Then came a fire, and the original plant was abandoned. New ground was purchased and extensive new works were built; but there was a repetition of the old story, and the company had to go into bankruptcy. But Mr. De Pauw was not the man to be credited with a failure, aud in 1872 he personally took charge of the works. He at once set ahout increasing his buildings, ovens, machinery, etc., four-fold. After he had made his contracts for all this he discovered that the business was still likely to be a mouey-losing venture. He was now involved to over half a million, however, and he went ahead, putting in more money in the hope of recovering what he had speut. Gradually the losses were cut down and the manufactory finally began to pay. In the few years last past it has proved a profitable investment,
The plant now represents au expenditure of $2,000,000. Nearly thirty acres of ground are covered with buildings and valuable machinery, or are occupied as yards, Railroad tracks connect the yards with several roads direct, and by them to all the roads. The capacity is 2,000,000 feet of plate glass, 150,000 boxes of window glass, and 30,000 gross of fruit jars per annum. The works employ from 1,000 to 1,500 men, seventy-five per cent. of the cost of plate glass being in wages. Of coal nearly 2,000,000 bushels are used annually ; 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 feet of lumber, 50,000 tons of grinding sand, 12,000 tons of mixing sand, 4,000 tons of soda ash, and as much quick lime. The sand is procured in Indiana, lime in Indiana and Tennessee, soda ash in New York, emery in Turkey, beside arsenic, which they import, fire-brick and other materials amounting to $200,000 a year. At these works are made cylinders of pure white double-thick window glass eighty inches long and fifty-eight inches in circumference. Plates are here cast 135 x 215 inches and the works are about to make sheets of polished plate glass 150 x 220 inches in size. The New Albany works have a capacity of 132 pots ; the Louisville works, of thirty-two pots, a total of 164 pots, when in full blast. In the same week the works have shipped goods to New York, San Francisco, St. Paul, and New Orleans, and the business is daily increasing. During the current year prices have been low, but otherwise the concern has been eminently successful and next year it is expected to do a business of over $2,000,000.
Every appliance that cau facilitate the work in haud is here utilized. Surface and elevated roads run in and about the buildings. Steam elevators haul up coal, sand, lime, and other materials from the river. Water works on the premises supply all the water needed and electric light and gas plauts furnish light at uight ; for the fires never go out ; the furnaces never cool ; the wheels never cease to turn, or the hands to lahor in this great factory. The Louisville works are used merely to make rough plate glass, which is taken to New Albany to be ground aud finished. The char- acter of the glass compares favorably with any made in Europe, even of the finest and heaviest glass for large mirrors.
Mr. W. C. De Pauw, the real founder of this vast enterprise, came to New Albany from Salem, ludiaua, in 1865, being already a millionaire. He was a man of great strength, physical and mental, and greatly increased his wealth, dying in May, ISS7, worth several muillions. He was a most public-spirited man and during his life did a vast work for the cause of education in Indiana, founding De Pauw College at New Alhany and giving largely to Asbury-now De Pauw University at Greencastle. To these institutions he left large bequests, especially so to the institutions of the Methodist church. The glass works are now owned by N. T. De Pauw, the manager of the business ; C. W. De Pauw, Miss Florence De Pauw, the children of their fouuder, and Mrs. W. C. De Pauw, his widow. It is expected that in Jau- mary next the company will be incorporated. Mr. N. T. De Pauw is thoroughly familiar with all the details of the busi- ness, having had entire charge of it for six years. He is a young man possessing many of the qualities that made his father eminent. He is ably assisted by Mr. W. D. Keyes, Assistant Manager, who has been connected with the business from the beginning. Mr. George F. Penn, an old employe, is superintendent of the plate department, aud Mr. L. L. Pierce, superintendent of the window glass department. 124
Dennis Long and Company.
D ENNIS LONG AND COMPANY is a corporation which mannfact- ures cast iron pipe. The company was incorporated January 2, ISTS, with the following officers : Dennis Long, Presideut ; Samuel A. Miller, Vice-President ; Dennis M. Long, Superintendeut ; George J. Long, Secretary and Treasurer. The offices are still filled by these gentle- men. The business founded by Mr. Long had steadily increased until the formation of this company and has continued to increase, from time to time requiring extensive enlargements of the company's works. It has recently completed and is now operating a large pipe foundry near the intersection of Preston and Fulton streets, constituting a part of what are known as the "upper works."
