The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 86

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220

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and a half feet inside measure at the top. Two hundred and forty hands have constant employ- ment in the mills. The products are sold through- out the United States. The offices of the company are at No. 221 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, and No. 49 Leonard Street, New York City.

THE PINE POINT MILLS, located at corner of Erie Street and Fifth, above Coopers Point, were established in April, 1886, by John S. Spruance and James S. Birkhead, in the mills formerly operated by the Wood Manufacturing Company, and which had been idle for one year. The firm of Spruance & Birkhead fitted up the mills with new machinery, including two sets of latest im- proved Bridesburg cards, one wool-picker, one willow-picker and four mules running three hun- dred and ninety-six spindles each; also reels, twisters and other automatic machines used in the production of cotton and woolen yarns. The mills occupy an acre of ground on the Delaware River and include four brick buildings. The mill proper is one hundred and sixty hy sixty feet, with North light roofing, and has a boiler-house, a picker- room and an engine-room adjoining. An Erie City engine of sixty horse-power, run by a seventy-five horse-power Erie boiler, is used. Twenty hands are employed. The products are shipped to man- ufacturers in the States of New York and Penn- sylvania, the mills at Cohoes, New York State, using the largest portion.

NOVELTY WORSTED-MILL was established in 1883 by James E. Ackroyd and Joseph W. Scull, for the manufacture of worsted yarns to supply to the trade in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New England States. The mill is situated at the corner of Pine Street and Pearl. It is three stories high, has a frontage of one hundred and sixty feet, and extends from thence to the Delaware River. It is fully equipped with machinery and appliances for the production of worsted yarn in large quantities, having nine spinning frames of one hundred and sixty-eight spindles each, or, in all, one thousand five hundred and twelve spindles, three carding-machines, two combing-machines, eighteen drawing-machines and four doubling- machines, A one hundred and fifty horse-power engine, with two tubular boilers, furnish the mo- tive power to run the machinery. Four thousand pounds of yarn are manufactured weekly, and eighty workmen are employed. The business office for the sale of yarn is at No. 30 Letitia Street, Philadelphia.

THE ABERFOYLE MILLS were lately erected for the manufacture of ladies' fine dress goods, such as seersuckers, ginghams, chambries, etc.

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

This extensive mill property is leased and operated by W. T. Galey and is well fitted up with the new and most improved machinery for the manufacture of his particular line of goods. He has now one hundred looms and preparing machinery for the same ; also calenders, Miller's Rotary Press, power press, singeing, shearing, tendering, starch- ing and folding-machines, also rolling and sewing- machines. At present one hundred workmen are employed. The mill is two stories high and fifty- three by one hundred and fifty feet. There is also an engine-house, sixty-five by twenty-two feet, containing one seventy-five horse-power Buckeye automatic cut-off' engine and powerful dynamos for furnishing light for the mill and property generally; also one Hoff & Fontaine engine of thirty-five horse-power, one boiler-house, thirty- four by thirty-two feet, containing two steel tubu- lar hoilers of two hundred horse-power. One hun- dred looms are in operation, which number will be largely increased. When the entire works of the company are in complete operation, five hundred hands will be employed. Ten three-story brick dwelling-houses are now on the ground for the use of the operatives and more will be erected.

THE BRIGHTON MILLS, near the corner of Point and Erie Streets, were established by Irvine C. Beatty, in May, 1883, for the manufacture of elastic shoe webs. The brick manufactory is fifty by one hundred feet in dimensions, and is supplied with fifteen looms, twenty-three feet long, with ten shuttles each, weaving ten pieces of webbing at the same time, and capable of as many changes in colors as may be desired. There are also gass- ing-machines, calenders, warping-mills and wind- ers, all of the most improved pattern and design. Forty workmen are employed, who produce eight thousand yards of web per week, sufficient to fit out twenty-five thousand pairs of Congress gait- ers. This webbing is sold in large quantities to the trade throughout the entire United States. A thirty horse-power engine furnishes the motive- power to the varied automatic machinery required in the production of the finished material.

Mr. Beatty is now preparing to construct at Pine Point, in North Camden, a large three-story brick factory, fifty-three by one hundred feet, in order to cnable him to meet the now steadily increasing demand. More looms'and machinery will be added, so as to give employment to one hundred and fifty hands, and produce twenty-two thousand yards of webbing per week.

