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 II, Part 27

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345

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 II > Part 27

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enterprise, that for at least one of them, has been a life work, and which from that inconsiderable begin- ning has developed into the largest and most popular school book publishing house in the world. During the first two years of the existence of the firm, Mr. Barnes spent a considerable portion of the time in an active canvass of academies, schools and colleges in all parts of the country, for the purpose of introducing Prof. Davies' works. Their first venture, Davies' Arithmetic, was intended to be and was the precursor of the first complete series of mathematical text books ever attempted in this country, a series that has been extra- ordinarily popular, and even yet is selling largely, and is recognized as a standard authority. Mrs. Emma Willard's Histories were soon added to the firm's list of publica- tions, and others gradually followed. In 1840, Mr. Barnes opened a book store in Philadelphia, and in 1842 removed the manufacturing department also to that city. In the new location, 21 Minor street, their busi- ness was largely increased, and they added to their stock the publications of other houses. The steady though gradual growth of the business finally deter- mined the firm to again remove, this time to New York city, which offered superior advantages for the prose- cution of its work. Their first store in that city was at the corner of John and Dutch streets, and the upper floors were used for the printing and binding of their publications, beginning with four two-roller steam power presses, and a moderate outfit for their bindery. After a short time two more power-presses were added, and rooms in the adjoining building were rented to meet the wants of their growing business.

One after another the works of other writers on edu- cational topics were added, besides works of a miscel- laneous literary character, other than school-books, until now their list embraces nearly all branches of science and literature; and the sale, promoted not only by the intrinsic merits of the works themselves, but by a most extensive and complete system of agencies and local canvassers, numbers millions of copies annually. In 1868 the business had so outgrown their original quar- ters, that they removed to their present 5-story building at John and William streets. This property was pur- chased by Mr. Barnes and used as a store and ware- house. Mr. Barnes also purchased the Dutch street corner, where they had so long conducted their busi- ness, using it exclusively for manufacturing purposes. This department outgrew their quarters, and in 1880, he purchased ground and erected a building 75 feet front, 100 feet deep, and six stories high, on the corner of Liberty and Nassau streets in Brooklyn, premises formerly owned by the First Baptist Church Society.

To this, they removed their printing offices, bindery, packing, and in part, their storage rooms; here about twenty power-presses are kept continually running on the school-books and other publications of the firm, and from this point most of their production is shipped

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

742

to all parts of the country. Mr. Barnes for many year's attended to the work of manufacturing. His sons have successively followed him, thus familiar- izing themselves with all the intricate details of the business. His third son, Edwin M. Barnes, is now in charge. In the many years existence of the firm of A. S. Barnes & Co., many changes have taken place in its personnel. Prof. Davies' connection con- tinned about ten years. In 1850 a brother-in-law of Mr. Barnes, Mr. Henry L. Burr, entered the firm and continued as a member of it until his death in 1865. About this time Mr. Barnes' brother, John C. Barnes, and his son, Alfred C. Barnes, and, in 1868, Henry W. Curtiss, became associated in the business. Since then other members of the family have joined the firm, Mr. J. C. Barnes withdrawing in 1867 and Mr. Curtiss in 1881. The firm now consists of five of the sons; A. C., H. B., E. M., R. S., and W. D., and a nephew, C. J. Barnes, who is in charge of the Chicago branch of the house. Mr. A. S. Barnes con- tinnes at the head of the business, though less actively than formerly, the burden of labor and responsibility being thrown upon the younger partners. The old firm name, one of the oldest in the country, is still retained.

Although generally successful, Mr. Barnes has passed through the usual storms which assail any long con- tinned business.

