History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 162

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 162
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 162

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In 1853, Messrs. Meyer & Ford built the Novelty Rubber Company Mills at New Brunswick, which after one year they sold, transported their machinery to Edinburgh, Scotland, and organized the North British Rubber Company in 1854, in which they held a controlling interest until 1872, and since have been only stockholders.

In 1868 they purchased the New Jersey Rubber Company's works at New Brunswick, with which Mr. Day had been connected, as before alluded to, which, however, soon after were destroyed by fire. In 1877, Mr. Meyer organized a new company, " The New Jersey Rubber Shoe Company," and erected com- modious brick buildings on Little Burnet Street, in New Brunswick. He was also chosen president of this company, and controls a large part of its capital stock, which is used in the manufacture of rubber boots and shoes and pipes, canes, etc.

and by persistency of effort, good financiering, and judicious management has placed his manufactured goods in the principal markets of the world, ranking among the best of their kind.

Mr. Meyer may be safely classed among the self- made business men of the times, and an example of what properly directed ambition and a will to succeed under adverse circumstances may achieve.

Mr. Meyer was united in marriage in 1840 to Mar- garet Evans, of Belleville, N. J., who died in 1877, leaving the following children : Martha, widow of the late William A. Gray, of New York ; Mary, deceased, was the wife of Henry A. Taylor, of New York ; John C., a stockholder in, and manager of, the New Jersey Rubber Shoe Company's works at New Brunswick ; Kate, wife of George Lowther, of New York; Mar- garet; Clara, wife of Charles Greer, of New York ; and Howard Meyer, confidential secretary for his father at their business office, 114 Duane Street, New York City.

THE NOVELTY RUBBER COMPANY. - This com- pany was established in 1855. The works are in Neilson Street above the railroad bridge. They are manufacturers of hard rubber, etc. President, Chris- topher Meyer ; Secretary, Nicholas Williamson.

The following is an interesting account of this com- pany and the mannfacturing of hard rubber goods for the market : The buildings were erected two years previous to 1855 by Mr. John R. Ford and Christo- pher Meyer, and used for a month or two for grinding the Milltown factory's rubber, the machinery being subsequently removed to that factory ; since that time the works have been in almost constant operation. The buildings are of good size, some thirty by one hundred feet, two storics; forty by one hundred feet, five stories. The engine-room is forty feet square. The goods manufactured amount to nearly $600,000 per annum, and include every possible variety of hard rubber goods, as the following list will show : buttons in great variety of styles ; smokers' requisites, such as pipes, pipe-stems, and bowls in great diversity

Mr. Meyer became interested in the rubber business of New Brunswick when in its infancy, and to him alone is largely due its development, which has made such rapid strides among the most important manu- factures of America. This interest has increased under his management and superior executive ability from a business of a few thousand dollars until it reaches several millions annually. He persevered and met every obstacle to its sticcess at the beginning, of shapes, sizes, and prices, tobacco- and pipe-boxes,

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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

cigar-cases, match-boxes, etc .; crochet-hooks, knit- ting-pins, and tatting-needles; a variety of articles used in trimming ladies' dresses. In the line of sta- tionery goods they manufacture round rulers of all sizes ; also poker, hotel, restaurant, billiard, and jew- eler's' checks in great variety ; key tags and business of all kinds; elegant canes in immense variety, with plain crooks or ornamented with ivory or rubber trimmings, knotted crooks with carved rubber heads and ivory trimmings ; canes of innumerable variety, and many other goods, under the name of "Yankee notions."

These goods are shipped to all parts of the world. Germany and England is a large market, also Cape Town, South Africa, Australia, Central and South America, where these goods are in large demand, and these in addition to the large quantities of goods sold to pipe manufacturers and dealers in this country.

The upper story of the main building is used for a paper-box manufactory, to supply the works with boxes for the shipment of their goods, so that from the reception of the caoutchouc gum to the packing and shipping of the goods the factory is completely furnished with all facilities for setting new styles and making great quantities of them. The company is working with a capital stock, which is all paid in, and is in a very prosperous condition, having the monopoly of its specialties and not abusing its powers.

THE NEW BRUNSWICK RUBBER COMPANY .- This company was established in 1849. Their buildings are in Washington Street near Peace. They manu- facture rubber boots and shoes. President, Johnson Letson ; Secretary and Treasurer, K. T. B. Spader.

