USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1881 > Part 41
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SELECTED OCCUPATIONS.
Males.
Clergymen .
10
Cigar-makers .
11
Lawyers
6
Curriers .
8
Physicians .
13
Hatters
18
Teachers
6
Iron-foundrymen
26
Barbers ·
9
Last-makers
9
Saloon-keepers
18
Machinists
174
Stable-keepers
8
Masons
. 28
Clerks
79
Painters .
. 45
Expressmen
12
Spindle-makers
13
Merchants and traders
140
Stationary engineers
11
Railroad employees
23
Straw-hat makers
. 15
Salesmen
25
Stone-cutters
.
40
Teamsters .
46
Stone-quarrymen
19
Farmers
145
Tailors .
12
Farm-laborers
93
Tinsmiths
13
Hostlers
9
Wooden-box makers
19
Bakers
18
Laborers
105
Blacksmiths
25
Retired
.
11
Boot and shoe makers
1,378
Carpenters .
.
80
2,720
·
.
353
AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY.
Females.
Teachers
57
Boot and shoe makers
· 92
Housewives
.
1,981
Dressmakers
62
Housekeepers
·
[Telegraphers, printers, editors, phonographers, etc., not mentioned. ] (Census, 1875, vol. i. pp. 562, 563.)
FARM PROPERTY.
Farms. - 3 to 5 acres, 4; from 5 to 10 acres, 26; above 10 acres, 144; total, 174; value, $520,525. Buildings. - Houses, 180; barns, 170; sheds, 34; shops, 22; carriage-houses, 11; cider-mills, 3; corn-cribs, 5; grist-mill, 1; slaughter-houses, 5; ice-houses, 2; out-buildings, 8; total, 441; value, $227,100. Land. - Land under crops, 2,4754 acres; value, $123,384; mar- ket-gardens, 4 acre ; value, $50; orchards (the land), 934 acres ; value, $3,618; unimproved land, 3,2114 acres; value, $95,664; woodland, 2,867} acres; value, $70,709; total acres, 8,648; total value, $293,425. Fruit-trees and Vines. - Apple-trees, 13,971; cherry-trees, 4 (many omissions); peach- trees, 483; pear-trees, 1,402; plum-trees, 7; quince-trees, 12; grapevines, 2,299; total value, $20,425.
Domestic Animals.
Number.
Value.
Number.
Value.
Bees (swarms of) .
40
$186 00
Horses
167
$19,955 00
Bulls
10
302 00
Lambs
2
10 00
Calves .
64
777 00
Milch-cows .
336
15,705 00
Colts
16
1,895 00
Oxen .
39
3,115 00
Dogs
70
807 00
Pigeons
95
20 00
Ducks .
14
7 00
Pigs
.
96
522 00
Geese .
8
16 00
Sheep
8
52 00
Goats
17
17 00
Steers
2
75 00
Guinea-fowls
3
3 00
Turkeys
6
7 00
Heifers
41
892 00
Hens and chickens, 3,738
2,213 00
$49,185 00
.
176
Seamstresses .
·
11
Domestic servants
.
155
Straw-hat makers
168
Nurses
·
12
Tailoresses
24
Washerwomen
·
12
Clerks
5
2,802
Saleswomen
7
Total .
·
·
.
.
.
Hogs
153
2,609 00
23
House-work
17
Milliners
. 5,522
Aggregates. - Land, $293,425; buildings, $227,100; fruit-trees and vines, $20,425; domestic animals, $49,185; agricultural implements in use, $11,200; total value of farm property, $601,335. (Censns, 1875, vol. iii. p. 587.)
354
HISTORY OF MILFORD.
DOMESTIC AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. Domestic Products (for sale).
Butter
Pounds
9,134
$3,250 00
Cider
Gallons
8,900
950 00
Firewood
Cords
2,020
10,916 00
Hoops
400 00
Lumber .
Feet .
50,000 400,000
6,000 00
Posts
50
8 00
Railroad sleepers
1,351
777 00
Wine
.
