History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 160

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224

USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 160
USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 160

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Children during his boyhood days did not possess the many advantages for instruction that are freely offered to the present generation, many of the pupils in the Lancasterian School in New Brunswick, of which he was a member, having been taught to write in sand, which was placed in a groove made for the purpose on a desk in front of a long line of chil- dren. But such limited means of learning as then offered themselves were improved by young Howell, and he thus laid the foundation of a sound and reli- able business knowledge and successful career. At eleven years of age he was taken from school, and one year later, in 1816, he began a clerkship in his brother's store in New Brunswick, and subsequently served a clerkship with James Dunham in New Bruns- wick, and with James F. Randolph in New York, where he remained one year, occupying his evenings

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

in attending the school of Mr. Bennett, the American practical book-keeper, at that time celebrated as the leading if not the only place in the country where both single and double entry book-keeping were taught. At the end of the year young Howell ap- plied to Mr. Bennett for a diploma, which under his rules was never granted except upon a rigid exami- nation before the school, and upon a favorable vote of all the scholars. Mr. Bennett was somewhat sur- prised that this boy who had only attended at nights and for such a short period should make such a re- quest, but finally consented to give him the trial. The examination took place, and at its conclusion he was awarded the diploma by the unanimous vote of the school. In the spring of 1826, upon settlement with Mr. Randolph, he found his entire capital in money to be four dollars and fifty cents, but he bad acquired a valuable experience, and had learned the basis and principles of business. Starting out with these young Howell, by energy, economy, and un- tiring industry, worked himself up, with varying for- tune, through many youthful disappointments and difficulties, to the head of a business of his own, the manufacture of wall-paper, at that time a new enter- prise, the building for which he erected in 1837 on the canal water-power on Water Street, New Bruns- wick.

This was the first manufactory built in that city, and was one of the first for the manufacture of wall- paper erected in the United States. The knowledge and experience which he acquired during the early years of his life now came into use, and these, com- bined with close attention to every detail of his busi- ness, made the venture a success, and a manufactory that started with an annual production of eight thou- sand dollars grew and increased in a few years to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Mr. Howell, outside of his business, has.for half a century been identified with nearly every important enterprise in the city of New Brunswick. He was one of the directors of each of the following banks established in that city : Bank of New Brunswick, Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank, Bank of New Jersey, State Bank, First National Bank, and the National CHAPTER XCV. Bank of New Jersey. He was also one of the incor- porators and a director of the New Brunswick Gas- CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK .- (Continued.) Light Company, of the New Brunswick Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of the New Brunswick Rubber Industrial Pursuits. - The industries of New Brunswick may be thus enumerated : Architects, 5 ; bakers, 15; blacksmiths and wheelwrights, 21 ; books and stationers, 5; boot and shoe dealers, 47; box manufacturer, 1; broom-factory, 1; buckram and mosquito-netting factory, 1; butchers, 21; carriage- manufactory, 3 ; carpenters and builders, 21 ; carpet- weavers, 8; cedar cooper, I; cement, lime, and sand, 2; cigar box-factory; 1; clothiers and tailors, 19; confectioners, 21 ; coal, brick, and stone, 10; corsets, 1; china and glassware, 3 ; cutlery grinding, 2 ; drug- Company, of the Perth Amboy Steamboat Company, and of the Norfolk and New Brunswick Hosiery Company. In 1862 he was elected a director of the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company, and subsequently of the United Railroads and Canal Companies of New Jersey, and remained such until they were leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany. In 1863 he was chosen a director of the Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Railroad Company, of which he was subsequently chosen president, and was also a director and afterwards chosen president of the gists, 9; dry-goods, 11; dyers, 2; fancy goods and

Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad Company, and continued to hold these offices until these roads were also leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany. He is also connected with several insurance companies in New York City. Some years since he was a member of the Common Council, and recorder of the city of New Brunswick, and in 1847 served as mayor. In 1852 he was elected to the lower branch of the State Legislature on the Whig ticket, and by re-election served the two following years, and al- though frequently requested since to accept other public offices has always declined.

