USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Professional and industrial history of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Volume III > Part 58
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enough to secure their uninterrupted working condition and the efficiency of the men employed upon them. In all this work he re- ceived efficient aid from Mr. Blake.
The invention of this system proved hardly less valuable than that of the machine itself, for without it the machine, in spite of its excel- lenee, would have been a failure. With this provision for its needs, the MeKay sewing machine became, at once, indispensable to manufac- turers, and MeKay's plan was immediately appropriated and employed by subsequent inventors in other departments of shoe machinery.
MeKay's original success, his recognized business sagacity, and the prestige of his name, soon made his co-operation desirable, and many inventions were offered for his consideration. Among them were crude contrivances for preparing and assembling the lifts of shoe heels and for moulding them, punching them with nail holes, supplying them with nails, attaching them to shoes and trimming them to the desired shapes upon the shoes. The best of these he, in company with others, acquired and organized the Mckay Heeling Machine Association for their development and introduction. In 1875 this association combined with another, and has since been known as the MeKay & Bigelow Heeling Machine Association. MeKay and his associates had the good fortune to secure at the outset, in connection with this machinery, the services of Charles W. Glidden, of Lynn, whose exceptional inventive skill brought their inventions into the high repute which secured them the place they still hold in all the leading factories of both hemispheres.
Before the expiration of the Blake and Mathies patents, there appeared machines for attaching soles to boots and shoes by metallic fastenings, the most notable of them being the celebrated "Standard Screw Machine," made by Louis Goddu, of Winchester, Mass., a man of the very first order of inventive ability. This machine, carrying a long coil of serew-threaded wire, screws the sole to the shoe, automa- tically adapting the length of the screws to the varying thickness of different soles and of different parts of the same sole, and working with nearly the rapidity of the sewing machine. This and other machines employing different forms of the fastenings used in the manufacture of shoes, were acquired by MeKay and others, and the MeKay Metallic Fastening Association was organized, upon the plan described, for their introduction and use. It is enough to say of the first-named machine that, in the shoe manufacture of this country alone, it already consumes yearly 1,250,000 1bs. of threaded wire.
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Another prominent association of the same character in which Mc- Kay and others, during the same period, acquired ownership of the best inventions relating to the art of lasting boots and shoes, was formed under the name of the MeKay Lasting Machine Association, and its machines, like the others, have gone into extensive and increas- ing use.
In all of these Mckay became the leading spirit and the largest owner, and with them all he still retains connection.
He was not the inventor of any of the remarkable machines with which his name is associated, but he may fairly be regarded as the inventor of their success, and must be considered the foremost practical contributor to the shoemaking department of the industrial art of his time.
THE GOODYEAR MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
CHARLES GOODYEAR, whose name is associated with the Goodyear system of shoe machinery, is the son of Charles Goodyear, the discov- erer of the vulcanization of india rubber. He was born in German- town, Penn., January 1, 1833, his father at that time being engaged in the manufacture of domestic hardware in Philadelphia, being a pioneer in this industry, most of the goods of this nature being then imported. His mother was a daughter of Daniel Beecher, of Naugatuck, Conn .. During his early boyhood young Goodyear attended school in New Haven, but the exigencies of his father's business occasioned frequent interruptions. As he grew to manhood he was much engaged in assist- ing his father in his experiments with india rubber and in applying that material to many of the uses to which it has since become a matter of public necessity.
In 1857 or 1858 he became interested in the manufacture of shoe ma- chinery, and at the beginning of the late Civil War was president of the American Shoe Tip Company, a very successful concern, which gave him an extensive acquaintance among shoe manufacturers and parties connected with the shoe business.
