USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > Paterson, New Jersey : its advantages for manufacturing and residence: its industries, prominent men, banks, schools, churches, etc. > Part 17
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The Royle Dobby is another specialty of theirs. This little machine is readily attachable to right or left looms, or looms of any width without special alteration or change, and may be quickly placed in position. "ready for use. Owing to a novel application of duplex toggle levers the
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knife and grid when fully extended, assume practically a state of rest, or dwell. This feature is undoubtedly ad- vantageous as a dwell at that stage affords time for the shuttle to pass through the warp with less lift and conse- quently less strain upon the warp threads. A recent im- provement in the construction of this machine is that oil dripping off the working parts is prevented from getting upon the goods that are being woven.
Another specialty deserving of notice is a frame for guide pulleys which is a neat compact arrangement for adjusting the pulleys, making it adaptable for places in which there is no room for a countershaft, and also for guiding a twisted belt, transmitting motion to a pulley placed at right angles, or any other angle, to the driver.
This firm also manufactures many other kinds of im- proved silk machinery such as doublers, spinners, twisters, covering machines, broad goods and ribbon warpers, quill- ers, etc. The latter machine is used in winding the shut- tle spools that are employed in weaving silk dress goods.
The Royle doubling-quilling machine is the first suc- cessful machine of its kind made in this country. Here- tofore it has been customary to assemble the silk threads upon a doubling frame, preparatory to winding the quills upon the quilling machine. With the Royle machine, however, the assembling, or "doubling," as it is termed, is done with the winding of the threads upon the quill. By combining the two operations a large saving is effect- ed, not only in labor but in floor space, power and in other respects. The machine has many other desirable features. In winding there is no friction whatever upon the silk, consequently "burning" or rubbing off of delicate colors is entirely avoided. Oil cannot be thrown from the working parts upon the silk, the mechanism being so separated below the threads as to completely obviate this evil. The accessibility of working parts has been studied very thor- oughly and the machine is remarkable for convenience in this respect. In short, all the textile machines built at these works are the finest of their kind and meet most thoroughly the peculiar needs of the American silk indus- try.
Their waste and flushing valve for privy vaults has been favorably received. The construction of these valves is very simple and durable, and a great number are in use.
Another excellent machine made by this firm is one for manufacturing all sizes of plain and corrugated seamless rubber tubing, or tubing made of plastic material, such as celluloid, and other kindred compounds; this machine is also adapted for making solid cord and various odd shapes in soft and hard rubber, and for insulating wire used for electrical purposes. The advantage of this machine is, that it can make tubing very economically and of any length, whereas previous to the introduction of this machine by the Royles it was customary to make tubing by hand and in lengths not greater than twelve feet. Al- though this establishment had its origin amid very humble surroundings, it is to-day a notable example of the results of industry, enterprise and intelligence. Previous to 1862
Mr. John Royle, the founder of the firm, was engaged in the manufacture of rotary force pumps. In this year he rented a small room on Water street where he commenced and carried on a general machinist business, which ex- panded and in 1872 demanded larger quarters. Shortly after this, his son John was taken into partnership, and the name of the firm was thereafter John Royle & Son.
In 1879, his son Vernon was admitted into partner- ship, and the firm name was changed to John Royle & Sons. The prosperity of the firm again demanded larger quarters, which were found on Railroad avenue. Here the business began to assume considerable proportions and in ISSS led to the erection of the buildings now occu- pied and owned by the firm. The lot on which these buildings now stand is 200x100 feet, of which 100x50 feet is occupied by the main building. This structure has three stories, each 13 feet in the clear, and a basement of 9 feet.
All the rooms are well lighted and ventilated. and ex- cellent provision has been made for heating by exhaust or by live steam, it is so arranged that either side of one story or the whole of it can be heated independently of the oth- ers. The following novel way of ventilating the base- ment has been adopted and works well: The boiler house adjoins the main building with a large archway left between the two ; and on account of the 75 horse power IIazelton boiler, the boiler house is comparatively high. Its roof is provided with large ventilating sashes, and when these are open there results an upward current of air, which thoroughly ventilates the basement.