.
1,010
1,510 00
Domestic Products (for use).
Butter
.
Pounds
11,291
$4,401 00
Cheese
.
·
Pounds
177
29 00
Cider
Gallons
17,467
1,920 00
Cloth
Yards
50
6 00
Dried fruit
Pounds
1,630
219 00
Firewood
Cords
.
699
3,665 00
Agricultural Products.
Apples
·
.
.
·
78
98 00
Beans, string and shell
Bushels
58
71 00
Beef
Pounds
58,100
5,810 00
Beets
Bushels
600
372 00
Blackberries
Quarts
128
13 00
Blueberries
Quarts
70
7 00
Buckwheat
Bushels
3
5 00
Butternuts
Bushels
2
1 00
Cabbage .
Heads
30,815
2,131 00
Carrots
Bushels
265
183 00
Cherries .
Bushels
14
28 00
Chickens, dressed
Pounds
5,101
1,280 00
Corn, green
Bushels
402
402 00
Corn, Indian .
Bushels
1,792
1,790 00
Corn, pop
Bushels
23
65 00
Crab-apples
Bushels
3
8 00
Cranberries
Bushels
666
1,808 00
Currants
Quarts
100
10 00
Eggs
Dozens
16,331
4,899 00
Fodder, corn .
Tons
59
1,103 00
Geese, dressed
Pounds
160
37 00
Grapes
Bushels
391
762 00
Hay, English .
Tons
1,428
33,644 00
Hay, meadow
Tons
311
3,438 00
Hay, clover
Tous
4
90 00
Hay, millet
Tons
17
352 00
Hides
.
Bushels
13,649
$8,158 00
Beans
Bushels
.
.
80
330 00
.
.
·
.
.
Gallons
·
.
355
AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURES.
Honey
Pounds
157
48 00
Huckleberries
Quarts
1,720
152 00
Mangos .
Bushels
4
2 00
Manure
.
Gallons
94,334
20,753 00
Oats
Bushels
183
133 00
Onions
Bushels
657
682 00
Peaches .
Bushels
99
267 00
Pears
Bushels
217
443 00
Pease, green
Bushels
204
337 00
Plums
Bushels
,12
30 00
Pork
Pounds
50,642
5,064 00
Potatoes, Irish
Bushels
15,041
11,727 00
Pumpkins
Pounds
1,200
12 00
Quinces
Bushels
6
15 00
Raspberries
Quarts
780
129 00
Rye
Bushels
245
245 00
Squashes
Pounds
3,950
91 00
Straw
Tons
5
104 00
Strawberries
Quarts
4,300
1,086 00
Tomatoes
Bushels
12
12 00
Trees, fruit, in nurseries
200 00
Turnips .
Bushels
2,250
1,066 00
Veal
Pounds
10,019
1,202 00
Vines, in nurseries .
Wool, other than Saxony and Merino, Pounds
10
3 00
Aggregates.
Domestic products, for sale
. $23,811 00
Domestic products, for use
10,240 00
Hay, 1,760 tons .
37,524 00
Other agricultural products
80,267 00
Total .
. $151,842 00
(Census, 1875, vol. iii. p. 223.)
MANUFACTURES AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS.
NAMES OF INDUSTRIES.
Establish- ments.
Capital Invested.
Valne of Goods and Work.
Beer, spruce
1
$1,000 00
$1,200 00
Boots and shoes .
21
710,800 00
2,741,935 00
Boxes, packing
1
20,000 00
30,500 00
Boxes, packing and washing-ma- chine
1
10,000 00
16,500 00
Bread and pastry
·
1
10,000 00
48,000 00
Buildings .
.
3
6,050 00
49,000 00
Cords
1,173
7,040 00
Melons
1,500
23 00
Milk
30
30 00
356
HISTORY OF MILFORD.
NAMES OF INDUSTRIES.
Establish- ments.
Capital Invested.
Value of Goods and Work.
Builders' finish, etc.