About the year 1864 Mr. Goodyear's attention was called to the in- vention of Auguste Destuoy, who in 1862 had secured United States patents on a machine for sewing boots and shoes. The object sought
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by the inventor of this machine was to make boots and shoes of all de- scriptions as nearly as possible by the same process as had already been employed in sewing them by hand, but his machine was so crude and unsatisfactory that it presented only a suggestion of the idea of the pos- sibility of a circular curved awl and needle working in a small radius, the details of which had subsequently to be worked out and developed. Although Destuoy had not produced in any sense a satisfactory ma- chine, Mr. Goodyear thought he saw in it the elements of a practical invention, and bought an interest in the patent, little realizing at the time, however, the hard work required to bring it to a practical work- ing condition. With that same patience and persistent spirit which so distinguished his father, he undertook the task. Later on, having bought Destnoy's entire interest in the patent, he sold a half interest to Frederick Renaud, Henry T. Close, and Francis Du Bois, of New York. Associating with himself men of practical mechanical ability, he continued his experiments, under many discouragements, until a machine was produced capable of sewing both welts and stitching on the outsoles of shoes. He then went to England for the purpose of in- troducing the invention there, and where he finally sold the foreign patent to a company organized there by an unele of Mr. Goodyear. On his return to the United States in 1871, the Goodyear Shoe Sewing Ma- chine Company was organized, at which time, besides his original as- sociates, Mr. Renaud and Mr. Close, the following representative shoe manufacturers became associated with Mr. Goodyear in the enterprise : Charles D. Bigelow, Edwin C. Burt, H. S. Chase, and George Good- year. Of this company Mr. Goodyear became president, and in which he subsequently invested all of his available means, finally becoming heavily encumbered in his struggle to achieve success.
Although the welt machine was from the first the chief object to be attained and perfected, it was deemed best to confine the efforts of the company to the perfection and introduction of the machine for sewing "turns," which required but one sewing machine, whereas the manu- facture of welted shoes required both a welt sewing machine 'and an outsole stitcher. Before the turn machine was perfected a competing machine was put on the market. This machine had points of similarity to the Goodyear machine, and to avoid possible entanglements the Goodyear Company purchased the patents on the competing invention. It will, however, be unnecessary to go into details to make clear the many trials, discouragements and difficulties which beset the path of
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the Goodyear Company in its earlier efforts. There were many 111- necessary complications in the original machine which it took years of experiment with the best practical mechanical skill to overcome.
A history of this invention would not be complete without reference to a law suit which was brought against the Goodyear Company by the Mckay Sewing Machine Association for alleged infringement by the Goodyear Shoe Sewing Machine Company in the year 1876. This suit was never brought to trial, overtures were made by disinterested par- ties which resulted in a compromise settlement of the legal questions, and a new organization was formed, called " The Goodyear and Mckay Association," to which the Mckay Association assigned all of its patents relating to "turned " shoes, and the Goodyear Company assigned all of its patents relating both to turned shoes and to welted shoes.
The stock in the new association was divided, giving one-third to the Mckay Association and two-thirds to the original stockholders in the Goodyear Company. Eventually the Mckay Association sold their in- terest to the present shareholders in the Goodyear Shoe Machinery Company, and the name of Mckay ceased to be a part of the title of the company.
Throughout the long struggle to perfect and introduce the machines, Mr. Goodyear labored arduously, and he has had the satisfaction since, through and by the assistance of those interested with him, of seeing introduced to the world a series of the most practical and useful inven- tions known in shoe machinery.