The main building is replete with the most modern im- proved machinery and facilities for handling material, en- abling the firm to produce machines of excellent work- manship and meet keen competition. The machinery is driven by a 9x12 straight line engine, furnished by John E. Sweet, of Syracuse, New York.
The whole business is carried on in a very systematic manner ; particular attention has been given to the tool room in which the tools used for manufacturing purposes are classified, and those used for each machine are placed by themselves in drawers which are properly labeled, so that the tools can be readily found and given out in good order when they are wanted. In fact no pains or expense have been spared to make this establishment a model shop.
MR. ROBERT ATHERTON was born in Westchester County, N. Y. After he had attended school there for some time his family removed to New York and Mr. Ath- erty completed his education in the schools of the metrop- olis. In 1848 he came to Paterson and was first employ- ed in a cotton mill. Subsequently he entered the employ- ment of William Beresford, a manufacturer of rollers, for the purpose of learning the trade of machinist. At the death of Mr. Beresford Mr. Atherton went to work for Benjamin Buckley and in this establishment finished his education as a journeyman machinist. For the purpose of extending his knowledge of all kinds of machinery he ob- tained employment in the Danforth locomotive works and
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remained there two years, at the expiration of which time he returned to Mr. Buckley's establishment, where he con- tinued for two years. From 1857 to 186t he was in the employ of John E. Van Winkle and then started in busi- ness for himself in Lane's building in Van Houten street. Here he remained about a year, when he obtained a room in the building occupied by John E. Van Winkle. Sub- sequently he formed a partnership with Samuel Watson and the firm of Atherton & Watson occupied a building in Van Houten street for two and a half years. Mr. Ather- ton started for himself on the dissolution of the firm and shortly afterwards removed to the Franklin mill, where he remained until the building was destroyed by fire. He then associated himself with Mr. George P. Van Riper in the Van Riper Manufacturing Company and for twelve years was superintendent of the factory of that firm. In 1878 Mr. Atherton again established himself as general machinist in the Franklin mill and he still continues his industry at that place. The schooling he had received in so many establishments added to a naturally inventive dis- position soon brought abundant fruit in the shape of or- ders for silk machinery and other work. Ile started out with the determination that every machine that left his shop should be as perfect as skill and good material could make it and he has lived up to that principle ever since. He has obtained a number of patents on machines and it has frequently been said of him that his machines always do better than they are expected to do. He occupies about seven thousand square feet of room in the Franklin Mill, with a superb equipment of the finest tools and machinery. and employs upwards of fifty skilled artisans in the con- struction of hard and soft silk machinery, winders, doub- lers, power warpers, quilling machines and general and special machinery for all purposes connected with textile manufacture. Among the products of the establishment is a quiller which is claimed to be superior to any other for use in ribbon manufacturing, on account of its perfect stop motion, its economy as to waste and the admirable edge formed on the product. Among the specialties now made at the works is a spinning frame which is but eighteen inches in width-instead of two and a half feet, the ordin- ary width of these frames-and runs 216 spindles instead of Io8. Peculiarly effective machinery, built at the works, has been in operation for several years past in accurately cutting and winding ribbon and telegraph paper, which is another important specialty of this establishment. Mr. Atherton's three sons assist him in conducting his business, Robert H. as superintendent of the wood-working depart- ment, Frank as general outdoor manager and Frederick as superintendent of the iron working department. Mr. Ath- erton himself maintains a general superintendence of the whole business.
It is but natural that a man of Mr. Atherton's character for uprightness and energy should be asked to take part in the councils that govern the city and county and as a mat- ter of fact he has frequently been offered office. He, how- ever, never evinced the slightest inclination to hold office
and always declined, preferring at all times to attend strictly to his business. He needed all his time to look af- ter his commercial and industrial interests and as past suc- cesses had indicated to him that he was very useful in the sphere of machinist and inventor he preferred to continue in the course he had mapped out for himself when still a young man. Few persons in Paterson can boast of a larger circle of friends than Mr. Atherton and none can re- fer to a career which has been more useful.
