The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 178

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 178

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Volatile oil varnishes are of considerable importance, especially in the fine arts; they are prepared from the finer gum resins and the volatile oils, spirits of turpen- tine being the usual solvent.

Ether varnishes are ethereal solutions of the gum resins, and have a very limited application, mostly con- fined to the jewellers and photographers.

There are also a variety of miscellaneous varnishes made for particular purposes by the parties who have occasion for them. These are not made by the varnish manufacturers.

Messrs. Valentine & Co., Messrs. C. C. Reed & Co., Messrs. J. W. Masury & Son and Mr. G. C. Liszka are the largest manufacturers of coach and palace car var- nishes, of the best quality, for both inside and outside work, in Kings county. They also make lower priced varnishes for other purposes. Messrs. Valentine & Co. probably produce the largest amount, but the aggregate value is about the same as that of the other houses. Messrs. C. C. Reed & Co. claim, and, we believe, with justice, that they were the pioneers in the manufacture of fine coach varnishes in Kings county, and, perhaps, in the United States. They are still doing a very large business.

Messrs. John W. Masury & Son, under the leader- ship of their present general manager, Mr. Wolcott, have made a great advance in their business, and are now, in the quality and quantity of their goods, the peers of any house in the country.

Mr. Liszka is also a large manufacturer of very fine varnishes for these purposes. Mr. Liszka came to this country from England in 1873. He had been appren- ticed to the varnish business in England, and made himself thoroughly master of the business, and brought from thence the formulas, under which he has produced most excellent goods. He believes these superior to

any others for coach work. Mr. Liszka has also in- vented and manufactures the "Terebine " and "Lion Liquid Dryers." He claims a capital of $80,000 invested in the business, employs 30 hands, pays $20,000 wages, and reports an annual product of $200,000.

Of the other varnish manufacturers of the county, Messrs. William D. Chase, Patrick Booden & Son, George S. Wood & Son, as well as the more recently established houses, Möller & Schumann and John F. Cornwell, all make varnish of excellent quality, and the demand for their goods is already large, and rapidly increasing.

Messrs. Booden & Son give special attention to gold- sizing, flock-sizing and bronzing for the manufacturers of wall papers.

SUBSECTION V .- Whiting and Paris White.

These articles, for which there is a large demand, are not quite identical, though often used interchangeably. Whiting is a prepared and refined chalk, brought from the chalk cliffs of England in a crude state, or from chalk beds in our own country, and ground, washed and precipitated in a pure state in factories here. Paris white may be from the chalk beds of France (in the Paris basin); and if so, is somewhat softer than the English or American article, and is a finer and more nearly impalpable powder when refined; but a consid- erable portion of what is sold as the best Paris white is a finely powdered sulphate of baryta, which, for some purposes, is preferable to the chalk.

The substitution in these days of kalsomine and ala- bastine for the old-fashioned lime whitewash has created a great demand for whiting and Paris white, while their employment for cleaning silver, gold, brass and copper has fallen off, electro-silicon and other articles having largely taken their place. There is also a moderate use of the prepared chalk (creta preparata) in medicine, though this is smaller than formerly. The kalsomine is generally a preparation of whiting or Paris white with white glue for the walls of houses. It produces a brilliant surface, does not rub off easily, may be tinted of any required color, and receives paint over it with advantage, the kalsomine filling the little cracks, checks or pin holes of the plaster. At first kalsomine was made with the white oxide of zinc (and perhaps derived its name by corruption from calamine, the zinc oxide) ; but it was very soon found that whiting or Paris white was equally good, and very much lower in price. Where the Paris white is composed wholly or in part of sul- phate of baryta, it is for this purpose fully equal to the zinc. The zinc tradition was maintained by the kalsominers, long after its use had been given up, to extort a higher price from the customers, on the plea of its greater cost. The largest producers of whiting and Paris white in Kings county are Messrs. C. T. Ray- nolds && Co., Messrs. Truslow & Co. (more than forty years in the business), and, after these, Arthur Buel,

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

Phillips & Ferguson and Conrad Zeiger. The total product annually is nearly a million of dollars.

We may then safely bring together the industries of white lead, linseed oil, paints and colors, dry and mixed, varnishes and whiting, in Brooklyn, as having an annual product, in 1883, of $14,500,000, divided in about these proportions: White lead, $2,442,000; lin- seed oil, $3,158,000; dry colors, ready for use, $1,000,- 000; paints, mixed and ground in oils, ready for the trade, $5,500,000 (this estimate is probably too low); varnishes, $1,400,000; whiting and Paris white, $1,000,- 000; total, $14,500,000.