In 1882, at a time when the Goodyear machines had just begun to be recognized as valuable, but as yet were little known and only a comparatively few were in use, S. V. A. Hunter became identified with the company, and from that time to the present has been an im- portant factor in its success. The machines of the company had been proved an unqualified success, but to overcome the prejudice against machine sewed shoes and to secure their introduction among manu- facturers, was a most difficult task. It required a high order of ability, a knowledge of men gained by long experience, quick perception, and rare business generalship. These qualities Mr. Hunter possessed, and, quickly comprehending what was required, he soon placed the company on the road to its present commanding position of success. He was born in New York city in 1834. At the age of seventeen he entered as clerk in the employ of the well known firm of Spofford, Tileston & Company, of that city, with whom he remained for the succeeding
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twenty-eight years, advancing finally to be confidential clerk, salesman and general outside manager for all consignments received both from the South and from Cuba in the shape of cotton, sugar, hides, rice, and general southern products. This long experience with one of the largest commission houses in the United States, gave him an excep- tionally fine general business education, which was taken advantage of by his friends in New York who were stockholders in the Goodyear Company, and when the old firm to which he had been attached for so many years went out of business, he was induced to come to Boston to take charge of the financial interests of the company, in the capacity of secretary and treasurer. In December, 1882, he was chosen general manager. Entering this new field, concerning which he had had but little previous knowledge, he brought to bear upon it the business ex- perience gained in his former work. By personal solicitation he brought the various machines of the company to the attention of the manufacturers throughout the United States, and by his well directed efforts succeeded in overcoming the unjust prejudice that existed against them to such an extent that finally the machines were intro- duced in some of the largest factories of the country, where their suc- cessful operation set at rest all doubtful conjectures. He was also a very efficient factor in encouraging new inventions and improvements on the original machines, and in a general way so regulated the busi- ness of the company as to establish it financially on its present success- ful basis. When he came into the company it had about three hundred machines out on lease, and the net earnings were quite inconsiderable compared with its present condition, which is that of a company paying twelve per cent. on a capital of $3,000,000. Mr. Hunter is a man of great energy, of strong will, and not easily discouraged in any task which he undertakes, however great the difficulties he may encounter. That he has been an invaluable factor in placing the company in its present strong position is freely acknowledged by all conversant with its history. His arduous labors and persistent efforts have been crowned with well merited success, and his ambition to make the Goodyear Company the largest shoe machinery company in the world has been fully realized.
Charles Goodyear continued as president of the company until 1888, when he was succeeded by Jonathan Munyan, who had become a stock- holder in the year 1880, through helping Mr. Goodyear in the time of his greatest need on an appeal made to him by Mr. Goodyear for
75
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financial aid to prevent his being sold out for money he had borrowed of his associate directors in the company. All his stock was hypothe- cated, with certain foreign patents he owned, and when the day for settlement came, the parties holding the collateral pressed him very hard and insisted upon settlement in full. The amount borrowed amounted to a large sum. Mr. Munyan foresaw the value of the in- vention, and, although a comparative stranger to Mr. Goodyear, he, with other friends of Mr. Goodyear, raised the money for him and saved his stock.
In the year 1881 these former directors referred to, who had been foiled in their effort to get possession of the company, made another attempt by erying down the stock and trying to buy it in from other parties, but failed in that also, as Mr. Goodyear and his friends suc- ceeded in holding the controlling interest, whereupon these directors sold out their stock and retired from the company. Mr. Munyan con- tinted an active director-later on becoming its president-in all these years when the company was struggling for recognition among the manufacturers.
All of his life from early manhood Mr. Munyan has been connected with the leather and shoe business, and for many years was a director and stockholder in the Bay State Shoe and Leather Company of Wor- cester, Mass., and Brooklyn, N. Y., the factory at Worcester being under his personal supervision. This company was one of the first to adopt the Goodyear machines, and the first to make them a decided success, it being done almost solely through the earnest solicitation of . Mr. Munyan, who had the foresight to see the great value of the sys- tem. Shortly after his election as president of the Goodyear Company he gave up his connection with the Bay State Company, and has since devoted all of his time and attention to the furtherance of the interests of the Goodyear Company. All of his valuable experience gained in his long connection with the important companies with which he had been connected was brought to bear in his new field of labor, and his safe advice, honesty and integrity, have been a bulwark upon which the directors have relied in all the struggles of the company. When the foreign company was established, Mr. Munyan was also made president of this corporation, and has taken an active interest in it, visiting the agencies in England and France each year, and rendering valuable assistance in the fight against the prejudice of manufacturers abroad in regard to using royalty-paying machines. Mr. Munyan was
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born in Thompson, Conn., in 1823, and for over forty years has been prominently identified with the development and interested in the com- mercial importance of Boston.