1
6,000 00
5,000 00
Builders' finish and church fur-
niture
1
9,500 00
26,628 00
Burial-cases
1
2,000 00
2,000 00
Carriages, wagons, and sleighs
3
6,600 00
7,140 00
Cigars.
1
5,000 00
24,000 00
Clothing, men's custom-made
6
14,400 00
44,578 00
Clothing, women's
2
2,900 00
4,300 00
Dies and cutters .
1
7,000 00
15,252 00
Furniture and tinware
1
15,000 00
12,000 00
Gas
1
8,000 00
16,235 00
Harnesses and saddles
2
750 00
3,789 00
Hats, silk .
1
200 00
500 00
Heels, boot and shoe
2
8,500 00
21,728 00
Iron castings
2
24,000 00
34,750 00
Lasts
1
11,000 00
16,000 00
Leather
1
10,000 00
46,658 00
Leather belting
1
15,000 00
3,500 00
Machinery, boot and shoe
3
19,000 00
39,250 00
Machinery, cotton
2
140,000 00
212,000 00
Meal
1
5,000 00
42,900 00
Nails, boot and shoe
1
22,000 00
45,000 00
Needles, sewing-machine
2
4,500 00
12,500 00
· Newspapers and job-printing Photographs
2
4,500 00
6,500 00
Picture-frames, screens, etc.
1
500 00
2,875 00
Shirts .
·
1
300 00
1,000 00
Spindles, spinning-rings, etc.
2
120,000 00
258,000 00
Straw goods
1
30,000 00
190,000 00
Teeth, artificial .
3
1,650 00
4,500 00
Tinware
2
1,900 00
3,350 00
OCCUPATIONS.
Blacksmithing
8
3,800 00
17,007 00
Bleaching and dyeing .
2
1,090 00
1,900 00
Bronzing
1
5 00
25 00
Butchering .
4
12,000 00
64,868 00
Carpentry and joinery
4
1,915 00
7,650 00
Carriage-painting
1
150 00
500 00
Carriage-trimming
1
200 00
500 00
Carpet, feather, and hair cleansing,
1
50 00
50 00
Carpet-sewing
2
20 00
600 00
Coppersmithing .
1
3 00
15 00
Chair cane-seating
1
-
-
25 00
Clock-repairing .
.
4
200 00
700 00
Clothes-cleaning .
10 00
300 00
Cobbling
300 00
2,325 00
Draughting and designing
-
1,050 00
650 00
.
.
·
1
2,000 00
3,563 00
Ice-cream and confectionery
2
16,000 00
5,200 00
1
70 00
225 00
Soft soap
·
50 00
China-decorating
1
357
MANUFACTURES.
NAMES OF INDUSTRIES.
Establish- ments.
Capital Invested.
Value of Goods and Work.
Dress and cloak making
5
520 00
5,825 00
Embroidery stamping .
1
60 00
75 00
Engraving
.
2
10 00
300 00
Furniture-painting
1
200 00
1,500 00
Gilding
2
1,900 00
3,000 00
Glazing
4
505 00
830 00
Gunsmithing
2
35 00
75 00
Ham-curing
1
200 00
400 00
Harness and saddle repairing
3
350 00
1,900 00
Hat and fur repairing .
1
25 00
600 00
Instruments, musical, repairing
1
25 00
150 00
Jewelry repairing
4
80 00
475 00
Locksmithing
1
18 00
100 00
Lumber sawing and planing
1
2,500 00
Machinists' work
3
1,300 00
13,435 00
Masoning, etc.
.
1
3,290 00
Millinery
8
6,650 00
16,100 00
Painting
6
8,880 00
23,650 00
Paper and wood hanging
4
50 00
2,800 00
Plumbing
2
150 00
950 00
Roofing
1
50 00
1,000 00
Sewing-machine repairing
1
300 00
900 00
Stair-building
1
1
1
5,000 00
3,000 00
Stencil-cutting
1
20 00
250 00
Tinsmithing, etc.