THE WATSON MACHINE COMPANY .- One of the most important iron manufacturing establishments in the city of Paterson is the Watson Machine Company, whose incep- tion dates back to the year isso when Mr. William G. Watson and his brother, Mr. James Watson, set up a machine shop in one of the buildings belonging to the Franklin mill property. They had previous to this ob- tained a thorough practical knowledge of machine-making in all its branches but it was with some hesitation that they embarked in business on their own account. Once launched, however, they devoted themselves to their busi- ness with untiring zeal and at the end of the first year they had turned out thirty thousand dollars' worth of machinery and found themselves in possession of a considerable plant. They then removed to the Nightingale mill where they occupied the whole of the first floor ; they erected a black- smith shop in the rear of the premises and subsequently occupied the second floor of the building. Then they built a frame foundry along the raceway on Van Houten street. In 1860 they purchased a large tract of land on the southwest corner of Grand street and Railroad avenue where they erected a large brick machine shop and intro- duced steam for the running of the machinery. Their specialty was mill-wright work but they never hesitated to undertake any kind of work in their line. In 1868 Mr. S.
S. Post obtained the contract from Passaic County for the old Straight street bridge. and Mr. David Henry, who was a Freeholder, wishing to have it built in Paterson intro- duced him to the Watsons and they built this bridge. Mr. Post was so well pleased with the Paterson mechanical work that he entered into an arrangement whereby the Watsons built his bridges, which were patented, and they paid him a royalty on them. The firm did millions of dollars' worth of bridge work but their successful career received a check in 1872 when their establishment was destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of seventy-five thousand dollars. The dis- aster, however, did not check their energy and the machine works were at once re-built but on a considerably larger scale. In a short time they were again ready for orders and the latter were not waited for, as they came in from all quarters. The firm built a number of bridges for the Erie railroad company, including the fine structure at Susque- hanna and the Portage viaduct. In addition to these they built a large number of bridges for Passaic County, for the city of New York in Central and Park. the Harlem River draw bridge for the Central Railroad. They furnished and erected the iron work for the Metropolitan Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
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Equitable Building, the Lenox Library and other promi- nent buildings in New York city. After a number of ad- ditions had been built and the establishment was one of the largest in the country, the whole was again wiped out by fire in 1875, causing a loss of a hundred and fifty thous- and dollars. Although seriously hampered by this severe loss the firm at once started again and put up the build- ings at present occupied by the Watson Machine Com- pany. These buildings are all of briek with the following dimensions :- One two stories in height, one hundred and twenty by forty-four feet on Railroad avenue and one hun- dred and fifty by sixty feet on Grand street ; connected with this, on the south, on Railroad avenue, another, three stories high, fifty hy seventy-five feet ; next, south of the last, a foundry, one hundred and fifty by eighty-five feet ; on Dale avenue a blacksmith shop fifty by one hundred feet, and a pattern house thirty by sixty, three stories. Alter their second fire in 1875 the firm confined themselves to the general work of a machine shop, having abandoned bridge and structural iron work. The business at first was carried on under the name of W. G. & J. Watson ; in 1865 they were incorporated as the Watson Manufactur- ing Company ; this was changed in ISS5 to the Watson Machine Company, and the establishment at the present day is run by this company, which is composed of W. G. Watson, president ; James Watson, vice president ; and Samuel J. Watson, secretary and treasurer.
WILLIAM G. WATSON Was born March 4th, IS19, in Chorley, Lancashire, England. He came to this country when about ten years of age with his mother and met his father in Belleville, N. J., his father leaving there two years before. Ile worked there with his father in the print works and intended to become a printer, but injured his hand in the rolls. After staying in Belleville two years his father moved to Paterson and worked at Brun- dred's machine shop at Oldham, now known as Haledon. His son worked for three years in Colt's cotton mill and then began to serve his time as a machinist at Brundred's shop. He served an apprenticeship of five years and was foreman of a department six months before he was out of his time. During this time he went to the private night school of Mr. White in Smith street, and later walked up to Preakness from Oldham every night to learn draught- ing. After he was out of his time he was employed in the large machine works on Market and Hotel streets, and was a foreman there till the works were burned down in IS48. After this fire he became foreman for Hugh Beggs at the Union Works, and leaving there he succeeded Thom- as Beggs, the father of James Beggs, as foreman of Smith, Jackson & McGuinness' shop. He moved to Newburgh for a couple of years and worked on very delicate machin- ery for making pins. From Newburgh he moved to New York and took charge of General Harvey's screw factory for a couple of years, and when there made arrangements to superintend the building of Israel Kingsman's burr machinery in Paterson. He remained there for five years conducting this business, assisted by his brother, James.