SECTION XIII. Ropes, Cordage and Twine.

The production of ropes, cordage and twine is a large interest in Kings county. It has been conducted herc from almost the first settlement of the county. The oldest of the ropewalks in Brooklyn was probably started by some members of the Sands family, and not far from the time of the Revolution. It is eertain that since 1783 and up to the present time, the manufacture of ropes and cordage has been constantly carried on by some branch of that family or their descendants. We do not mean by this that, during the whole of these hundred years, the same ropewalk has been continu- ously carried on by the Sands family or their descend- ants; but that there has been no time during that cen- tury when some members of the family, and often sev- eral at a time, have not been engaged in the manufac- ture. To be more definite, probably the first rope- maker in Brooklyn or Kings county, was the grandfather or uncle of Joshua Sands. As early as 1790 a brother of Joshua Sands was engaged in the business, his rope- walk extending from the present Sands street, which was named after him, to near Tillary street. In the same vicinity, early in the present century, were the ropewalks of James Ingalls, Forbush & Albert, and John Seaman. In 1803, Major Fanning C. Tucker, who had married a daughter of Joshua Sands, started another ropewalk on his own account, taking a Mr. March as his partner. This was at first in the same vicinity as the others, extending back from what arc now Fulton, Washington and Adams streets to the then low and marshy lands at the north, through what are now Tillary, Lawrence, Bridge, Duffield and Gold streets. Several years later, Mr. R. Sands Tucker, the son of Major Tucker and grandson of Joshua Sands, came into the firm, together with other partners, Messrs. Carter, Cooper, Marsh, etc. At the death of Mr. R. Sands Tucker, his son, Mr. J. A. Tucker, the present Treasurer of the Tucker & Carter Cordage Company, took his place. The company had removed their rope- walk to buildings at first erected by John F. Delaplaine, between Classon and Kent avenues, and between Myrtle and Flushing avenues, which they still occupy.

Meanwhile, other ropewalks were started in Brooklyn, mostly east of the City Hall. Among these were Noah Waterbury and - Barberin (probably a son of Dr. Barberin) located on or ncar the present Clinton street, and extending back to or beyond Bridge street. This was started in 1816. Barberin died a few years later, and Noah Waterbury about 1854. Other ropewalks were Martin's, Nat. Howland's and Thursby's, all of them starting before 1825, and about 1828 Schermer- horn & Bancker's and James Ingalls. The Tucker and Carter Company is the only survivor of those early companies. Thursby's ropewalk remained in business till about 1850, when the factory became bankrupt, Mr. Thursby having died before that time. He had re- moved, some years before, to a tract near Newtown creek, between the present Grand and Ten Eyck streets, and extending from what is now Waterbury street to the canal. It is the present site of part of the rope- walk of L. Waterbury & Co.

The next ropewalk to be established was that of William Wall, commenced in 1830. Mr. Wall, who had learned his trade thoroughly, and had worked for some time as a journeyman with Messrs. Tucker & Cooper, purchased from one of the old ropemakers a ropewalk in Washington street, in 1830, and began business in a very small way. He removed, in 1836, to the site now occupied by his sons on Bushwick avenue and Siegel street, where there is now conducted an im- mense business. The next ropewalk, which is still in existence, was commenced in 1845. The partners were Lawrence Waterbury, a son of Noah Waterbury, and William Marshall. Mr. Marshall was a practical rope- maker, had served his time in other ropewalks, and had been from 1839 to 1845 a partner with John B. Thurs- by, a son of the Thursby already mentioned, in a rope- walk near the corner of Flushing and Bedford avenues, and for a few months the foreman of Messrs. Tucker & Cooper. This ropewalk (of L. Waterbury & Co.) was commenced on and near its present location, the firm owning the lands south of Ten Eyck street, and leasing those of Thursby, north of them, until they were sold, when they purchased them. Mr. Waterbury died in 1879. Mr. Marshall is now the oldest manufacturer of ropes and cordage who is still actively engaged in the business.