At the present time the Goodyear Company has 2, 200 machines leased to about 850 lessees, the royalty from which is sufficient to realize the income previously mentioned. The company has a large shop in Boston in which the machines are manufactured, where 200 men are employed. There are ten agencies located in different cities, conducted by men in the employ of the company, these eities being shoe centers of the districts in which they are located. Fifty men are constantly employed as operators, whose business it is to visit the dif- ferent lessees, teach operators, keep the machines in repair, and in a general way to look after the interests of the company. A European company has been established, with offices in England and France, and in these countries a number of machines are in use, their success- ful operation opening a wide field for future work.
CHRISTIAN DANCEL.
No account of the now widely known Goodyear shoe machinery would be complete which failed to give prominent mention of the part per- formed in its development by Christian Dancel, whose practical me- chanical ingenuity has been manifested in every stage of its growth. Mr. Dancel was born in Cassell, Germany, February 14, 1842. After studying mechanical engineering for three years and a half at the Poly- technic School in that place he came to New York in 1865 and worked as practical machinist in different machines shops in the United States. He finally connected himself with one Stein, who held a patent for a sewing machine, and for him he invented and built the first practical shoe sewing machine ever put on the market. This patent was after- wards bought by the Goodyear Shoe Sewing Machine Company, in the employ of which Mr. Dancel then entered, and by his improvements upon his own inventions and those of others he was enabled to bring out the first machines which were a practical success, and was engaged by the company, at once, as superintendent.
The machines thus far had been made simply for sewing turned shoes. He was then asked to turn his attention to making a machine with
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which to sew on welts, and also to invent, if possible, a machine to stitch the out soles on shoes. He undertook to do this at once and al- tered over one of the machines then in use into a stitcher, of which the company made fifty, and sold them immediately to different manufact- tirers. He then took one of the same machines referred to, and by adding a welt guide, produced in 1844 a machine which would sew not only turns but welts. This machine was accepted by the company in 1845, patented by Mr. Dancel and assigned to it, and is in use at the present time with a few alterations.
By this time Mr. Dancel had become very proficient in the knowledge of shoe sewing machinery. His various improvements and patents were adopted by the company, his assistance becoming of the utmost value in defending it against the suits brought by other companies, and enabling it to establish itself on a firm foundation for future work.
In 1876 Mr. Dancel went into business for himself as machinist and inventor, and invented a number of small machines used in the finish- ing of shoes, very valuable to the trade. Soon after this he was called upon by the Goodyear Company to build another machine for it, which he did with great success, building and perfecting one machine after another until he produced the one which has given the greatest meas- ure of success to the company. This machine is for stitching the outer sole to the upper with a curved needle and a lock-stitch while the shce is on the last. This machine was delivered to the company in 1885. This was followed by building a straight-needle machine which would also stitch on the outer sole while the shoe is on the last, and this was finished and delivered in 1892. His last achievement for the company is to build a curved needle machine to sew welts upon the shoe with a lock-stitch while the shoe is on the last. In all these inventions Mr. Dancel takes a just pride, as being the inventor who has furnished to the companies working under the Goodyear name all their principal ma- chines upon which they now rely, and with which they have become so highly successful.
MELLEN BRAY.
MELLEN BRAY, whose name is associated with several inventions of great practical utility and value, was born in the town of Turner, An- droscoggin county, Me., January 12, 1829, and is a son of William B.