They are among the best manufacturers who supply the American trade, some years exceeding five hun- dred thousand pairs of rubber boots and shoes, amounting to nearly $700,000, and employing nearly three hundred hands.

at all. The English make shoes at a cost of four or five cents each, while here they cost from twelve to fourteen. The caoutchouc in its raw state is received from South America. The sap from the trees is dipped upon a piece of clay, dried and lightly smoked on the exterior, which prepares it for packing. When cut open the interior is found to be of a light yellow color. These bottles are soaked in hot water, and then placed between two heavy iron cylinders and crushed, bringing out the rubber in clean sheets. This is dried thoroughly, and is then ground by a similar process, the rollers in this case being smooth and hollow, heated hy steam. These sheets have to be ground three-quarters of an hour before sufficient smoothness is obtained, and they are then brought to other rollers for mixing, etc. This is only part of the process, but is the mode that all the gum has to undergo before being fit for the purposes of the man- ufactory. New machinery is being invented and adapted to its further use continually, and the de- mand for the goods is generally greater than the supply.

BUCKRAM AND MOSQUITO NETTING MANUFAC- TORIES .- One of the important commercial pursuits of this city is the manufactory of Messrs. D. McNair & Son, a large substantially built brick factory on the corner of Hamilton and Union Streets. For over twenty years Mr. McNair, Sr., has been actively engaged in the manufacturing of buckram, mosquito netting, and light muslin, having a large number of hands employed weaving these materials, which have a continual demand npon the market. The manner of arranging and preparing the threads which are woven in muslin is very interesting to those interested in the mechanism and complications of machinery.

OTHER INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS .- To complete the list of the industries or manufactories of New Bruns- wick not found in the census returns or in the direc- tory, a thorough private census has been necessary to obtain the proper information. A full and reliable report will be found of the numerous companies, as follows : The Consolidated Fruit Jar Company, organized in 1870, with the following officers: Pres- ident, S. R. Pinckney; Vice-President, H. C. Wis- ner; Secretary and Treasurer, H. E. Shaffer ; Super- intendent, M. O'Connor. The present officers are R. W. Booth, president, and A. L. Fisher, secre- tary. They commenced running under the combined patents of three or four former factories, with a paid- up capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars. Their business has largely increased, orders being re- ceived from all over Europe as well as the Southern isles of the sea, where large quantities of fruits are prepared and put up in these jars and sent back to the Northern markets.

The company bought out from Onderdonk & Let- son the Goodyear rights in 1849, and organized under a charter early in 1850, with the following corpora- tors : Johnson Letson, Charles P. Dayton, James Hutchings, D. B. Stelle, P. C. Onderdonk, J. C. Ack- erman, John Acken, M. A. Howell, William McDon- ald, P. P. Runyon, Lewis Stout, and James Bishop. The capital stock was at first placed at $60,000, but is now increased to $200,000. J. P. Langdon has been made superintendent since 1854. There were then but one or two other factories in America and none in England. Afterwards English works were started, the export trade stopped, and other works were estab- lished. In 1865 the rear four-story brick building, one hundred and twelve by forty fect, was erected, owing to the great increase of production. For the first ten years shoes were all plain rubber and sandals ; The machine-works are three in number, of which one, the National Iron-Works, makes a large propor- tion of the machinery in this vicinity and all the boots began to be made in 1853, and " Arctics" not till about 1866. If it were not for the tariff of thirty per cent., there would be no production in America | newly patented powder-making machinery ; another,

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

the Empire Machine-Works, makes all the improved | remarks of general interest, giving in sums total knitting-machines made in the world, and a third, the statistics and statements which would be valuable; and we hope that some day New Jersey will have a commission similar to that in Massachusetts, whose duty it will be to investigate and publish such val- uable contributions to social science. Waldron Machine-Works, is devoted to the manufac- ture of paper-hanging machinery, being a very im- portant establishment, to which nearly every paper- hanging factory in the United States pays tribute.

The rubber business is very largely represented in three large factories, of which an account has been given. The hosiery, also the carpet company, Star Oil Company, and a white lead manufactory. The paper-hanging manufacture of the city is quite ex- tensive, one old and very large factory being in con- stant operation, and another having started a few years ago, destined to make a large husiness of its specialty of French moulding and stripes. The shoe industry has a large representation here, there being four factories, one of which is the largest in the State. The pottery establishment of Mr. A. J. Butler in Bur- net Street is quite celebrated in its line of terra-cotta manufacture.