The panic of 1857, and the breaking out of the war, were especially trying, but through all he has main- tained the strong and untarnished credit of the house. His well known probity, as well as his industry and perseverance, gained for him the confidence of all, and in the darkest hours, willing hands were not wanting to aid in tiding over the exigencies of the moment. Besides the constant attention given to affairs of the publishing house, Mr. Barnes has found time to em- bark in other enterprises, the final success of which well attest his judgment and foresight. One of the earliest promoters of the elevated railway system of New York, he never, like many others, lost faith in its ulti- mate importance, and his faith was finally rewarded in its successful establishment. The Central branch of the Union Pacific railroad in Kansas, was another enterprise in which, after many years of delay and discouragement, his distinguishing characteristic, persistency, brought him gain. Among the offices of trust and responsi- bility which Mr. Barnes has sustained outside of his business, have been those of director of the Hanover National Bank of New York, of the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn, and the Home Insurance Co. of New York. At different times he has been, and still is, a trustee of the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, and of the Packer Institute; of Cornell University at Ithaca, N. Y .; of Fisk University at Nashville, Tenn .; one of the original promoters of the Adelphi Academy of Brook- lyn, and a director of the Long Island Historical Society.

Mr. Barnes' family relations have always been of the pleasantest and most fortunate kind. His first wife, Harriet E. Burr, whom he married in 1841, was, like him- self, of Connecticut stock; her father, Gen. Timothy Burr, of Rochester, N. Y., and her mother, Mary Chapin, a daughter of Laertes Chapin, were natives of Hart- ford, in that State. This union was blessed in Phila- delphia by the birth of two children, the number subse- quently increasing to ten. Mrs. Barnes was her husband's companion for forty years, and he speaks of her as "My joy and comfort, who contributed largely to my success in life; a devoted wife and mother, and an earnest Christian, largely interested and engaged in works of benevolence and charity." She lived to see all her children married, and the birth of twenty-four grandchildren, and then passed suddenly away, Oct. 27, 1881. Mr. Barnes has borne fruit throughout his life, in a constant and consistent attention to his religious duties as church member, Sabbath-school teacher and superintendent; and, in many positions of trust and re- sponsibility in connection with churches, charitable in- stitutions and missions, he has brought to his work the same earnest energy, and single-heartedness of purpose, that has made his business life successful. He united with Rev. Dr. Bushnell's church in Hartford, at the age of seventeen. On going to New York, in 1835, he transferred his church relations to the Rev. Dr. Spring's (Old Brick) Presbyterian church and became a Sunday- school teacher in one of the first Mission Sabbath- schools in New York, under the superintendence of Mr. Albert Woodruff. While in Philadelphia his church relations were Presbyterian, and under the pastorate of Rev. Joel Parker, he was a Sunday school teacher at the House of Refuge, during his residence in that city. His first home in New York was at the corner of Amity and Macdougal streets, and while living there the family worshipped in Dr. Skinner's church in Mercer street. When, in 1846, he removed to Garden street, Brooklyn, he identified himself with the Church of the Pilgrims, Rev. Dr. Storrs, again entering upon Sunday-school work among the poor. In 1850 he was elected a deacon in that church. In 1853 he built his present large and elegant residence on Clinton avenue. Soon after his removal thither, he became interested in the establishment of a new Con- gregational church on the corner of Clinton and Lafay- ette avenues. During the first few years of the ex- istence of this church, Mr. Barnes was President of its Board of Trustees, and it was largely due to his energy and perseverance that the financial embarrassments of the society were overcome. Resigning this position finally, he became the superintendent of the Mount Prospect Mission, established by his church, and in 1864 superintendent of the Home School of the church, which position he held till 1871. He was also for eight years a deacon of this church. Besides all these labors, Mr. Barnes has taken great interest and participated in

743

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

the direction of many other works of a kindred nature. He is now President of the Brooklyn City Mission and Tract Society, and of the "Good Samaritan;" Trustee of the American Tract Society of New York, the American Missionary Association, and of the American Home Missionary Society. As might be expected, amidst all this complexity of pursuits and interests, both spiritual and temporal, his time has been occupied so fully as to leave small opportunity for recreation. In 1871, how- ever, he laid aside all his business, and in company with his wife and one daughter and one son, spent a delightful year in a tour through Europe, returning at its close to take up the scattered threads, with renewed vigor and interest. Notwithstanding his increasing years, and the unusually active and busy life he has led, Mr. Barnes, now sixty-seven years of age, is still hale and vigorous, and bids fair to add many years yet of labor to those which have already added honor to his name, and brought him that well earned competency which we hope he may long enjoy.

Mr. Barnes was married again on the 7th of November, 1883, to Mrs. Mary Mathews Smith, formerly a resident and teacher in Brooklyn, and more recently of Piermont- on-the-Hudson.