Mr. Howell has always been a prominent partici- pant in the affairs of his native city, and was one of the most active if not the principal one among the distinguished citizens that some few years since waged successful battle against the commissioners of streets and sewers, who, it was claimed, were leading the city into financial rnin through needless and ex- travagant expenditures.

Mr. Howell was united in marriage on Dec. 23, 1828, to Mary, daughter of George White, of New Brunswick. The surviving children born of this union are Martin A., Jr., of Chicago ; Eliza D .; Jane A., wife of Fred DeCoppet, of New York; John Russell ; Laura, wife of Abel I. Smith, of Jersey City ; and Mary E. The mother died in 1852. His present wife, whom he married in 1859, is Sarah A., daughter of the late John Acken, of New Brunswick, and widow of the late Rev. George Schenck, of Fishkill, N. Y.

In all the positions which Mr. Howell has occu- pied be has been much esteemed. His judgment is most reliable, and his advice is frequently sought after upon private, public, and corporate affairs. He is possessed of great decision of character, and is fearless in what he considers the right, caring noth- ing for public or popular opinion and clamor. His rule through life has been to do his best in whatever position he was placed, whether high or low.

NEW JERSEY RUBBER SHOE COMPANY, NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J.

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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

notions, 15; foundries, 3 ; fruit-dealers, 6 ; fur goods, 4; furniture-dealers, 6; grain, hay, and feed, 3; groceries, 86; hardware, 3; harness-makers, 7; hats and caps, 6; hides, 3; hotels, 15; house and sign painting, 11; iron and steel, 2; jewelers and watch- makers, 8; leather and shoe findings, 2; leather shoe factories, 7; lime-kiln, 1; locksmiths, 2; lumber- dealers, 2; machine-shops, 3; marble and slate man- tels, 1; marble-works, 4; mason and builders, 9; needle-works, 1; oil-dealers, 2; paper-bangings, 2; parasols, canes, and trunks, 1; photographers, 1; picture-frame dealers, 2; plumbing and gas-fitting, 8; plow-manufactory, 1; pottery, 1; printing-offices, 4; pump-factory, 1; roofers, 3; sail-makers, 1; sash and blind-factory, 2; saw-mill, 1; ship-yards, 2; boat builders, 1; soap-works, 1; stair-builders, 1; stonecntters, 2; stoves and tinware, 14; taxidermist, 1 ; teas, coffees, and spices, 3; besides many minor employments that nothing short of a thorough private census could give ns the proper information concern- ing. As nearly as can be ascertained, however, the industries of this city number over sixty. Sketches of some of the largest of them are given below.

NEW JERSEY RUBBER SHOE COMPANY .- This company, under the name of "New Jersey Rubber Company," was known by that name since 1839, although different companies have been established from the same rubber company. The following in- teresting historic account gives the early organization of the former companies :

It is a well-known fact that they were started by Horace H. Day, and were the centre of the famous litigation between Charles Goodyear, with his asso- ciates, Ford & Co., the Newark Company, the Hay- ward Rubber Company, and the L. Candee Company on the one side, and Day on the other, for the latter's infringements of the Goodyear patent. It was here that Day built his first little shop, still standing on Dennis Street and now a part of the great works, and here that he enlarged his business, made mints of money as the phrase goes, and persisted in his perse- cution of poor Goodyear until finally beaten in the courts by the last great effort of Daniel Webster. For years it yielded him an annual profit of fifty thousand dollars on shirred goods, a great portion of the money going to sustain his suits with the patentee.

mise was violated, and lawsuits followed in regular succession, until Mr. Day was finally vanquished. Meanwhile being helped by several of our citizens, who had known him from his boyhood (he came here early in life to live with his uncle), he had enlarged his works gradually until they came to occupy the very large space they now fill.

The high chimney bears the inscription of 1858, with his name, and it was but two years later that he gave way to the Goodyear Elastic Fabric Company. The work of this company for the next four years is indicated by its name, and in 1864 William Judson bought out the works and ran them for two years. Rubber blankets for use in the war were now a prom- inent feature of the business, the vacant lot on the east side of Dennis Street being filled with racks of the sun-drying cloth. In 1866, Cornwell, Murphy & Bennet came into control of the works, but soon sold out to the Manhattan Rubber Company. This con- cern lasted but a short time when it failed, and the factory lay idle for a long time. In the fall of 1869, Mr. Christopher Meyer bought the works and asso- ciated with him Messrs. Ford and Hyatt, the three forming the Hyatt Rubber Company. This name was not continued a full year, but was changed to the New Jersey Rubber Company, which went into opera- tion with a capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars in April, 1870. President, L. L. Hyatt ; Treas- urer, Christopher Meyer ; Secretary, James B. Ford ; Superintendent, J. H. Canfield.