until they went into business for themselves as is described in the sketch of W. G. & J. Watson, the Watson Manu- facturing Company and the Watson Machine Company. Mr. Watson was a man of great stability of character and one who by his ever pleasant ways and fair dealing made hosts of friends. In polities he was an unswerving Demo- crat. In 1855 and 1856 he represented the Fifth Ward of Paterson in the Board of Aldermen and in 1866 he was elected Mayor of Paterson. Although often importuned to again accept nominations for political offices he stead- fastly declined. He died on July 7, ISS9.
JAMES WATSON was born in Chorley, Lancashire, Eng- land, and came to this country when six years of age. He remained in Belleville for two years and came to Paterson with his parents, and when nine years old began to work in the duck mill, tending willow for John Colt for a cou- ple of years, and then in the woolen mill, and again in the cotton mill for Joseph Nightengale. IIe began to learn the trade of machinist at Brundred's shop on the corner of Market and Hotel streets, under his brother William G., who was foreman. After this shop burned down he fin- ished his apprenticeship at the Union Works. After he was out of his time he assisted his brother in all his under- takings and they worked together all their lives. James Watson attended to the outside work and traveled all over the Union securing orders and seeing to their execu tion. Hle and his nephew, Samuel J. Watson, now con- duet the business of the Watson Machine Company.
SAMUEL SMITH & SON .- Mr. Samuel Smith was born in Ireland in 1815 and came to this country when he was about twelve years of age. He was employed for some time in Digby, Nova Scotia, in the family of Rev. Botts- ford Viets, after which he came to Paterson with his family. Here he learned the trade of moulder in the Rogers locomotive works and in 1843 associated himself with Judge Whitely and Thomas Beggs and established a machine shop in the Franklin mill. In I845 he was asso- ciated with James Jackson, Patrick Magennis and Wil- liam Swinburne, who constituted the firm of Swinburne, Smith & Co., and who erected a machine shop on prop- erty on the raceway between John-now Ellison-and Boudinot-now Van Houten-streets. At the opening of the Eastern Division of the Erie railroad in 1848 the firm gave up the machine business and started making locomo- tives, making the first engine for the Erie railroad in May, IS48. The firm employed about a hundred and fifty men and the first year turned out five or six engines. In 1849 the plant was removed to the building which is now the main building of the Grant locomotive works. Here they employed about three hundred men and carried on the business with great energy and industry for two years despite serious embarrassment due to their liberality in endorsing paper for other manufacturers. In 1852 the business was incorporated under the name of the New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Works and about six months afterwards Mr. Swinburne withdrew. The busi- ness was successfully carried on until some time after the
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breaking ont of the war of the rebellion, when O. D. Grant, of New York, acquired a controlling interest in the works and speedily reorganized the business under the name of the Grant Locomotive Works. Mr. Smith retired from business for a few years but restless under the burden of idleness he again engaged in manufacturing, having or- ganized with the late Philip Rafferty the Rafferty & Smith Boiler Works. This business was carried on until 1872, when it was absorbed in the Todd & Rafferty Manufac- turing Company, in which Mr. Smith was a minority stockholder. He was appointed an administrator of the estate of Mr. Rafferty and in the interest of the estate was elected President of the Todd & Rafferty Company. IIc might then have profitably disposed of his own interests in the works but he remained faithful to his trust as adminis- trator of the estate of his deceased business associate ; his interest was extinguished in the final settlement of the affairs of the company. In the mean time, in 1867, Mr. Smith had become interested in the Empire Manufactur- ing Company, having become associated in that enterprise with Jacob S. Rogers, D. B. Grant and Abram Collier ; they built the Empire mill and conducted it with Aaron Polhemus, a practical cotton spinner, until 1872, when it was closed, having become unprofitable. In IS78 with his old time energy he again undertook the making of boilers, procuring for that purpose the commodious shop on Railroad avenue, near Greene street, formerly operated by Rafferty & Smith. In ISS2 he took his son, Charles R. Smith, into partnership with him and the firm of Sam- uel Smith & Son was established. Since the death of Mr. Smith, which took place on March 28, ISSS, the business has been conducted by his son under the old firm name.