Of the other publishing houses here, it is said that Lain & Co., the directory publishers, have their com- position and electrotyping done in New York, and their press-work in Brooklyn. We believe this is true, also, of the moderate amount of publishing done by W. W. Swayne & Co., and Higgins & Crowther. On the other hand, in the present disturbed condition of the New York printing offices, several of the smaller pub- lishing houses in New York are arranging with our larger printing offices here for the manufacture of their books.

It is safe to say that the entire printing, publishing and book manufacturing interest in Kings county has an annual production of not less than $3,500,000, and it has just reached the point where its extraordinary development may be fully expected. The census of 1890, if it represents this interest with any approach to accuracy, will show an annual production of $7,000,000 or more. This increase will come by the removal of the book manufacturing of other large pub- lishing houses from New York to our city; by the fit- ting up here of large printing offices capable of taking any contract, and not controlled by the typographical unions; and by the development of large publishing enterprises here. In hardly any of our larger indus- tries is the outlook for a rapid and healthy growth, in the near future, more promising.

The only manufacturing stationers in Brooklyn are also book-binders. Of these the census reported four, employing 23 hands, and producing $17,691 of work.

The report is absurdly low. We have already referred in this section to the immense binderies of Messrs. D.

Appleton & Co. and A. S. Barnes & Co., which together employ not less than 700 hands, and turn out for their part at least $500,000 of work. Mr. Wm. Matthews, the superintendent of Appleton's bindery, we believe, does considerable work outside of the books of that house, and Messrs. Barnes' bindery also does outside work, our Illustrated History being bound there. But aside from these there are ten book-binding firms in the city, some of them very large establishments, and three or four of them making blank books, and special books of record, and work for business firms, a specialty; three certainly make a specialty of binding illustrated and professional works, and one contracts for large editions of school-books. The number of hands employed in these ten establishments, besides those in Appletons' and Barnes' factories, is not less than 150, and the pro- duction about $175,000. Of these houses, the most prominent are: H. Maine, 377 Fulton street; the New York Book-binding Company, 46-48 Court street; The Brooklyn Eagle Bindery, 34 Fulton; George Kenney, 94 Cranberry and 170 Fulton; E. Walker's Son, South Portland avenue; Joseph E. Kenney, 200 Joralemon; Ernest Hofner, 15 Stagg street; Tiebel Bros., 236 Court street; Joseph Ricklin, 235 Sixteenth street; and Adolph Wentzel, 93 Harrison avenue. In this depart- ment, also, there is an opportunity for a great develop- ment of a business which is capable of almost indefi- nite expansion.

SECTION XVII. The Hat Manufacture.

The manufacture of hats and caps is a large business in Kings county. The census for 1880, in its ultimate revision, gives the figures as follows : Hats and caps, not including wool hats,* 32 establishments, with $533,915 capital, employing 1,392 hands, 487 being women and children, paying out $626,504 wages an- nually, using $999,218 of material, and producing $1,- 978,145. Like so many other statements of our manu- factures, this, when compared with recent returns, seems to be greatly understated. The returns of three of the thirty-two now before us, give an aggregate of $600,000 capital, $556,000 wages, and $1,950,000; and ten of the remaining twenty-nine double these figures. It is but fair to say that Mr. Frothingham found 39 establishments, with $898,590 capital, employing 2,259 hands; paying $718,694 wages; using $1,501,940 ma- terials, and producing $2,673,350 of goods. As nearly as can be ascertained, the total figures for the hat man- ufacture-including hat materials, but not including caps-are, in round numbers, 11 establishments (the others are dealers, and men who finish and revive hats, but do not manufacture), having about $1,800,000 cap- ital, employing 2,500 hands; paying about $2,000,000

* In the miscellaneous or unspecified industries, one wool-hat fac- tory is set down.

744

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

wages; using about $1,700,000 materials, and producing over $4,500,000 annually.