In the proprietor of these works, Irvine C. Beatty, is exhibited a fine example of what in- dustry, integrity and pluck, unaided by the prestige

of position or wealth, can accomplish under the conditions of the American commercial system. The road to success is open to all, but only a few reach the goal because of the ruggedness of the pathway at the outstart. Some are carried over the rough places at the beginning of the road of life, but young Beatty made his own way from the outset, as a few facts concerning his career will show. Born in Boughenforth, County Fermanagh, Ireland, April 23, 1849, he came to America as an infant in his mother's arms. His father, William Beatty, having lost what little property he pos- sessed in the old country, determined to find a home in the new, and having come to Philadelphia and found employment, had sent for his wife, Mary Chittick Beatty, and his family, six months later. They arrived in the Quaker City in the summer of 1850, at the time of the great fire, and thus re- united, enjoyed a humble but happy home for a dozen years. Then the supporter, the husband and father died, and a hard struggle was forced upon those bereft. Irvine left school at the age of thirteen and a half years to begin the battle of lifc. He obtained work with the same house where his father had been employed-that of Alexander Whillden & Sons, dealers in wool, woolens, cotton and cotton yarns. His wages were "nothing a year" for the first year, fifty dollars for the second and one hundred dollars for the third-the usual arrangement at that time. While working for " nothing a year " he sewed wool-bags and performed similar work at night, often toiling as late as two o'clock in the morning, to earn a few pennies for the support of the family. He progressed from this humble beginning slowly at first, and then rapidly until 1875, when after hav- ing been a salesman for a number of years and thoroughly mastering the business, he gave up a salary of thirty-five hundred dollars per year to embark in trade for himself. In January, 1876, he opened a cotton, woolen and worsted yarns house at 35 Letitia Street, Philadelphia, afterwards removing to 123 Chestnut Street, where he was burned out, and after that disaster, to his present location, 136 Chestnut Street. Here he, who as the boy began at " nothing a year," now as a young man, carries on a business amounting to from seven to eight hundred thousand dollars per year. The goods handled by the house are cotton, woolen and worsted yarns. In the works in Camden, for the manufacture of elastic shoe-webbing, started, as heretofore noted, in 1883, a business is done which amounts to about one hundred thousand dollars per annum. Mr. Beatty's activity, however, is not confined to these enterprises, large as they are.

Irvine Cheaty

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

He is president of the Deibel Sewing-Machine and Trimmer Manufacturing Company, at Third aud Cumberland Streets, Philadelphia, and a director of the Camden National Bank. He takes also an active interest in matters pertaining to the public welfare; is one of the strongest supporters, though not a member, of the Tabernacle Methodist Episcopal Church ; is an influential member of the Board of Education and chairman of its board of property. In politics he is a Republican. He is a member of Ionic Lodge No. 94 F. and A. M .; Siloam Royal Arch Chapter; Cyrene Commandery of Knight Templars of Camden, and is a 32d de- gree Mason. Mr. Beatty was united in marriage, December 12, 1877, to Miss Mary S. Gray, of Ber- nardston, Franklin County, Mass., and they have one child, William Beatty.

THE LACE AND EMBROIDERY MANUFACTORY at Front Street and Pearl is an establishment of extensive proportions. It was originated, in 1882, by the firm of Loeb & Schoenfeld, composed of Jacob Loeb, Max Schoenfeld and David Schoen- feld, who manufacture a great variety of laces and embroidery of fine qualities. This factory is a branch of a larger one at Rorschach, Switzer- land, the Camden factory having the main ware- house at Nos. 70 and 72 Franklin Street, New York City. The Camden mill is built of brick, four stories high, and is fitted up with improved ma- chinery, and one hundred and fifty hands are em- ployed.

THE GIMP AND FRINGE MANUFACTORY at Nos. 39 and 41 North Second Street was established first in Philadelphia, in 1858, by Richard Perks In 1872 he sold his interest in the business to George A. Perks & Co. In 1878 they removed the machinery and appurtenances to Camden, and fitted up the manufactory, which is of brick, thirty by one hundred and fifty-five feet, with twelve weaving looms, four chenille machines and six spinning and spooling wheels and other necessary machinery for the manufacture of gimps, fringes, cords, tassels, etc., for upholstery trimmings. In 1884 George A. Perks became sole proprietor, but still conducts the business under the firm-name. Seventy hands are employed. The manufactured products of this establishment are sold principally to upholsterers in New York, Philadelphia, Balti- more and other cities.