5
1,450 00
3,950 00
Umbrella repairing
1
15 00
80 00
Upholstering
3
8,300 00
4,980 00
Varnishing and polishing
2
325 00
250 00
Watch-repairing .
4
900 00
3,600 00
Wheelwrighting .
4
850 00
5,750 00
Whitening and coloring
1
15 00
50 00
Aggregates.
Manufactures (goods made)
·
81
$1,271,120 00 59,576 00
$3,998,056 00
Occupations (work done)
.
118
201,930 00
(Census, 1875, vol. ii. pp. 160,
199
$1,330,696 00
$4,199,986 00
161.)
·
3,000 00
Steam and gas fitting .
.
I find two granite quarries credited in this census to Milford, which ought to be mentioned in this connection. They are reported to have each an area of 21 acres, a capital invested of $14,000, a working force of 75 employees, and to turn out productions to the value of $74,038. Their totals must therefore be these figures doubled. I am not informed as to the precise position of these two quarries, as
358
HISTORY OF MILFORD.
several have been opened at different times in the north-easterly sec- . tion of the town. One or more of these, situated nearest the Milford Branch of the Boston & Albany R. Rd., has been worked by the cor- poration of that road ; and I infer that one, if not both, of those reported in 1875 must have belonged to that corporation. Others, far- ther west, had been opened, and were being worked at the same time : perhaps one of these got into the report. Latterly a promising joint- stock association, entitled, " The Milford Quarrying Company," has been formed, with a capital of $50,000. It was incorporated under the laws of Connecticut, May 21, 1879 ; Orison Underwood, first . director and president. Isaac S. Claflin, William H. Floyd, Richard Carroll, and F. Rafferty, complete the board of directors. The par value of shares is $50. They own two quarries, - one a little east of Charles River, and the other a little west. Both are near the Hop- kinton and Milford Branch of the Providence & Worcester R. Road, one mile and a half north of Milford Centre, twenty-four miles from Providence, twenty from Worcester, and thirty from Boston. The more easterly has an area of ten acres, and the westerly one of five or six acres. Mr. J. H. McChesney, of New York, a competent ex- pert, who was called on to examine and report the qualities, etc., of this granite, speaks in the very highest terms of the westerly quarry, saying, " I regard it as one of the most beautiful and attractive gran- ites ever seen for cemetery purposes, and indeed for any ornamental or architectural purpose." He rates the other as of a lower grade, yet eminently valuable for foundations and solid masonry in gen- eral. His report presents a showing highly encouraging for the new company.
This seems to be the place to note the amount of power used in town to drive machinery. This is specified in vol. ii. p. 333 ; which, however, I am told on good authority, is much below the present status. It is as follows : viz., 17 engines of 790 actual horse-power, and 6 water-wheels of 165 nominal horse-power. Since writing the foregoing a competent examiner says that at present there are 26 engines of 673 actual horse-power, and 7 water-wheels of 240 actual horse-power.
Among the principal manufacturing establishments now or quite recently in operation, I may mention several, without disparagement to others which I must leave unnoticed. In the Centre, mostly in the boot and shoe line, or some correlative business, are those of Clement, Colburn, & Co. ; Johnson, Rust, & Co. ; Claflin & Thayer ; Foster & Quiggle ; Houghton & Coolidge ; Rafferty & Collins ; John P. Daniels ; Elbridge Mann ; Elliot Alden ; Bainbridge Hayward ;
359
OUR PIONEER MECHANICS.
George Thayer ; Estabrook, Wires. & Co. (clinching screws) ; Green Brothers (heels) ; and Benjamin H. Spaulding (straw goods). Most of these occupy capacious buildings, and possess more or less effective machinery. At Hopedale are extensive conveniences for the manu- facture of cotton and woollen machinery, etc. George Draper & Sons, in connection with several corporations and individual operators, are successfully prosecuting this general line of business in its numerous branches to their own enrichment and that of the town.