Other industries may be thus enumerated : boat- building, 4; bookbinding, 1; box-making, 2; brew- ery, 1; carriage, 4; cigar-making, 1; confectionery, 2; corset, 1; foundries, 3; hair-net, 1; lime-kiln, 1; marble-works, 4; printing, 3; sail-making, 1; sash and blind, 2; saw-mill, 1; scouring-mill, 1; slate roofing, 1; soap and candles, 1; spice- and coffee- mills, 1; stair-making, 2; taxidermist, I; weaving, 6; wine sauces, 1; bakers, cake and cracker, 15; blacksmithing and wheelwrighting, 21; boot and shoemakers and dealers, 42; broom manufacturers, 1; mosquito netting, I; carpenters and builders, 21 ; carpet-weavers, 8 ; cedar cooper, 1 ; cement, lime, and sand, 2; clothiers and tailors, 19; coal, brick, and stone, 10; corsets, 1; cutlery-grinding, 2; dentists, 4; druggists, 9; dry-goods, 10; dyers, 2; foundries, 2; fruit dealers, 3; fur goods, 4; furniture dealers, 7; groceries, 84; hardware, 4; harness-makers, 7; hats and caps, 6 ; hides, 3; house and sign painting, 11; jewelers and watchmakers, 8; Jeather shoe find- ings, 2; locksmiths, 2; marble-works, 5; masons and builders, 9 ; mineral waters, 2; oil dealers, 2; picture frame dealers, 2; plumbing and gas-fitting, 8; plow manufactory, 1; pump-factory, 1; roofers, 3; root beer, 5 ; sail-maker, I ; cigars and tobacco, 29 ; sewing- machine, 3; ship-yards, 2; small boat-builder, 1; soap-works, 1; stoves, tinware, etc., 13 ; team towing, 2; teas, coffee, and spices, 3.

The Toy Rifle Company, engaged for a while in the manufacture of newly patented toy guns and pistols, have ceased operations and are getting rid of a stock on hand, but will probably not again start in this city. A specimen of their work was sent to the exhibit at Vienna.

MOTISHER & SHYERS, SHOE MANUFACTURERS .- This firm were among many others who came out of the strike in 1871, and commenced in that year to do work in manufacturing of shoes upon the co-operative plan, and afterwards Mr. Griggs came in, the firm- name becoming Motisher, Griggs & Co., and later Mr. Griggs withdrew and Mr. Shyers came in as the junior partner, as Motisher & Shyers. It was equipped with all the necessary rolling, splitting, skiving, channel- ing, the Mckay, Howe, and Singer sewing-machines, and abont twenty-five persons were employed. New Brunswick at that time promised to become quite celebrated for the extent of her shoe manufacture, leather as well as rubber.

VOSPER & KRAMER, SHOE MANUFACTURERS .- There was a considerable strike in the shoe manu- factories in February, 1871, and some of the malcon- tents failed to return to their old work at the shops. In the excitement which followed six men, among whom were two very intelligent young men, Messrs. Vosper and Kramer, started a shop on the co-opera- tive plan on Burnet Street, near New Street. Full of enthusiasm, they held on for a while, and were doing well, when dissensions arose among them as to the details of management, and the result was that in December of the same year Mr. T. Vosper bought out the concern, and soon after associated with him Mr. T. Kramer. This shoe firm commenced to em- ploy about forty hands, turning out about eight hun- dred pairs of shoes per week. They did consider- able business, when Mr. T. Vosper established a shoe manufactory in Hamilton Street, near Division, in 1879, and is carrying on quite an extensive shoe trade.

THE NEW BRUNSWICK CARPET COMPANY .- This, was once one of the leading industries in the city, but the company closed their works in 1877. They have extensive brick buildings, covering some three acres of ground. They were first established in 1871 for manufacture of tapestry Brussels carpets. Mr. James Short was the general superintendent, and on Water Street near Somerset was erected their first building, some sixty by over two hundred feet. Since 1873 they have finished two other immense buildings, fifty feet by two hundred and fourteen feet, two and half stories ; forty-five by eighty-seven feet, three and half stories, besides other smaller buildings. They employed nearly three hundred hands, producing near $1,000,000 worth of goods annually. The president as well as treasurer was Mr. R. N. Woodworth, but at the present time the business has been relinquished.