Few men have had more varied and valuable expe- rience in the rubber business than President Hyatt. Formerly engaged with Mr. Meyer at Milltown, in the year 1855 he went out in the employ of Hutch- inson, Henderson & Co., to superintend their factory near Montargis, France. The factory was an im- mense one, ranged along three sides of a rectangle, with the most spacious and elegant grounds beyond, shaded with trees and watered by a canal, which served also for shipping goods to the main canal be- yond. From here he went to Paris to superintend the very large works of the Compagnie Nationale, there making boots and shoes, clothing, hose-pack- ing, and all mechanical goods. In 1857 Mr. Christo- pher Meyer planned a prodigious manufactory at Ed- inburgh, Scotland. He had stocked the building now occupied by the Novelty Rubber Company with ma- chinery for which he had no use when the hard rub- ber-works began operations there, and it occurred to him to utilize it by organizing a foreign factory. He therefore sent Messrs. Norris and Pannlee with it to Edinburgh, and bought for the new works the immense buildings of the Castle Silk-Mills. Two years later, at his request, Mr. Hyatt took charge of these new works, which manufactured on a tremendous scale, employing over a thousand op- eratives, including at one time five hundred girls, and turning out fourteen thousand pairs of shoes per

It was about 1839 that Day started his little Dennis Street shop, and turned out carriage-cloth made by spreading over cloth rubber dissolved in turpentine, and shoes made from the rubber uppers that came from Para, by fitting them upon leather bottoms. As soon as the Goodyear vulcanization process came out in 1844, Day claimed the right to use it as an un- patented English invention, and began making the improved shoes. After prosecuting him, Goodyear compromised by permitting him to make exclusively shirred goods, leaving the shoe manufacture to On- derdonk & Letson, the Newark Company, Ford & Co., and the Naugatuck Company. This compro- day, besides hose, clothing, etc. Mr. Hyatt came

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

back to this country in 1869, when the control of the Castle mills passed into other hands (Messrs. Meyer & Ford still retaining stock, however), and took charge of these New Jersey works, now idle and rusty. He at once went to work preparing for their successful operation, and in April, 1870, started them. The buildings were the same as those left by Day in 1860, occupying about two-thirds of the block facing Dennis, Neilson, and Richmond, and measuring two hundred and thirty by forty-five feet, one hundred and twenty-five by thirty feet, each three stories, and one hundred and fifty by thirty feet, two stories, and since that time until the present enlargements have been made as the business extended. At the present time the building of a large brick extension is in con- templation. New ovens and furnaces have been con- structed, and numerous additions made to the ma- chinery. The largest calender in America is set up here, its face of roll being five feet, the diameter of the roll nearly two feet. It was built at the National Iron-Works of this city, and is a triumph of iron work, for although eight feet high, it could be managed perfectly in every particular by a man on the floor without changing his position.

In the month of August, 1876, a fire destroyed most of this structure, and since then it has been built and remodeled, and now, with the proposed improve- ments, will be one of the largest structures for manu- facturing rubber in the world. It now employs a large number of hands, nearly equally divided be- tween the sexes, and every day turns out thousands of pairs of shoes, as well as rubber boots and carriage- cloth. It has changed the name since 1877 to the New Jersey Rubber Shoe Company, with John R. Ford as president; Christopher Meyer, treasurer ; Howard Meyer, secretary; and John C. Meyer, su- perintendent. With regard to the work of this fac- tory, it may be stated that it occupies an A 1 place in the market, and is bound to keep at the head of it.