The history of all this enterprise, and its growth to present dimen- sions, may be briefly sketched. As has already been intimated, our population evinced an early predilection for mechanical pursuits ; but they seem to have contented themselves with the old-fashioned ordi- nary branches, common to New England, for a long time. At first many of them were entitled " weaver" in legal instruments. Just what this calling was, and what its importance, I am not certain, but presume it must have been a trade requiring considerable skill and practice, probably on account of the complex figures wrought into the texture of our ancestral bed-spreads, table-cloths, and other elegant articles, in which the more favored families of former times delighted. Blacksmiths, carpenters, tanners, shoemakers, etc., were numerous enough to meet ordinary demands. Clothiers came in later with their carding, fulling, dyeing, and dressing appliances. The first of these in Milford Centre was Nathan Parkhurst, who, having learned his trade in Connecticut, set up the business on the Parkhurst water- privilege, just below the Charles-river Bridge over Main Street, about the year 1795 or 1796. The first mention of a shoemaker's shop on our records occurs in the laying or relaying out of what is now called Howard Street, in March, 1789. This was in the days of Warfield and Joel Hayward. There may have been other such shops ; but probably they were very small, in which only neighborhood custom- work was done. But somehow this avocation gradually became a favorite one. Arial Bragg may justly be called the father of the boot and shoe manufacture in this town. This will be obvious to any attentive reader of his " Autobiography," which he published in his old age. He was a man of great inborn enterprise and energy, who mastered many depressing circumstances of early life, and made an honorable mark in business. He learned his trade in Brookline, Mass., as early as 1791 ; at which time, he says, there was not a shoe-store in Boston : and it was an almost unheard-of thing for one shoemaker to hire another, -i.e., to employ journeymen. He was probably the first one to do so in this town. He worked up into its north- east corner, out of the borders of Holliston, in the year 1795. Strug-
360
HISTORY OF MILFORD.
gling through many adversities onward to 1819, he then managed the largest establishment of the time ; which, however, had only a shop some thirty by twenty feet in dimensions, two stories high, which he says "cost $260." Several compeers had now started business in the same line on a smaller scale, chief among whom were Lee Claflin, also a tanner, and Rufus Chapin, in a little twelve by ten feet shop. These pioneers operated at first on a very small scale, finding a mar- ket for their goods in the neighboring towns, but chiefly in Boston and Providenee. Col. Bragg quaintly describes his first marketing in Providence, in 1793, while in Holliston, near Milford line, as fol- lows : -
" Hired a horse for fifty cents, bought a bag of hay of John Claflin [grandfather of our Aaron] for ten cents; and with his twenty-two pair of shoes in saddle-bags, and his bag of hay bound on behind him, before the sun had risen was off for Providence; stopped one-half mile North of Provi- dence bridge; gave hay to his horse, and with one pair of shoes in his hand, and the saddle-hags on his back, marched on. When going on to the bridge saw two men standing by the wayside, when one of them called out, 'Have you shoes to sell ?' The response was, I have. 'How many?' Twenty-two pairs. 'What do yon ask ?' One dollar per pair. Looking at them, said he, 'I will give you twenty-one dollars and fifty cents.' You shall have them. Took the money, returned to his horse, found liim refreshed, when he mounted and rode direct to Mr. Draper's, in Attleborough, of whom he had heard when in Brookline. Bought six Calfskins; rode to Thurston's Tavern in Franklin, gave his horse the hay that remained, and arrived home one hour after sundown the same day; paid three weeks' board, and for his horse, and found that eight dollars would remain for his three weeks' work; which was far better than seven dollars per month at Brookline, where the inhabitants thought it beneath their dignity to hold conversation with their hired help, or a journeyman shoemaker." (Memoirs, pp. 40, 41.)