The hat manufacture, as conducted in Kings county, may be divided into the following classes: 1. Silk hats. Of these there are not more than three or four manu- facturers, and only one who is largely engaged in it; there are many others who profess to manufacture these hats, but they only finish them, or perhaps re- move the silk plush from old hats and put it upon new bodies, and iron, dress and trim it, so as to give the appearance of a new hat to it; but these are not manu- facturers. 2. Felt hats, including ladies' felt hats. These are made from the fur of the beaver, nutria, hare, muskrat, mink, coney, Siberian squirrel, etc. These hats are of several qualities; some only of the finest furs, and the felting and all the more delicate of the finishing processes are performed by hand; others of various qualities of furs, and felted and finished in large part by machinery; the first are for retail trade in the cities exclusively, the second for the jobbing trade; large numbers are also made for ladies' wear, of different grades. 3. Wool hats. These, formerly largely produced here, are now only manufactured by a single establishment; they are usually of low price, and only used by workingmen, laborers, farm- hands and employés of railways, etc., etc. 4. Straw Hats. These are manufactured for both sexes, and are of various kinds; some kinds are imported, as the Pan- ama, Guayaquil, Leghorn, and many of the Swiss braids; others are made in Canada, Michigan, and in some of the southern and western states, in the form of long straw braids, which are sewed, shaped and fin- ished here; others still are braided and entirely made here; for gentlemen's use in the city, the Canadian Mackinaw straw is the most popular, though it is imi- tated so perfectly that it is very difficult to distinguish them; other and cheaper braids are manufactured here; the straw hats for ladies are mostly sewn and finished in our Brooklyn factories, but the braids are from England, France, Switzerland and Germany, and considerable quantities from New England factories. 5. Caps. This is, strictly, an entirely different branch of business from the hat manufacture, and is carried on in a different way. Caps may be made of almost any sort of material. The cloth cap is of a great va- riety of patterns and materials; the military fatigue cap, the cadet's cap, the caps for conductors, messen- ger boys, etc., etc., are generally of new and fine ma- terial.

A lower grade are made by the Jewish clothing dealers from old cloth garments. There are also caps of canvas, of straw, of patent leather, of hair sealskin, of furs of various kinds, oftenest of seal, otter or nu- tria, of plush, of leather, of knit woollen goods, of linen, of hair, of fine rattan; and if there is any other material, textile, fibrous or furry, capable of being utilized for caps, it is pressed into the service,

The manufacture of head-gear, comprising so great a variety of patterns, materials and processes, is necessarily a large business, employing very many hands, and having great numbers dependent on it.

We have taken much pains to ascertain the begin- ings of this industry, and by the kind assistance of Mr. James W. Peck (the oldest manufacturing hatter in New York or Brooklyn, and still maintaining an inter- est in the business) and of Mr. Hosea O. Pearce, late of the firm of Pearce & Hall, but now retired from business with an ample fortune, we have been able to gather the following facts:

The earliest hat manufacturers of whom we can learn were Sarles & Company, who were manufacturing fur and beaver hats, not far from Fulton ferry, as early as 1822, and perhaps earlier. The "Company" was Mr. Joseph Burroughs, a son-in-law of Mr. Sarles. He died in 1881, being at the time of his death more than 80 years of age.

About 1826, Messrs. Raymond & Taylor were en- gaged in making hats on Washington street, near the present approach to the Brooklyn Bridge. The partner- ship was dissolved before 1835, and Raymond removed to the corner of Myrtle street (not Myrtle avenue) and Division street, and continued in the business for sev- eral years. Taylor removed to Jay street, and, five years later, took in a Mr. Frost as partner, and put up a factory on Classon avenue, near Flushing, just north of the Tucker & Carter Cordage Company's present ropewalk.

In 1832, Mr. James W. Peck, who had been appren- ticed to the hatters' trade in New York in 1819, and subsequently had worked as a journeyman for Messrs. Raymond & Taylor, commenced business for himself on Henry street, near Fulton. Mr. Robert Peck, his brother, had commenced business in 1829. Silk hats had been introduced into New York about 1825 by an English manufacturer; but though he made great efforts to start their manufacture in that city, they failed to take, and their production was given up for the time. It happened that the shop in which Mr. Peck had learned his trade in New York, was the only one where the manufacture of these silk hats had been attended with any success. After Mr. Peck went into the em- ploy of Messrs. Raymond & Taylor, in 1827 or 1828, the firm were surprised one day by the receipt of an order for "six dozen silk hats." The New York man- ufacturers could not make them, and the order had been sent over to Brooklyn as a last resort. The proprietors of the factory were at their wits' end. They did not like to give up the job, but they knew nothing about silk hats. They called up their hands and asked them: Can you make silk hats ? Most of them pleaded ignor- ance, but Mr. Peck said he thought he could; he had watched the process of the English manufacturer, and believed that he could follow it. An intelligent Irish- man among the journeymen said he had seen them