It would be interesting, if it was feasible, to give the prominent industries, the corporate or firm- name, the capital stock, the value of the annual pro- ducts, the number, sex, and age of hands employed, FRUIT-CANNING INDUSTRY, HOLMES & CO .- the aggregate and average wages paid, with other | The fruit and vegetable canning establishment of

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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

New Brunswick, called The Home Valley Preserving Company, established 1880, capital twenty-five thou- sand dollars, growers and packers of all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meats, jams, jellies, etc., Benjamin F. Holmes, proprietor, Nos. 7, 9, and 11 Water Street, New Brunswick. The factory, originally the old Rar- itan Steam-Mills, a brick structure, sixty by forty feet, four stories and basement, built on three lots of ground, and so convenient that their goods can be shipped aboard of the vessels on the river from the fourth story of the factory. They have a fifty horse-power engine and elevators from the basement to the top of building for delivering their goods to each store. They employ nearly two hundred hands during the fruit season and half that number in winter, and from which hundreds of thousands of cans are sent into the markets of our large cities every year, and such is the fact, however, and this industry bids fair to rival. any. About two years ago Mr. Benjamin F. Holmes, of Kentucky, a gentleman of vast experience in the fruit business, having been engaged in the en- terprise for some years in New York, came through this section of the country in search of a proper loca- tion for a manufactory of this description. In pros- pecting about the State he came upon a spot which for natural advantages could not be equaled in an- other county. The farm on which stand the various buildings comprising the works is situated about three miles from the Pennsylvania Railroad in this city, and here he commenced this business, and now, in the spring of 1882, he has also secured the Rari- tan Steam-Mills of this city, increasing his business double, and the apparent cleanliness with which the masses of fruits and vegetables are handled prepara- tory to sealing the same for the shipping department is worthy of notice.

All the cans are manufactured upon the place. Appliances in machinery are abundant. Large quan- tities of tin are purchased. The pig lead prepared running into moulds one foot length, three-cornered in shape, and about a third of an inch in thickness. The moulds are then carried to the solder-cutter, manipulated by a girl, when they are cut into "drops," three of which are necessary to put the can together, and enough drops can be cut by her in one day to make twenty thousand cans.

In the shearing- or cutting-machine the body of the can is cut from the sheet-tin, hundreds of cases of which are consumed weekly, and a boy at this machine will cut out the bodies of ten thousand cans in ten hours. The same boy, while stationed at a combination die and stamping-machine, cuts out the tops and bottoms for a like number of cans in one-half the time. Next in detail is the capping- machines. These stamp out the little cap for the cans, and one drop of solder is sufficient to place the cap firmly on the can. Considerable dissatisfaction has heretofore arisen regarding the soldering of cans on the inside, which left particles of lead in the pre-

serves, but by the Holmes method this is happily done away with. The six females have soldered seven thousand two hundred cans in one day. There are three sizes,-Nos. 2, 3, and 4, or pint- and quart- and gallon-cans. They are thoroughly washed, passed to the fillers, and when filled they are carefully wiped and sent to the cappers, who finish four thousand cans daily. The caps are soldered on in a neat manner.

At the Home Valley Farm there are nearly two hundred acres in a high state of cultivation, and in a measure supplies a great deal of the fruit and vege- tables for the works, besides some three hundred or more acres in the immediate vicinity are now in cul- tivation under contract, and a fair price being paid for every fruit or vegetable which finds its way hither. The business increasing from a shipment of two hundred thousand cans in 1880 now increased to some six hundred thousand cans, comprising fruits -apples, pears, pcaches, the varieties of plums and grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cher- ries, gooseberries, blueberries, etc .- and vegetables,- corn, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, pumpkius, squash, beans, string and lima, etc .; also preserve poultry, beef, and mutton, and manufacture jams and jellies.

SASH AND BLIND FACTORY .- Mr. A. J. Butler is. one of the leading manufacturers of sash and blinds. This business was established in 1856, and is situ- ated in John Street, foot of Morris Street. They turn out a large amount of work during the year, much of which is ordered outside of this city. Mr. George Butler is the head manager.

MACHINE - WORKS (WALDRON'S) .- One of the largest machinery works was established by William Waldron in the year 1848. It has been engaged largely in the building of machinery for the manu- facture of paper-hangings, this being one of the important branches of business in this city. The Waldrons have exported some of these machines to Europe. The present proprietor, John Waldron, is manufacturing a large amount of machines at their brick building, No. 31 Dennis Street.