Before making this last addition DENNIS LONG AND COMPANY was offered very considerable inducements-donations of land and favorable freight rates-if it would locate the new pipe fonudry in some one of the principal manufacturing cities of the South, among them notably Chat- tanooga and Birmingham ; but the advantages offered by Louisville were so manifest that the company decided to build here. The several foun- dries owned by the company now have a capacity of 250 tons a day. The works are devoted exclusively to the manufacture of cast iron pipe and special castings necessary therefor. The corporation numbers on its pay- roll over five hundred employes and sends its product as far west as the DENNIS LONG Pacific coast, all through the North-west, throughout the South and South-west, and east into Peunsylvania. This business has been slowly built up, since 1863, when Mr. Long ceased making steamboat machinery and began making cast iron pipe exclusively. Mr. Long was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1816, and came to this country with his parents in IS20. They set- tled in Erie, Pa., and then moved to Pittsburgh, where Dennis Long was apprenticed to the trade of miolder. After some years work at his trade in Pittsburgh, Mr. Long moved to Louisville, and his first day's work in this city was at a foundry on Ninth street, on a site where are located DENNIS LONG AND COMPANY'S general offices and what are called "the Ninth street works." Some years later Mr. Long formed a partnership with Mr. Bryan Roach and the firm of Roach & Long en-
gaged in business on this
Ninth street site, where they devoted them- selves chiefly to the building of steamboat machinery. They made the machinery for many noted steamers.
FOUNDRY FOR SPECIALS
In 1860 the water works of this city were projected and the contract for the im- mense Cornish pumping engines was award- PIPE FOUNDRY DENNIS LONG & C ed to Roach & Long. At that time the making of such engines was a work of great magnitude and risk. Mr. Roach was accidentally killed and all the responsibility of the contract fell upon Mr. Long. He huilt the engines and to-day they are furnishing Louisville her entire water supply. Ahont 1863 Mr. Long began, on his own account, the manufacture of cast iron pipe. His foundry then had a capacity of only ten or fifteen tons a day.
125
Louisville Military Academy.
7 HE great ueed of a Military Academy adjacent to the city of Louis- ville is now supplied in the fullest measure by the enterprise of one of Kentucky's best military teachers, Colonel Robert D. Allen, A. M., M. D., who was, for thirteen cousecutive years, Superin- tendent of the Kentucky Military Iustitute at Frankfort. His continued success in that school, together with an experience of nearly thirty-five years as au educator of boys, is a sufficient guarantee of the success of the new enterprise, where the discipline aud management of the pupils are as near as possible that exercised by a wise father in the control of his boys at home. Colonel Allen's long experience in the teaching aud management of boys has convinced him that "character, which is the maiu essential to a proper education, is formed at an early age."
Character like the intellect can only be developed in the doing-head aud hand and heart must be educated together-hence, this Academy is a manual training school in the better sense of the term. The working of haud and heart with the intellect minst be beguu at an early age to secure successful development. Boys entering uuder seventeen years of age may remain uutil they have completed the extensive academic course of the school which ends with the junior class of the best colleges.