There were probably three or four other ropemaking firms, now and long since extinct, which date back to a period between 1816 and 1830. Among these were two, of whom there are still traditions-Luther and Lawrence. Both firms have descendants who are now in the business, though on a small scale. John F. Lu- ther, at the corner of Grand and Waterbury, and Law- rence & Cooper, at Maspeth and Morgan, represents these two old firms, and the latter has united with his also the name of Cooper, a nephew of Peter Cooper, whose glue factory is in this vicinity, and who owned a large tract of land in this part of the Eighteenth

717

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

Ward. Other houses in the business are D. Allen's Sons, in South Brooklyn; Samuel Ludlow, of Rocka- way avenue, corner Chauncey; and six or seven others, mostly in the Twenty-fifth Ward. Most of these houses do not, we believe, attempt the manufacture of large ropes, but confine themselves to the production of bed and saslı cords, clothes-lines, fish-lines and the va- rious kinds of twine used for packing purposes. In the early history of ropemaking in this county, the ropes were made by hand, the strands being spun and twisted by a wheel and spindle turned by a stout man (usually a negro) but later by a horse or dog power, the spinner having a mass of hetchelled hemp girt round his waist, and walking backward as he formed the strand, which was twisted by the wheel. The strands, when spun, were reeled, and then by another and larger wheel, twisted into a rope of such size as was required. For some purposes the strands were drawn through heated tar before being twisted, and thus constituted tarred rope; but the Manila and Sisal cordage was not often tarred. The tarred rope was very durable, but when it had at last worn out, it was cut in pieces of a few inches in length and picked fine, sometimes by sailors, sometimes by landsmen, and not seldom in the alms-houses. When thus picked it was called oakum, and was used for caulking boats and vessels. The Manila and other untarred ropes were better for some purposes, but they were stiffer and less durable. Now, a portion of the Manila and Sisal cordage, as well as much of the Russia hemp is tarred. In the course of time, machines were substituted for most of this hand work, the spinning jenny being the first adopted by the manufacturers, greatly to the disgust of the hand spinners, who, here as well as elsewhere, rose in open rebellion against it.

In the nearly fifty years which have since elapsed, the number and variety of machines has been greatly increased. The hetchelling and combing of the fibres of the Manila, Sisal and other hemps, is done by machinery, and the laying and twisting of all the cordage, and indeed the whole production of the cordage and small ropes, is effected by machines which greatly facilitate and increase the production. The larger ropes are still laid and twisted in the long ropewalks, which in some of the larger establishments are from 1,200 to 1,700 feet in length. In the manufacture of Harvester and other twines, the whole of the processes are carried forward by machines invented for the purpose.

There are now, in Kings county, fourteen rope and twine factories, an increase of two since 1880. The increase in numbers within a few years past has not been proportionately as great as in amount of produc- tion. In 1870, the entire production of cordage and twine in the state of New York was reported as $1,553,329, less than half the present product of either one of our three largest establishments in Kings county in 1883. At that time Kings county had about $630,-

000 of annual product, and New York city $421,440. In 1880, the census reports were : For the state, 37 establishments ; $3,032,100 capital; 2,461 hands em- ployed ; $632,748 paid out for wages; $4,110,112 of raw material, and $5,207,125 of annual product; for New York city, none. For Kings county or Brook- lyn, 12 establishments; $2,566,700 capital; 1,529 hands employed; $380,223 wages paid ; $3,206,319 of raw material, and $3,915,566 of annual product.

A very careful and critical collection of the statis- tics of this industry in 1883, in Brooklyn, gives the following results : Number of establishments, 14; capital (including cost of plant), $6,500,000; number of hands employed, over 3,500; wages paid, above $1,250,000; material used, nearly $9,000,000, and annual product, very nearly $13,000,000. This is a remarka- ble increase for three years, but while it is in part due to the imperfection of the census returns, the develop- ment of this industry since 1880, has had no parallel in any other of the numerous industries of Brooklyn; and our figures will be found below rather than above the actual product.

The three large manufactories now existing in this industry, demand, as representative houses, a some- what particular description. We shall take them up in chronological order.