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and Nancy (Bradford) Bray. On the paternal side he is a descendant in the seventh generation of one of four brothers who came from Nor- mandy, France. The progenitor of the family in America settled at Falmouth, Mass. The grandfather and father of our subject were for many years engaged in mercantile and milling pursuits at Turner. They were both men of strong character, and in the community where they lived exerted marked influence. His father was born in 1800, and after many years of successful business life at Turner removed in 1858 to Oshkosh, Wis., where he purchased large tracts of timber land. Here he died in 1869. He was twice married, his first wife, Nancy Bradford, who died in 1834, being a descendant in the sixth generation of Governor William Bradford, one of the famous characters in the colonial period of New England. She was the mother of six children, of whom William, Mellen and Nancy (wife of A. M. Smith) are living; two died in infancy and Philip, the youngest, died in 1884. Mr. Bray's second wife was Ann Maria Sawtell, who died in 1845. Of the latter union four children were born, of whom two are living, Madison B. and Elizabeth Johnson Bray (wife of C. C. Paige).
The youth of Mellen Bray was passed at Turner, where he received the educational advantages of the public school. A more liberal edu- cation was at his disposal had he so desired, but early evincing a de- cided taste for business, and more especially a genuine fondness for machinery, he at the age of seventeen went to work in the carding mill conducted by his father, and later in the linseed oil mill also owned and operated by his father. In this service he was highly successful, it be- ing a field in which his natural mechanical abilities found congenial employment. In 1849, with his older brother, William, he purchased the store at Turner with which his father had long been connected. The brothers conducted the business under the firm name of Mellen Bray & Co. until 1854, when they disposed of their interest. The varied business experience of these five years in a general country store, with a large volume of miscellaneous trade, was of great value, and did much to give him an insight into and knowledge of many branches of business. It was during his mercantile career at Turner that Mr. Bray's naturally enquiring mind was directed into an inventive channel. Among his customers were many shoe factory workmen, one of whom, a Mr. Wells, had conceived a crude idea of a machine for pegging boots and shoes. Mr. Wells easily interested Mr. Bray in the project, and for two years the young merchant was patiently engaged in the develop-
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ment of an invention for that purpose. A series of mishaps attended his progress, but in no sense abated his ardor. He had fairly gotten his invention under way in one of his father's mills, when a fire com- pelled the removal of the machine to Saccareppa, Me. At this place a second fire caused the experiments to be continued at Lewiston. Again a similar accident drove Mr. Bray back to Turner, where the machine was finally perfected, and although it did not prove a practical success, it furnishes an example of that indomitable will and persistence in the face of adverse circumstances which later in his career led Mr. Bray to well merited success. The experiments with the pegging machine were also valuable in that they were the means of directing Mr. Bray's inventive genius toward boot and shoe machinery, at that time of the simplest nature, but later a field in which the most marvelous develop- ments were to be attained. The pegging machine was followed by a rounding up shoe sole machine, upon which Mr. Bray obtained a patent in 1858.
In the fall of 1859 Mr. Bray introduced and obtained a patent in Canada on the copper toe plate for boots and shoes. He located at . Montreal, where for some years he successfully engaged in the manu- facture of boots and shoes provided with this device. In 1862 he sold his Canadian patent, and in January of the following year came to Boston. Up to this period of his career he had been more than ordi- narily successful for a young man. He had accumulated a modest fortune from his business ventures, but full of ambition and courage, and possessed of vigorous health and strength, he was naturally, at his age, inclined to be aggressive and to lavish his full energies upon any enterprise in which he might embark.
Upon his arrival in Boston, Mr. Bray leased a general machine shop, and a few months later purchased the entire establishment. Engaged in a branch of industry in which he found abundant scope for his me- chanical ingenuity, his mind naturally turned to practical inventions. In 1864 he secured by assignment the original patent on an augur for boring a square hole, which he perfected and finally sold. In 1865 he was granted a patent on a machine for punching and shaping metals. By the latter invention was produced the first seamless metal boxes. Mr. Bray invented the seamless headed blacking boxes, which speedily eame into general use, millions of them being now used yearly. The importance of this invention can be fully realized from the fact that prior to the time when Mr. Bray gave this machine to the world, all
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