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE WOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of which J. B. Wood is president, E. H. Kimball treasurer, and Guy B. Greenwood secretary and general manager was established as a stock company

in the year 1886, aud within the short space of eight months made very great improvements at Pine Point, in the upper part of Camden City. This company bought ten acres of ground on the Dela- ware River front, at the head of Fifth Street, including the basin of the sectional dry-docks, which were io operation for about five years pre- viously, but discontinued in August, 1885. The company has constructed two large wharves, one twenty-two by six hundred and forty feet, the other twenty-two by seven hundred and twenty feet. The basin is one hundred and four by three hundred and forty feet, with an average depth of twenty-four feet, and is now used for wharfage property, repairing and discharging of different cargoes. East of, and adjacent to, this basin is the long wharf, seven hundred and twenty feet in length, forming the west side of the new marine railway, which has been in course of construction since May 1st of the present year (1886). The dimensions of this, the largest marine railway ever constructed on the Delaware River, is eight hun- dred and twenty-five feet in length on the ways, and of sufficient width for four tracks, and is cal- culated to haul out vessels of two thousand eight hundred tons register and three hundred and fifty feet in length. This railway is now complete with the exception of the carriage, which is three hun- dred feet in length, and the placing in position of the machinery and engine, which are already on the ground.

THE AROMA MILLS are situated at the east end of Line Street, on Coopers Creek, and were estab- lished in the year 1840 by the Browning Brothers, for the manufacture of dye-woods and chemicals. The business at these mills, when they were first started, was conducted on a limited scale, but during the forty-six years that they have been in continuous operation under the same management they have grown and developed into an extensive industry. Large buildings have been added to the original one, until there are now nine in all, which are built upon the property of the firm who con- duct the business.

The main building is a three-story brick, eighty by one hundred feet, and with the adjacent build- ings, is supplied and fitted with the necessary ap- pliances and machinery for the special preparation of their products. From seventy to eighty work- men are employed, and five large motor engines and four pumping engines, with thirty boilers, are required to extract dyes and drive the machinery. The business and annual sales of this firm are very large. The trade extends throughout the Union, and also to many portions of Europe.

528

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

The main office of these mills is at Nos. 42 and 44 North Front Street, Philadelphia. The indi- vidual members of the firm are Maurice, G. Genge and George G. Browning.

MAURICE BROWNING, the senior member of the firm of Browning Brothers, proprietors of the above-described industry, was born June 5, 1811, on the homestead farm of the Browning family, in Stockton township, about three and a half miles from Camden. The family to which he belongs is one of the oldest in the State of New Jersey, the American founder being George Browning, who came immediately from Holland to this country about 1735, and settled near Pea Shore, in what is now Stockton township. Abraham Browning, the father of Maurice Browning, was a prosperous farmer. He also established what is now known as the Market Street Ferry in Camden, about 1800, and owned it until his death, in 1836, when it passed to his heirs, among whom was the subject of this sketch, and who is now a director in the company which operates the terry.

Maurice Browning obtained his earliest educa- tion in the country schools in the neighborhood of his home, and afterwards attended the popular school at Burlington of John Gummere, the math- ematician, at whose institution his brother, Hon. Abraham Browning, was prepared for Yale Col- lege. After leaving school he entered a drug- store at Mount Holly, N. J., remaining for a time, and then took a course in laboratory work and pharmacy under Doctors Wood and Bache in Phil- adelphia. He next opened a drug-store on Market Street, in the city named, and since 1840 has devoted most of his time to the interest of the Aroma Mills. Mr. Browning was one of the directors of the Farmers and Mechanics Bank, was a director in 1864, when its charter was changed to the First National Bank of Camden, and continued a member of the board of that in- stitution until his resignation, in 1885. He was one of the original members of the Union League of Philadelphia, and since the organization of the Republican party he has been an ardent supporter of its principles. He is manager of the Browning estate, comprising several valuable farms lying in Stockton township.

Mr. Browning was married, in 1840, to Anna A., daughter of Joshua Few Smith, who was a promi- nent merchant of Philadelphia, and in later years lived in retirement on a farm near Haddonfield. They had the following children: Abraham M. (deceased) ; Josephine, married to Isaac Doughten of Camden ; and Alice. Mrs. Browning died in the year 1880.