The Tucker & Carter Cordage Company, which, as we have already said, commenced business in 1803 as Tucker & March, has undergone, in these eighty years, several changes of both its name and personnel. During Major Tucker's lifetime, it was changed to Tucker & Carter, and when his son, Mr. R. Sands Tucker, took his place, the firm name was changed to Tucker, Cooper & Co., and, after Mr. Cooper's death, to Tucker, Carter & Co. In 1881, it was incorporated as the Tucker & Carter Cordage Company, several other parties becom- ing stockholders and officers. Mr. J. A. Tucker, the treasurer, is the son of R. Sands Tucker and grand- son of Major Fanning C. Tucker. This company was the first to introduce the spinning jenny for spinning hemp, in the place of hand spinning, as already de- scribed. This change was first attempted about 1833, and met with the most strenuous opposition from the hand-spinners. When the first instalment of rope spun on the jenny was completed, the enraged spinners seized Mr. - , who had charge of it, and treated him to a coat of tar and feathers; they then seized the hemp he had spun, paid the company for it, took it to a hill near by, and burned it publicly. But the spinning jenny triumphed after all, and the ropewalk was known for many years as "the steamer." Mr. William Wall had a somewhat similar experience, not long after, at his ropewalk.

The Tucker & Carter Cordage Company's ropewalk has always been a large one, but within a few years past it has been greatly enlarged and extended, and is now one of the best appointed and conducted rope-

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WESTERN MANUFACTURER EN

THE ROPE AND CORDAGE MANUFACTORY OF WM. WALL'S SONS. (See Page 719).

walks in the country. 'It is situated on Classon avenue, extending to Kent avenue on the east, and from Myrtle avenue nearly to Flushing avenue. It has three distinct departments: The ropewalk, for the production of ropes and cordage, which is 1,200 feet in length, and extends from Myrtle nearly to Flushing avenue, passing under Park avenue by a tunnel ; the Harvester twine department, which turns out one hundred tons of Harvester twine weekly, without being able to supply the demand; and the jute department, which produces large quantities of jute cord, and rope and bagging for both Sea Island and Upland cotton. In this department both jute butts and jute are used. The buildings are very substantial, and the front building on

Classon avenue is a fine specimen of the castellated style. The provision against fire is very complete, the company being insured with the New England Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Company, and complying with its very stringent conditions. These conditions we have described elsewhere. Though the first cost of the pipes, tanks and other arrangements is very con- siderable, they provide a perfect immunity against a destructive fire, and the saving in insurance reimburses the outlay in a few years.

The whole machinery of the establishment is driven by two steam engines, which also furnish all the heat necessary for warming it-a Corliss I engine of 500-horse power and a Harris engine of 300 horse power-but

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

William Halle

719

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

both are taxed to their full capacity. The boilers, which are rated at 540 horse power, are, by an ingeni- ous and economical attachment, made to furnish steam for 800 horse power of the engines, the water being heated to 300 degrees before it is admitted to the boil- ers. They employ, when running at their full capacity, 850 hands, and their entire annual product is 18,000,000 pounds of rope, cordage, Harvester and other twines, beside the amount of bagging, etc., realizing somewhat more than three millions of dollars. Their business and capacity has been doubled since 1880.

Next in order of time, but, perhaps, of somewhat greater extent, and confining itself wholly to the man- ufacture of ropes and cordage, is the house of William Wall's Sons. This great ropewalk was established in 1830 by William Wall, a practical ropemaker, who had served his time with an uncle in Philadelphia, and had subsequently worked as a journeyman in Brooklyn. He was an industrious, intelligent and enterprising man, and having, by hard labor, accumulated a small sum of money, he invested it in a ropewalk in Washington street, Brooklyn, in 1830, and at once commenced rope- making on his own account. It is related of him that he carried his first completed lot of cordage on his back to New York to find a market for it. His energy, per- severance and industry soon brought their reward. His production increased with each year, and in 1835, hav- ing purchased an extensive tract of land on Bushwick road, now Bushwick avenue, between Siegel and Mc- Kibbin streets, and running back almost two thousand feet, he commenced the erection of a ropewalk there, and in 1836 removed thither, and conducted his busi- ness on a much larger scale. He attended personally to all the details, and, amid great opposition on the part of his workmen, introduced the spinning jenny into his works. The demand for his ropes and cordage constantly increased, and the quality was uniformly maintained, so that Wall's ropes became the standard of good manufacture. By successive additions, his es- tablishment came to cover ten acres of land. Mr. Wall retired from active work in 1856, leaving his business to his sons, by whom it is still carried on.