The LOUISVILLE MILITARY ACADEMY is situated five miles from the court house in Louisville, on the Bardstown turnpike, and two miles COLONEL ROBERT D. ALLEN from the nearest street car line to the city. The magnificent buildings, which have just been completed, are admirably adapted to the purpose for which they have recently been thoroughly furnished, equal to the best city hotels, and make a charming home for the pupils with the principal and his estimable family. These buildings would afford ample accommodations for a "family " of seventy persons, but to secure the better control and the more thorough instructiou of the boys, the uumber of pupils is limited to thirty-five. The study halls, class-rooms, family-rooms, play-rooms and all are furnished with gas, water, fire and apparatuses essential to the development of the bodies and minds of the boys, while the comforts and conveniences are all that wealth and station in life could desire. The main brick building is 93 x 103 feet, three stories, with high ceilings, thoroughly lighted and ventilated. Another two story building, 60 x 25 feet, is used for play and working rooms for the pupils. The grounds embracing thirty acres are peculiarly suited to out-door sports and mil- itary exercises. A more heathful location could not have been found in Kentucky. The cost of these buildings was more than $60,000, and, thus equipped, the school has been opened under the most favorable circumstances. The Course of Study, methods of instruction and government are nearly those suggested by Johonnot in his celebrated "Principles and Practice of Teaching " for his ideal school, each pupil receiving such treatment and training, both of hand and head, as his nature requires. In this particular, Colonel Allen has no superior, and he has frequently de- veloped " capacity " iu cases that were considered almost hopeless. Professor Oliver, the Associate-Principal, is a teacher of experience and a graduate of Cook County Normal, of Illinois. Great advantage to the pupils has re- sulted from the fact that the Principal is a graduate of medicine, though in all cases of illness regular practitiou- ers of medicine have charge of the patients.
Advantages : First, absolute ex- emption from the temptations of a city life; second, the good influences of family associatious ; third, the good influence of a military organization in dress, time saved, physical develop- ment, habits of promptness, neatness, persistence, self-dependence, obedi- ence, order, regularity and principles of honor, truthfulness and devotion to LOUISVILLE MILITARY ACADEMY. duty ; fourth, expenses under control of the Principal ; fifth, peculiar adaptation of government and instruction to the individual cadet ; sixth, teachers associate with the pupils day and night ; seventh, adaptation of the course of study to the needs of each pupil ; eighth, manual training; ninth, limited in number and age to receive personal attention.
Colonel Allen's address is drawer 28, Louisville, Kentucky.
126
If). Muldoon & Co.
M. MULDOON.
7 "HE firm of M. MULDOON & Co., designers and importers of monn- ments and cemetery art work, was established in Lonisville in July, 1857, by Mr. Muldoon, who was born in Ireland, but who came to this country when little more than a lad. He has had several partners in the course of the thirty years of his business career, but the firm name has remained unchanged, though Mr. Muldoon now conducts the business alone. He is a man of the highest business qualities, and has established a trade that extends all over the United States. There are fashions in monnments, as well as in everything else, and Mr. Mul- doon is always prepared to supply what is required in this respect. For instance, at present nearly all the demand is for granite, the marbles of Carrara, Italy, having fallen into disnse, although they can be set up as monuments in this country as cheaply as can the granite quarried in Vermont, the granite being much harder to work than the marble. But it lasts longer than the marble does, and is more imposing in appear- ance. Mr. Muldoon still owns an interest in a studio and workshop at Carrara, however, and employs many workmen there. The handsome chapel erected to the memory of the late General D. D. Colton, in the cemetery at San Francisco, was made entirely by Mr. Muldoon's en- ployes at Carrara, and was shipped around the Horn and put up hy M. MULDOON & Co., at a cost of $46,000. It is one of the handsomest pieces of cemetery work in the country.
But for the most part monuments are now made of granite. Mr. Mul- doon owns an interest in some quarries at Barre, Vermont. where is obtained a beautiful steel-colored gray grauite, capa- ble of a very high polish, and the most enduring stone known. He also nses a great deal of the red granite from the Hill o'Fare, in the north of Scotland. a stoue that has recently been brought into the market, and that is largely used in relieving the gray of the Vermont stone, especially in making sarcophagi. The stone is all worked into shape at the quarries, and the only work done at the warerooms and yards in Louisville is the polishing and lettering. For large contracts the stone is never brought to Louisville at all. In the Lonisville yards and warehouse, which are located at Nos. 322 to 328 West Green street, from forty-five to fifty men are employed and are kept constantly busy in finishing off the work. Mr. Muldoon's business amounts to from $225,000 to $300,000 a year in monuments alone, and he does a small business in fine art marbles hesides.