JANEWAY & Co., PAPER HANGINGS .- This estab- lishment was commenced in 1844 by John P. Harden- bergh, and in the fall of 1845 Henry L. Janeway became interested. In 1848, William R. Janeway became one of the firm, and in 1849 Mr. Harden- bergh retired, and the firm became Janeway & Co. They began with a factory measuring forty feet by twenty-five; they now use an immense structure facing on Water Street and the canal, covering nearly two acres of ground and measuring, the main building, fifty by two hundred and fifty-four feet. Their coloring-honse is a large building attached, and they have a large engine-room with a seventy-horse engine, and steam pipes are carried all over the build- ing, bringing it to one temperature. Ordinary wall- paper is printed from maple rollers, which have been seasoned for several years in the factory and then accurately turned. Gilt paper and water-colors are printed from maple blocks, having a cross-grained pine back.

There are between one and two hundred hands em- ployed, and the factory turns out nearly three million rolls of paper-hangings, borders, and a large quantity of window-shades per year, consumes tons of paper, also of elay and colors, chemicals, and over five hun- dred tons of coal.

The following is from an earlier account of these works : In printing, Janeway & Co. use nine printing- machines made by Waldreon, of this city, including one twelve-color, four eight-color, and four six-color machines, costing from twelve hundred to three thou- sand five hundred dollars. Machines are made at a cost of over ten thousand dollars each, which print as many as eighteen colors, being twenty-five feet in diameter, with the effect, of course, of producing gaudy and cheap-looking patterns. The drying in all the pro- cesses is done by hanging the fabrics over steam pipes, where they are conveyed by a peculiar machine in- vented by Mr. Janeway, but never patented, which saves the handling that was formerly necessary, to the great injury of the wet paper.

The secret was let out by one of their discharged employes, and the machines are now in use both in this country and in England, where one of the manu- facturers claims it saves him one hundred pounds per day.

Before being printed, however, grounding is first put upon the paper. Clay from Amboy and the South-the whitest being from England-is pulver- ized in large mills and mixed with coloring to the desired shade, and also mixed with sizing to make the printing colors hold better to the paper. The process of printing gold and silver paper is quite an interesting one. These papers have been made in France, where formerly all the paper-hanging manu- facturing was done for many years, and the gilt paper has been long made in this country also; the silver pa- per, though formerly in fashion, was discontinned until two or three years ago, since which it has been intro- duced by the efforts of Janeway & Co. Velvet paper is made by flock being put on in the same way as the bronze, flock being a French preparation of woolen cloth ground up and colored. Water-colors are put on by hand-blocks. For borders of the common va- riety the printing-machines may be used, but the better kinds are printed with hand-blocks. Window- shades are printed from blocks on wide machines,

The designing is a very nice part of the business, the aim being to suit and attract the public according to the varying fashions which prevail in wall-paper as well as in clothing. As we have said, this factory's work stands high in the market for excellence and durability of material, for elegance of design, and for artistic finish, and it occupies a very important place among the industries of the city. Their business ex- tends from Maine to California, and all of the States north of the Southern States. For a time there was very severe competition ; some of the New York firms lost large amounts of money, while Janeway & Co.,

NORFOLK AND NEW BRUNSWICK HOSIERY COMPANY, NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J.

659

CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

with their extensive facilities for business, still carried on their business in this city and outlived all compe- tition, and owing to the severity of this competition they came to an agreement of uniformity of price, which system has its advantages and disadvantages, but is believed to be the best system according to the views of a majority of manufacturers.

The design of this establishment is to send one of the firm to Paris every year, to obtain the designs (which in France is a business by itself). They are continually receiving letters complimenting their artistic styles and manner of manufacturing. They have also an extensive store-house, where their goods are packed ready for the market.

FURNITURE, CORNELIUS POWELSON .-- This large manufactory of furniture of Cornelius Powelson was located on the corner of George and Schureman Streets, in 1847. It was at that time the beginning of a large business in this city, which sprang from a small shop on the corner of New and George Streets. The trade increased until he erected his present four-story brick structure and launched out into exclusively first-class furniture and npbolstery work. The designs are made according to the wish of his customers, and the result is that he equals the best dealers in New York, and sells a great deal cheaper. He uses the very best of choice veneers and woods, and his work is known all over the country.