JOHN BOUNDEY, SHOE MANUFACTORY .- It was about 1861 or 1862 that machines for making shoes began to displace hand-sewed work, and since that time the whole character of the business has changed. So far from the labor-saving machines tending to drive out operatives, they appear, in this trade at least, to call them in, and machines come to be not only labor-saving but labor-creating. Mr. John Boundey started first in the old court-house, moved subsequently to where the Fredonian office now is in Dennis Street, and later still, in 1866, removed to Bay- ard Street. He employs some fifty or more hands, and supplies the New York and other markets. He has a large amount of machinery for cutting and sew- ing, besides trimming-machines, etc. The Mckay machine carries upon it a meter, which registers I every stitch, and by inspection its agents can discover

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

the average number of stitches in a pair of shoes. The factory is on Spring Street, near Albany Street.

MANUFACTURERS OF PAPER-HANGINGS, JANE- WAY & Co .- Since the death of William R. Jane- way this firm comprises the following gentlemen, under the firm-name of Janeway & Co .: Henry L. Janeway, Frank L. Janeway, and William R. Jane- way.

KILPATRICK SHOE MANUFACTORY .- In the year 1877, Frank E. and James T. Kilpatrick, forming the firm of Kilpatrick & Co., manufacturers of leather shoes. Their large brick factory on the corner of Neilson and Hamilton Streets. This building, sixty by one hundred and two feet, four stories high, with engine-room, thirty horse-power, has all the appli- ances and improvements for manufacturing of me- dium class, of good solid leather throughout, and no other material used but leather. Women's, misses, and children's grain, pebble, goat, and kid, and men's, youths', and boys'; a calf and fine calf splits. They have an extensive home trade East and South, a busi- ness amounting to $350,000 per annum.

THE NEW BRUNSWICK CARPET COMPANY. - Among the industries of this city, established in 1871, was the New Brunswick Carpet Company, and for a number of years or until 1877 carried on an extensive manufactory of Brussels carpets. Immense brick factories, covering some three acres of ground, on Water Street and Somerset Streets. They extended their business to nearly a million dollars, employing a large number of skilled workmen. The process of manufacture of tapestry Brussels was not only a curi- ous and intricate process. They also manufacture seamless druggets, crum-cloths. The superintendent, Mr. James Short, came from England and designed much of this machinery, which descriptions were published in the Scientific American, and were copied into the English papers at that time.

CONSOLIDATED FRUIT-JAR COMPANY, NEW BRUNSWICK. - Sole proprietors and manufacturers of the Mason fruit-jar trimmings, Boyd's aud Chace's oilers, can-screws, and general metal goods. R. W. Booth, president; A. L. Fisher, secretary ; Jacob Smith, Jr., treasurer. These factories are situated near the railroad bridge and canal office, in Water Street near Railroad. Running under the combined patents of three or four former factories, with a paid- up capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars. They established themselves about the year 1870.

RARITAN SOAP-WORKS .-- For more than a century has this branch of the industry of New Brunswick been established, and in that time has had a number of proprietors. Among the chief have been B. V. Ackerman, who for a number of years made the bar soap which found a ready sale all over the country, and since then John Belcher became proprietor, but in 1880 the works were sold to the present firm of Max Lederer and Michael McKenna. They employ some twenty workmen.

THE EMPIRE MACHINE-WORKS. - The hosiery company must be credited with bringing to New Brunswick, besides their own factory, the important machine-shops of G. B. Munn & Co., called the Empire. Mr. Munn in 1856 was closeted with his townsman, Mr. E. E. Kilbourn, in Norfolk, Conn., in working out the latter's new ideas with reference to improving knitting-machines. After a year and a half of secret toil, the Messrs. Kilbourn developed and pat- ented these machines, and the Norfolk company was founded. Mr. Munn was engaged to construct the machinery for the factory. This he continued up to the time of the war, when for two years he engaged in the manufacture of guns. At the close of the con- flict he began work for the hosiery company, which had meanwhile been reincorporated as the Norfolk and New Brunswick Company and located in this city. He came here in 1867 and formed a partner- ship with his old fellow-laborer, E. E. Kilbourn, under the firm-name of G. B. Munn & Co. One year thereafter Mr. Johnson Letson, Mr. L. P. Porter, and Mr. Kilbourn joined with him in the formation of the New Brunswick Machine Company, which continued operations for two years, being succeeded by Mr. Munn alone in 1872, and in July of the same year the firm again changed to G. B. Munn & Co., and so remained until now. Mr. George B. Munn has be- come the proprietor, situated at No. 13 Water Street, near Albany Street. They have nearly fifty men employed. The works have been somewhat enlarged since they began operation, and will be steadily ex- tended and improved as the amount of business in- creases. A large amount of their knitting-machines not only supplied the hosiery factory liere, but for other factories in other places and States.

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 162

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