The ropewalk (which has received very large addi- tions of machinery, etc., since 1878) is probably the longest in the world, extending 1,700 feet in a direct line, with a width of 38 feet. The proprietors have steadfastly avoided all side issues, such as thic manufac- ture of Harvester twine, jute rope or twine, bagging, or paper. They confine themselves to the production of ropes and cordage only, making everything, from a 24-inch rope to 2-inch, as well as lath yarns, marlines, sail twines, and deep-sea fishing lines; and using solely Manila, Sisal, New Zealand, Italian, Russian and Ameri- can hemp. A considerable portion of their cordage is tarred hemp rigging. In addition to their extensive home trade they export their products largely to China, Singapore, Australia, South America, the south of Eu-

rope, and the West Indies. They use for driving their machinery two Corliss engines of 550 horse power in all; and five boilers of 60 nominal horse power, but capable of supplying an aggregate of 600 horse power, upon an emergency, furnish the steam for them. They are fully insured under the New England mutual cor- porations system, which is described in detail elsewhere in this section.

They employ an average of 550 hands, and produce 175 or more tons of rope, etc., per week, their annual production varying from 19,000,000 to 21,000,000 pounds, of an average value of 15 cents per pound- The average annual product is now worth from $2,850,- 000 upwards, with a capacity of over $3,200,000. We add here portraits and biographies of Hon. William Wall, the founder of the house, and of Michael W. Wall, the present head of this extensive manufactory.

HON. WILLIAM WALL .- This distinguished citizen of Brooklyn was born in Philadelphia, March 20th, 1800. His father was an officer on board a ship sailing from the latter port, but died when his son was nineteen months old. The lad, at the age of eleven, commenced to earn his living by working for Michael Weaver, his mother's brother, who owned a ropewalk in Philadelphia, and there showed such industry and intelligence that he was regularly apprenticed to the trade when he was fifteen. Having acquired the knowledge and skill of a good ropemaker, when his majority was attained, he came to New York. Being intelligent, in- dustrious and ambitious, he was intent on gaining capital, with which to begin business on his own account. To this end he worked as journeyman for several years, and saved three hundred and fifty dollars, with which he determined to start in business for himself. Having purchased a rope- walk in Washington street, Brooklyn, he worked early and late, directing the manufacturing and extending his sales. It is related that he carried his first manufacture of cordage on his back to New York city to find a market, a circum- stance to which he often alluded with pride, in after years, as an illustration of what could be accomplished from small beginnings by persistent, well-directed industry. Such ap- plication and energy could not fail of the success which gradually rewarded his efforts. In 1836, the business was removed to Bushwick, now in the Eastern District of Brook- lyn, and was established on a much larger scale. With his usual energy, Mr. Wall attended to all details, building up the largest business of the kind in the country. He was one of the first to introduce the spinning jenny in the manufacture of cordage, which had previously been spun by hand, and was enabled, after many trials, to use it in making all kinds of rope. His establishment was extended until it occupied ten acres of ground. In 1856 Mr. Wall retired with a fortune, leaving his business to his sons, by whom it is still con- ducted.

Mr. Wall was a man of positive opinions; his face shows decision of character and intelligence. Of the strictest in- tegrity, undeviating principles and untiring energy, he pos- sessed all the elements that made up a strong man. His suc- cess in business was due to his own exertions, coupled with fidelity and honor, which secured to him the esteem and confidence of the community. Such a man was needed in public affairs; accordingly, we find that he was called upon to fill many important positions during the village history of Williamsburgh, and after its incorporation as a city, such as

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

Trustee, Commissioner of Highways, Supervisor, member of the Board of Finance, Commissioner of Water Works and Mayor. In these and all other places of trust, he is entitled to the proud distinction of having been faithful and incor- ruptible. His election to the Mayoralty of Williamsburgh occurred in 1853, being the second incumbent of the office. He guarded the interests of the city vigilantly, vetoing promptly every measure that seemed to him to savor of ex- travagance or corruption; and, in his court, administering justice without leniency to breakers of the law. During his term the movement began for consolidating Williamsburgh with Brooklyn. Mr. Wall was tendered the Mayoralty of the consolidated city, but declined the honor. In 1860, he was nominated to Congress by the Republicans of the old Fifth Congressional District, which comprised wards in both New York and Brooklyn, and was elected over the usual democratic majority of five thousand. He served during the darkest days of the war. President Lincoln frequently con- sulted him, particularly concerning the affairs at Brooklyn Navy Yard and the port of New York; his practical knowl- edge and good sense were of great use and highly valued. He was a delegate to the Loyalists' Convention in 1866, after which he retired from public life.

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 178

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1114

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114