Of course this horseback and saddle-bags peddling was not long in getting into boxes and on to wagon-wheels. But the above extract will serve to impress the reader with a sharp sense of the contrast between those early days of small things, and the present car-loads of cased boots weekly going from our hnge factories to the distant marts of the country. Let not the pioneers be forgotten. While this leading manufacture was growing up, other enterprises were attempted in town, though with less success. Between 1810 and '14 Thomas and William Coker, from Newbury, started the building of the then new-fashioned bellows-top chaises ; and a little later wire-drawing. Peter Rockwood, as early as 1809, established himself in wheelwright- ing. Gershom Nelson and his son Samuel had, before this, built the
361
EARLY DEVELOPMENTS OF ENTERPRISE.
first horse-wagons used in town, of that stanch old type famous for white-oak springs and enduring strength. William Godfrey, another father of Milford enterprise, set up the cotton-plush hat business in 1820, which had a prosperous run for a short time. In 1822 he intro- duced and encouraged the tinware manufacture by Lewis Johnson. About the same time he established a line of stage-coaches between Mendon, Milford, and Boston, and afterwards, lines extending to Hartford and Norwich, Conn., connecting the same with steamers running from those cities direct to New York ; thus making through lines from Boston via this town to New York, greatly to the public convenience. In 1826 an important carriage, wheelwright, and har- ness manufactory went into operation under his auspices ; also, in 1830, the currying business and leather trade. Meantime two small manufactories of cotton and woollen goods had been started in town : one in Bungay, so called by Ebenezer Hunt as early, perhaps, as 1827; and the other, not long after, in the Centre, by Stephen R. and Parmenas P. Parkhurst. This manufacture had a run of several years in both places, but was doomed to extinction. Pecuniary losses, fires, ete., desolated them. During this general period a succession of traders flourished in town, chief among whom were Benjamin God- frey, Pearley Hunt, John Claflin, jun., and their successors in the Centre, and Samuel Penniman and his at South Milford.
Among the principal successors of the fore-mentioned pioneers in the boot and shoe manufacture down to the present occupants of the field, the following may be named : John Mason, Eleazer Parkhurst, Luther Claflin, Henry Ball, several sons of Arial Bragg, Homer T. Ball, Seth P. Carpenter, Chapin & Mann, C. C. Daniels, Obed, Aus- tin, Edward and David Daniels, John Goldsmith, Hunt & Cheney, Jeremiah Kelley, Cephas Lawrence, O. B. Parkhurst, Andrew J. Sumner, Orison Underwood, Otis Thayer, Dexter Walker, Silas Ting- ley, Emory Walker, Samuel Walker, Geo. S. Bowker, Washington Ellis, Elias Whitney, Amasa Parkhurst, Wm. H. Sadler. Curriers and leather dealers, Godfrey & Mayhew. These names and several others appear in the little primer directories of 1846 and '47, issued by Wm. A. Hayward, -the first things of the kind ever printed in town. A few of them have continued to the present day ; but the majority have either died, left town, or ceased from business in this line. In the Directory, published by A. D. Sargeant for 1856, I find advertisements as follows : "Eames & Hathaway, manufacturers of all kinds of machines for making boots." "Godfrey, Colburn, & Co., boot manufacturers, 47 Hanover St., Boston, Central St., Mil- ford, Mass." "A. C. Mayhew & Co., manufacturers and wholesale
362
HISTORY OF MILFORD.