CAMDEN DYEWOOD, EXTRACT AND CHEMICAL WORKS are located at the corner of Seventeenth and Stevens Streets, fronting on Cooper Creek, and are owned and operated by W. Wharton Fisher. They cover an area of two acres, and were established in the year 1880. Forty men are regularly em- ployed in the manufacturing dyewoods and chemi- cals for dyeing purposes. The apartments occu- pied are a large three-story brick building, eighty by one hundred feet, with an engine and boiler- room annex, thirty-three by thirty feet, a frame one- story building, one hundred and twenty-five by one hundred and forty feet, and three other frame build- ings adjoining the larger ones. The valuable prod- ucts of this manufacturing establishment have an extensive sale in all parts of the United States.

THE NEW JERSEY CHEMICAL WORKS, on Coop- ers Creek, occupy several large buildings and sheds, covering an area of two and one-half acres. Previous to 1872 they were operated by Potts & Klett, for the manufacture of chemicals and fertil- izers. In that year they came into the possession of the New Jersey Chemical Company, which was incorporated in 1872, with Henry C. Gibson, pres- ident ; Thomas B. Watson, treasurer ; and William E. Lafferty, secretary. This company continue the manufacture of chemicals and fertilizers, and have fitted up eight large buildings of brick and stone and two large acid chambers, two hundred by forty feet in dimensions, for the preparation of their products, which are shipped to localities in the different States. Three large engines, equal to one hundred and twenty-five horse-power, supply the motive-power for the machinery. From seventy to eighty hands are employed. The company transact a business of very large proportions.

THE CAMDEN CITY DYE WORKS, Nos. 609 and 611 Pearl Street, were started in 1877 by Henry Hussong and Conrad Moehl at the corner of Point and Pearl Streets. In 1879 the present firm bought out the boilers and machinery and removed the entire business to the present location. The firm is composed of Peter Hussong and his three sons, Henry, Joseph and Frederick Hussong. The fac- tory is a two-story brick, sixty by one hundred and fifty feet in dimensions, and completely fitted out with engine, boilers, whizzers, dryers, etc., for dye- ing cotton and woolen yarns. The business extends to New York, Pennsylvania and some of the South- ern States, and the work is principally done by contract for the large cotton and woolen goods manufacturers.

THE AMERICAN BLEACH AND DYE WORKS are located on the corner of Sixth Street and Me- chanic. A two-story building, forty by eighty

Maurice Browning

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

feet, was erected in 1881, by J. S. P. Hogan and J. J. Hayes, for a hosiery-mill. They conducted this business as partners until 1885, when J. J. Hayes took charge of the hosiery businesss alone, and, with J. S. P. Hogan, built the adjoining one- story frame building, thirty by eighty feet, and, when completed, the hosiery business was discon- tinued, and the buildings were fitted up as dye and bleach works. The bleaching and drying-mill is supplied with a large-size Butterworth drying- machine, washing-machines and starching and blueing-machines, which are driven by a twenty horse-power engine, with a thirty-five horse-power horizontal boiler. The dye-house is furnished with fifteen dye vats, and has ample machinery and facilities for drying, both by hot air and steam. The dye-house requires a fifteen horse-power en- gine to run the required machinery for the dyeing of cotton, woolen and jute yarns, and the hleach- ing of quilts, counterpanes, Turkish towels, etc. From six to ten workmen are employed. Mr. J. J. Hayes, one of the proprietors, is a practical dyer, and has had many years' experience in his occupation. The trade of the firm is quite ex- tensive, and is conducted in the interests of Phil- adelphia and many Western manufacturers.

THE PRINTING INK MANUFACTORY is situated at Nos. 547, 549 and 551 South Second Street. Samuel P. Wright & Co., who operate these works, have the business office on Second Street and in the rear are located the several buildings and departments for the manufacture of the various grades and colors of printers' and lithographers' inks and varnishes. The grinding department is furnished with an engine of one hundred horse- power, which runs fourteen mills, together with the machinery for the varnish department. The weekly production is six thousand pounds, mostly of the finer grades, which are sold through the Middle, Southern and Western States. S. P. Wright began the manufacture of inks in Philadelphia in 1866. In 1877 he removed his works to Camden, and for nine months of 1879 they were operated by Wright & Dunk. In the same year Samuel P. Wright bought the interest of Mr. Dunk and became sole proprietor, under the name of Samuel P. Wright & Co., the company being nominal.