Mr. Muldoon has been remarkably successful in obtaining contracts for important pieces of work over some of the largest dealers of this country. He has just completed a very handsome monument to the late Harrison Phoebus, the builder and owner of the Hygeia Hotel at Old Point Comfort. The mounment is erected in the old church yard at Ham- ton, one of the oldest church yards in America. It is built of gray granite. The pedestal is of three large blocks, the lowest being six by six feet. The base is surmounted by a die block, with columns at each corner, the capitals of which are elaborately ornamented with foliage. The whole is surmounted by an elaborately-worked frieze. Above this is a Grecian cap and plinth, and above this is a shaft eighteen feet high, surmounted by an urn five feet high. On the face of the shaft is a medallion likeness of Mr. Phoebus, cast in bronze. The monument is thirty feet high.
A more important historical work is the monnment to John C. Calhoun, in St. Michael's church yard, Charleston, South Carolina. This is a sarcophagus of the most elaborate workmanship that was made by Mr. Muldoon. When the earthquake visited Charleston a part of the old church fell on this monument, but, fortunately, did it no serious injury. Mr. Muldoon also built the monument erected by the Odd Fellows to the memory of their late Grand Secre- tary, Ridgely, in Harlem square, Baltimore. The structure is surmounted by a statue of Mr. Ridgely. It is forty feet high, and cost $23.000, having been paid for by contributions from Odd Fellows all over the world, five cents beiog the largest amonnt received from any one person. The design for this monument was selected from among twenty competi- tors. Another handsome piece of work is the cemetery chapel at Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, erected to the son of the philanthropist, Lick, of California. The cemetery at Lonisville is filled with handsome monuments put up hy M. MULDOON & Co.
M. MULDOON & Co. is represented in nearly every principal cemetery in the country. In New York's famous bury- ing-ground, Greenwood, the firm has built several monuments. It put up the Reuben Springer monument in Cincio- nati, and in the same cemetery bas built nine other monuments. Its work is to be seen in several of the cemeteries in Pennsylvania. In Kentucky the firm has built monuments in nearly every town and city. The Confederate soldiers' monument at Cynthiana, Kentucky, was put up by Mr. Muldoon, and at Frankfort some of his handsomest work is to be found. At Lexington there are the Breckinridge monuments, the monument to the Confederate soldiers, beside many others. In the Nashville cemetery Mr. Muldoon built the large Cheatham chapel, C. A. R. Thompson, J. K. Morris, and other fine monuments. At Memphis he built the Confederate soldiers' monument, the Catholic clegymen's monument, and others. He designed and executed the Confederate soldiers' monuments in all of the following places : Columbia, Tennessee ; Columbus, Georgia ; Macon, Georgia ; Sparta, Georgia, and Thomasville, Georgia. In Texas Mr. Muldoon has done some work ; in St. Louis is a large sarcophagus built by him. In San Francisco are several mon- uments of his building, and in all the Southern States Mr. Muldoon has put np most of the handsome monuments.
127
Truth.
7THERE is a province in journalism which it is universally recognized that the daily newspaper does not reach and which in America is
covered by the Sun,lay newspaper-an institution peculiar to America, being something of a compromise between the English society journals and the American daily newspaper. It is the business of the weekly paper to say all the conutless things that the daily paper leaves unsaid, and to give even a new and unexpected twist to the countless things that the daily paper bas said. The Sunday newspaper is the Mrs. Grundy of journalism, in oue sense, the people's jester in auother, aud the universal critic iu the third. It naturally occupies an independent position with regard to the world at large and should be deeply imbned with the local color of the community in which it exists and of which it should be felt to be an integral part. This is just what TRUTH, of Louisville, is.
The first number of the paper was published on October 11, 1885. Since then it has attained a circulation of between 7,500 aud 8,000. It is published every Sunday morning and is an eight-page paper containing forty-eight columns of reading matter. The paper was established by Messrs. Young E. Allison, George W. Smith, and Benjamin H. Ridgely. Its success was instantaneous and demonstrated the fact that such a paper was a need of this city. Messrs. Allison and Smith sold their interest iu BENJAMIN H. RIDGELY. the paper in September, 1886, since which time Mr. Ridgely and Mr. Isaac Dinkelspiel have been its proprietors and editors. During this second year of its existence the advertising patronage of the paper increased to more than three times what it was in the first year, and its owners, instead of having the typographical work done by contract, as they did the first year, were enabled to buy a very haudsome outfit. TRUTH is printed on book paper, in large aud legible type.