CONFECTIONERY ESTABLISHMENT. - About the year 1850, Mr. William Frank opened a small place on the east side of Peace Street, and began to manil- facture and sell goodies to an admiring public of little ones. This was the day of small things, but in 1873 he had a large confectionery store, with an extensive toy establishment, the goods being imported from Germany. He still employs a number of men at 15 Peace Street in the manufacture of every descrip- tion of French and American candies, numbering over two hundred varieties. He supplies at wholesale the stores in the various country towns within twenty miles of the city, which, with his city sales, bring up his business to over twenty thousand dollars annually. We have not space for a description in detail of the various processes, machines, and moulds required in the making of the multitude of varieties of goods, but we may say they belie the old joke about the re- luctance of those who see candy made to eat it.

MCCRELLIS BROTHERS' CARRIAGE MANUFAC- TORY, established in 1851. The three brothers Mc- Crellis began the manufacture of carriages, wagons, and sleighs in their new factory on Somerset Street. They have become one of the most extensive manu- facturing firms in this city, employing a large number of workmen, constructing handsome carriages equal to any other manufactory, and have made for themselves a reputation for the excellence of make and durabil- ity of material second to none in the country.

above railroad bridge. President, Johnson Letson ; Secretary and Treasurer, John N. Carpenter. It is said that this is the largest manufactory, and the manufactory making the best goods in the hosiery line in America, and that the machinery nsed makes it altogether superior to any similar establishment in the world. It is under charge of the Norfolk and New Brunswick Hosiery Company, which has an in- teresting history.

About fifteen years ago Messrs. I. K. and E. E. Kil- bourn being engaged in making yarn in Norfolk, Conn., determined to get a hand-knitting machine to use some of it up. While working this they gradually intro- duced improvements until they thoroughly mastered the principles of the machine, and conceived an or- iginal idea in the construction of one, namely, an automatic motion,-something that had been often tried but never accomplished. They went on to New York and endeavored to form a company on the pat- ent they had obtained, but met with no success until they enlisted their former townsman, Mr. L. P. Porter, then engaged in the rubber business in New York, in the enterprise. The works were established in Nor- folk in 1858 on a capital of seventy-five thousand dollars, and the goods made there were of a coarse gange. Messrs. Porter and E. E. Kilbourn mean- while visited Europe to inspect foreign works, but found nothing like Kilbourn's machines. From 1858 on the works at the Norfolk factory continued to in- crease, and a great difficulty met the company in the fact that there were not people enough in the vicinity to keep even with the works in seaming the made goods. Mr. Porter having now relinquished the rub- ber for the hosiery business, Inoked about New York and Brooklyn for a new factory, and at the suggestion of the Messrs. Dayton, who were directors, and whose acquaintance he had made in former business trans- actions, came out to this city to look at the building formerly occupied by the New Brunswick Rubber Company, near the railroad bridge. Dissatisfied with this, he gave up the plan of locating here until his attention was called in the cars on the homeward trip by Mr. James Bishop to the old cotton-factory of Col. Neilson, near the Novelty Rubber Works. He came back and looked at it, and was delighted with its adaptation to the business. The factory and machinery were bought, much of the latter being put to use; the new company was incorporated. Since then constant improvements have been made, and extensions to the buildings. The original factory, with excellent water-power, at Norfolk, Conn., turning out a large amount of the coarse kind of work, and in New Brunswick the factory is devoted to the finest and best work made in this country, four large build- ings being devoted to its manufacture, while others are in process of erection.

The old wooden saw-mill of Col. Neilson, near the upper canal locks, is also in full operation as a pick

NORFOLK AND NEW BRUNSWICK HOSIERY COM- PANY .- Established in 1866. Office, Neilson Street, i ing department. Large buildings for shirt and drawer

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

knitting-looms, and also stocking-looms, are in opera- tion. The amount of capital is over five hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and about one million dollars of annual product. The following gentlemen were among the first in its organization, and held office up to 1874:

L. P. Porter, Jonathan Earle, James Dayton, John- son Letson, Jacob S. Carpenter, T. Deland, M. A. Howell, W. W. Welsh, James Neilson, S. V. Hoff- man.

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 160

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts Number of Pages: 1224

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224