The boilers made by this firm have a reputation for ex- cellence in material and workmanship second to none, as is attested by their being placed for power and heating in a number of large structures in this country, including The New York World building, the Washington, Borcel. Mutual Life, Aldrich Court, Columbia. Manhattan Eleva- ted railroad company's buildings, the Wagner Palace Car Company's building in Buffalo, the large mills of the Bar- bour Flax Spinning Company and the William Strange silk mills in Paterson and in most of the factories in the cities of Paterson and Passaic.
Mr. Smith was married in 1837 to Alicia Morrow, a daughter of Arthur Morrow, of Paterson, a member of the Morrow family, who for a number of years operated the woolen mills at Hawthorne, then and still known as Morrow's Mills. At his death he left his widow and six children, Margaret E., Jane E., Alicia M., Samuel, Wil- liam M. and Charles R., surviving him.
Mr. Smith always took a great interest in everything pertaining to the advancement of the city of Paterson and his counsel and assistance could always be relied upon. He was a member of the second board that had charge of the municipal government of the city, having been elected a committeeman in 1853. In 1856 he was elected Mayor
of the city and subsequently in 1868-70 represented the Fourth Ward in the Board of Aldermen.
J. C. TODD'S MACHINE WORKS .- Joseph C. Todd, who had learned the trade of carpenter at Somerville, N. J., came to Paterson in 1836, and being employed in the machine shop of Godwin, Clark & Co., learned to make patterns there for machinery. Several years after, while employed in the Oldham works, he built the first success- ful hemp spinning machine. This turned his thoughts in a new direction and in 1847 he formed a partnership with Daniel Mackey, another skillful Paterson mechanic, and they set up for themselves in the building of hemp and flax and other machinery of all kinds. They had very little capital and hired a part of the first floor of the old frame Nightingale mill on Van Houten street, taking pos- session July 3, 1847. They had only two lathes, one of which they had borrowed. They there built the first silk machinery made in Paterson. From this humble beginning they gradually built up a business that in two years' time demanded ampler accommodations and then they took the basement of the shop owned by the Bradleys, where the Machinists' Association works now are on Prospect street and Broadway. In 1850 Philip Rafferty, a successful busi- ness man, and a very shrewd financier, was taken into the firin, which then became Todd, Mackey & Co. In Novem- ber, 1850, they bought the present location of the works on Van Houten street, next west of the old Nightingale mill, where the business had been commenced. It is a striking evidence of the success of the concern that their works are far more extensive than the whole of the Nightin- gale mill, of which they originally occupied but a very small part. In their new quarters the firm engaged far more ex- tensively than before in the manufacture of hemp and flax machinery in all its branches, including rope machinery, jute and bagging machinery. The firm also engaged on a large scale in the building of steam engines of every class and in a short time had acquired an enviable repu- tation in that department of manufacture. Their original business continued to prosper until they became the only manufacturers in America of hempand flax machinery. Mr. Todd gave this his closest personal attention, making sever- al valuable inventions in this class of machinery, on which patents were taken out from time to time. In 1855 Mr. Mackey retired and the firm became Todd & Rafferty. In the spring of 1872 the concern was turned into a stock corporation, the Todd & Rafferty Machine Company, Mr. Todd being president and Mr. Rafferty treasurer. The boiler shop of Rafferty, Smith & Co., on Railroad avenue, was merged into the company also. Mr. Rafferty attended to the New York business generally, where the firm had a large store for the sale of machinery and an agency for their works. Mr. Rafferty dying in July, 1872, the affairs of the company were thrown into chan- cery and for a month or two the shops were closed, when Mr. Todd resumed the control of the works, which he has since retained. When the panic of 1873 came on and nearly every machine shop in Paterson was closed, he
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