dealers in boots and leather, Milford, Mass., and No. 9 Elm St., Boston." "O. Underwood, Battles Brothers, boot manufacturers, Pearl St., Milford, Mass." " Aaron Claflin, manufacturer and wholesale dealer in boots, shoes, and leather, 94 North St., Boston ; manufactory, Central St., Milford, Mass." " A. B. Vant, boot manufacturer, Pearl St., Milford, Mass." " Calvin Barber, boot manufacturer, Central St., Milford, Mass." "Comstock, Cole, & Co., commission merchants, and wholesale dealers in boots, shoes, and leather, 89 and 91 Pearl St., Boston, Central St., Mil- ford, Mass." "Elbridge Mann, manufacturer and dealer in boots, shoes, and leather, No. 76 Pearl St., Boston; manufactory, Maiu St., Milford, Mass." "George Jones & Son, boot manufacturers, Charles St., Milford, Mass., etc." Then follow, of the same general tenor, the advertisements by Austin Daniels, Mellen C. Bragg, James H. Barker, Alden & Harrington, Otis Thayer, H. O'Brien, Dennis Eames, Obed Daniels, H. T. Ball, B. Hayward, John Goldsmith, Bragg & Birch, Willard Bragg, Elias Whitney, Cole & Brother, Nathan Doty, etc. Our next Directory, by C. C. Drew, appeared on a much larger scale in 1869, thirteen years later. In that some of the foregoing names are missing, several are continued, and some new ones take position. Among the latter are George B. Blake & Co., 81 Central St. ; F. A. Bragg, Braggville ; D. G. Chapin, 72 Central St. ; Clement, Colburn, & Co., North Bow St. ; Claflin & Thayer, 66 Central St. ; Cochrane & Thayer, 50 Central St. ; C. B. Godfrey & Co., 52 Central St. ; Munroe A. Goldsmith, Purchase St. ; Henry & Daniels, Central, near Depot ; E. Mann & Son, 229 Main St. ; A. J. Sumner, 66 Purchase St. ; Zimri Thurber, 62 Purchase St. ; Under- wood Sons & Fisher, Pearl St. ; Walker, Johnson, & Co., North Bow St., corner of Jefferson. Then follow numerous collateral and kindred advertisers, whose names and branches I omit. I have thus partially traced the chain of actors in this enterprising mannfacture from hum- ble pioneer times to the present, so that the reader, in spite of changes and my omissions, can form a tolerable idea of its progress.
I will add some statistics from a few of our larger establishments, just to show the magnitude of their recent operations. Some of these are in the direct line of the manufacture, aud a few of them correla- tive.
Clement, Colburn, & Co. are the leading firm. They mannfacture men's, youths', and boys' kip and calf boots, also California mining- boots. They have ample buildings and machinery, employ during the busy season 500 hands, all males, work up a proportionate amount of stock, and turn out annually 20,000 cases of boots (12 pairs to the
363
OUR PRINCIPAL MANUFACTURES.
case), first quality of goods, worth over $500,000. Average number of months given employment, 11; average wages paid, $1.75 to $2 per day.
Johnson, Rust, & Co. (formerly Walker, Johnson, & Co., who started 1864) manufacture numerous styles of finest quality goods, calf and kip, for Southern, Western, and the New-England markets, also a superior artiele of Hungarian, nailed, serewed, and quilted boots for miners, supplying large orders from Colorado, Utah, Cali- fornia, and New Mexico. Their main building is 85 by 40 ft., and 5 stories high, with ample steam-power and improved machinery. They have several subsidiary buildings for their employees. They employ 260 workmen, and pay out annually for labor $100,000. They work up per year 70,000 sides of kip leather, valued at $125,000; 5,000 sides oak sole leather, valued at $33,000; 12,000 sides red sole leather, valued at $42,000, and additional stock valued at $25,000. The resulting product is 12,000 cases of boots, valued at $325,000. At the same time they run a factory at Randolph, Mass., in which they employ 100 workmen, and manufacture a high grade of hand- screwed, machine-sewed, and pegged calf boots and shoes. They have a store at 116 Summer St., Boston, where they sell largely, not only their own goods, but on commission for other manufacturers,
Houghton, Coolidge, & Co., of Boston, Moses Walker, superin- tendent, run a factory 90 by 40 ft., 5 stories, with an appendant shop 35 by 20 ft., 2 stories, and all helpful machinery. They manufacture wax and kip boots, employ over 500 operatives during the busy sea- son, pay them $100,000 wages per annum, work up stock to the value of $250,000, and turn out 17,000 cases, valued at $350,000.
Claflin & Thayer run a factory 115 by 42 ft., 4 stories, have 250 employees, manufacture 120,000 pairs boots and shoes valued at $200,000, and give 12 months' employment. They have the usual modern facilities of power and machinery.
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