TRUTH started iu life on an aggressive, though good natured, line of policy and has continued in it. It is outspoken, full of bright gossip of all kinds, calls things by their names, and is strongly marked by the personality of its owners and editors. It is remarkable that it has never lost a political fight, though it has been hotly engaged in every coutest that has come up withiu the two years of its existence. This, of itself, is enough to show not only its influence, but that it reflects the sentiments of the community of which it is a part. It has uo axes to grind aud is consequently out- spoken and honest. The paper makes an important feature of local politics and political gossip and is an important factor in the political circles of Louisville. Its political cartoons have doue much to give it prominence in this respect. Next in importance after the political feature is the society feature of the paper, which is a good humored satire of the social life of Louisville, as well as a record of the doings of people in society here. The other features of the paper are base ball, which is made quite prominent, dramatic and local musical matters, a bright New York letter, and gossip of every conceivable descriptiou, with occasional special articles ou matters and things of local interest. Numerous illustrations brighten up its columns and its personalities are of the keenest.
Mr. Benjamin H. Ridgely does most of the writing for the paper, Mr. Dinkelspiel being its manager. Mr. Ridgely is a unique character in journalism. He is a young man of the most original wit, giving a humorous turn to nearly all he writes. His wit is as exhaustless as his good nature, and his articles always have a characteristic flavor. Mr. Ridgely is a thoroughly trained journalist, having served in numerous positions on the daily papers of this city. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, July 13, 1859, being the son of Frederick W. Ridgely. Early in life Mr. Ridgely moved to Woodford county, Kentucky, whence he came to Louisville in 1879. He was a reporter on the Courier-Journal for four years and made his mark there by his originality and cleverness. He then became associated with Mr. Diukelspiel on the Argus, a weekly paper, and after working there for two years accepted the office of city editor of the Louisville Commercial, which place he left to establish TRUTH.
Mr. Isaac Dinkelspiel has had an equally thorough training in jour- nalism. He is a native of this city, is thirty-two years of age. Imme- mediately after leaving school he became a reporter on the Courier-Jour- nal, where he remained nearly five years. He left that paper to form a combination with Messrs. Rothacker and Gardner on the Argus, when those three gentlemen made that paper such a brilliant success. Mr. Dinkelspiel remained with the paper longer than did either of the others, his connection with it as proprietor lasting five years. He left it to become manager of the Louisville Commercial, where he remained two years. Mr. Dinkelspiel is one of the best equipped newspaper men of the city.
ISAAO DINKELSPIEL
128
McPerran, Shallcross & Co.
"O attain perfection in any department of life is the surest means of success, and this is what has been accomplished by the above styled firm in the manufacture of that homely but succulent article, the sugar-cured ham. The first of the now famous braud of Magnolia hams was cured in 1863 by McFerran & Menefee, when only 7.500 pieces were cured. The brand was continued hy Mitchell, Armstrong & Co .; then hy McFerran, Armstrong & Co., and then by the present firm, composed of John B. McFerran, S. H. Shallcross, R. J. Meuefee, and W. P. Clancy. Under all of these various changes the Magnolia brand has steadily increased in favor until it may be described as a phenom- enal success, the cure having reached 375,000 pieces in a single year, which is very much larger than that of any other strictly winter-killed, sugar-cured, canvased hams ever made. It is the intention of the firm to extend their output to 500,000 hams annually, a move from which they have only been deterred for want of space.
The effort has been to make each cure better than its predecessor, and from the favor with which the product has been received, the members of the firm believe that they have succeeded in their design. The hams are cured under what they believe to be the best formula known to the trade, and nothing but the purest and most expensive ingredients enter into the cure. Every Magnolia ham is sold under an absolute guarantee to be perfect in cut, cure, and flavor ; and under this guarantee the wholesale dealer, the retailer, and the consumer alike have perfect security for the goods bought, or for their equivalent in money. Even under the most rigid inspection, in such a large cure, a few hams every year will escape the notice of the most careful of men.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.