CAMDEN BRASS WORKS originated about 1868, in a brass foundry, at No. 136 Federal Street, and conducted by A. J. Fullmer & Co. The location mentioned was limited in space and unsuitable for the business; hence in 1874, the same firm built the large brick foundry now owned and operated by them on the corner of Front Street and Fed- eral, where brass and bronze castings of various

kinds are made. A large finishing shop is con- nected with the foundry, with appropriate machin- ery for turning, grinding and polishing brass work. The machinery is run by an engine of ten horse- power. Employment is given to a large number of hands.

WEST JERSEY PAPER MANUFACTURING COM- PANY own large mills at the corner of Front and Elm Streets, which were built in 1876 by the firm of Rich, Scott & Safford, who the same year began the manufacture of paper. In 1879 a charter of incorporation was obtained, with the above title, with Lewis Seal, president; T. S. Scott, treasurer ; T. S. Safford, secretary. The mill is built of brick, one hundred and forty by one hundred and forty feet in dimensions, and is specially supplied with machinery for making rope-paper of three brands, known as flour-sack, building and cotton sampling. In the various departments are large mixing-vats, steamers and dryers, the principal department having in operation one one hundred and twenty inch cylinder-machine, and six six hun- dred pounds beating-engines. Two steam-engines, one of two hundred and one of sixty horse-power, are run by a gang of four large tubular boilers, and supply the motive-power to run the heavy machinery. Two and a half tons of paper are manufactured daily, and forty hands constantly employed. The manufactured paper is sold through Boston, New York and Philadelphia houses.

THE PFEIL & GOLZ COMPANY, of which Herman C. Pfeil and Julius Golz are the individual mem- bers, commenced business as lithographers, in 1882, at the corner of Front and Pearl Streets. In 1883 the business had greatly increased, more room was required, and a large manufactory was erected at the foot of Cooper Street. In December of that year the company removed to the new factory, and on February 4, 1884, the building was entirely destroyed by fire. From this date until the fall of that year they used temporary quarters, and, in the meantime, were having built a large four-story manufactory, fifty by one hun- dred and fifty feet in dimensions, and arranged especially for lithographic purposes. In 1885 the company was incorporated under the above title. A thirty-five horse-power engine furnishes the motive-power for running power presses and the machines for calendering, varnishing and coloring, used in the production of lithographs, glass, paper and muslin advertising signs, show-cards, etc. The manufacture of impermiographs is a specialty with this firm, and large contracts are made with the leading manufacturers, who desire this special production to advertise their business. Including

530

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

artists and workmen, sixty hands are employed. Their trade is of very large proportions, and ex- tends throughout the United States and Canada.

THE STANDARD SOAP AND CHEMICAL COM- PANY was incorporated in 1885 with a paid-in capital of one hundred thousand dollars, with C. B. Wilkinson as president and A. Segel as general manager. The works occupy the large three-story brick building with a front of fifty feet on West Street by one hundred and twenty feet on Clinton Street. The company manufacture soaps of various kinds, inks of several colors, washing-blue, washing- powders, etc., etc., with twenty employees. Eight thousand cakes of soap are made daily. The full capacity of the establishment is twenty thousand cakes per day.

THE CRYSTAL GLASS MANUFACTURING COM- PANY was incorporated in April, 1886, with J. R. Runge, president; P. Strang, treasurer ; and A. C. Lamar, secretary. The glass works are located on Front Street, below Kaighn Avenue, and in- clude six buildings, two of iron and four of frame, which have recently been fitted up with all the latest improved machinery requisite for the busi- ness. The main factory is frame, seventy-eight by eighty-eight feet, and forty feet high, and has in position one large stack and twelve smaller ones, with facilities for the employment of one hundred workmen. In the other buildings are the mixing, grinding, box-making and packing departments; also the pot-making room and engine house. At these works are made wine, beer, Weiss heer, porter and mineral water bottles, pickle jars and various kinds of green and amber bottles; also flasks and demijohns. This firm makes bottles in private moulds for the trade in the New England and adjacent States. The business is transacted through the main office, No. 9} Market Street, Camden.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 86

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220