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THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

made in England, and thought he could help in the matter. The two men were set at work, and in due time turned out the six dozen. This was the beginning of a large trade. The silk hat was then made on a fur body, and not on a shellacked muslin body, as now. It was very tall, the crown being sometimes 16 or 18 inches in height, and, after a time, very much bell-crowned, the top of the hat over-shadowing the brim, which was felt, and comparatively narrow. When Mr. Peck went into business for himself, he very soon began to make silk hats, and thus early achieved a fine reputation. His first styles were silk hats, made as we have described; fur hats, of thick felt, felted and bowed wholly by hand (the "former " had not then been invented); these were of two kinds: those in which the natural nap was combed out, so as to raise a short nap, which was made very smooth by combing and pressing, and those on which an artificial nap was put, of nutria or silk plush, cemented on, and giving the hat a rough appearance of raised fur, which was much admired, though now it would be regarded as horrible; and the beaver hat. After some years, Mr. Peck removed to his present location, 110 Fulton street. The business is now con- ducted mainly by his son, Mr. Isaac W. Peck. The manufactory is not large, but it is, by many years, the oldest now existing, that of Messrs. Taylor & Frost having been given up about 1860.

A hat factory was started by Theodore Murray, in Middagh street, about 1835, but was given up in 1845. The building is still standing, but is used for other purposes.

The felting process, as now practised by the use of the "former," and the subsequent scalding and shrink- ing of the felt in hot water, was not invented till 1846. Previous to that time, the fur, when picked by hand, was " bowed" or brought to its place on a conical block by the use of an elastic cord and bow, which re- sembled in shape a fiddler's bow. It was then scalded and shrunk by hand.

Between 1835 and 1850 a Mr. Cochran, a manufac- turer of furs, caps, etc., had two factories in the vicinity of Willoughby and Raymond streets, and sold hat materials, pulled fur, etc.

In 1851, Mr. John H. Prentice, who had been en- gaged in manufacturing hats on a moderate scale in New York since 1848, purchased one of Cochran's factories, at Willoughby and Raymond streets, and went largely into the manufacture of felt hats. His business was prosperous from the first, and a lucky hit in 1855, in the production of the " Wide Awake Hat," a soft felt hat, which took everywhere, enabled him to clear in that year $100,000 or more on that article alone, besides cleaning up all his refuse lots of fur. After the embarrassments which resulted from the great panic of 1857, he recovered himself speedily, but soon after sold out his business to his brother, James H. Prentice, who, a year or two after the com-

mencement of the war, found it neccessary to greatly extend his factories, in order to supply the demand for felt hats for the soldiers.

In 1870, Dr. STILES' History of Brooklyn, Vol. III., p. 586, said : "Jas. H. Prentice's factories turn out more hats than any other similar establishment in the country, and the wholesale dealers, from all parts of the United States and the British provinces, are chiefly supplied from the Brooklyn market. Twice a week auction trade sales of hats are held at the warehouse; from 300 to 1,000 cases, each containing from two to six dozen hats, being sold each sale-day, according to the demand of the trade. Mr. Prentice is entire owner of three hat factories, one of which is bounded by Willoughby, Raymond, Bolivar and Navy streets, an entire block; another is on Nostrand avenue, near Myrtle, occupying six full lots; and the third at Nor- walk, Conn., the latter being the smallest, and used only for the purpose of forming fur hat bodies. Ca- pacity of the works, 1,000 dozen hats per day, and about 1,500 operators are employed. The sales aver- age about $3,000,000 annually."

The number of felt hats was greater than that now produced in Kings county, but the value of those now made averages more than twice as much. After sev- eral vicissitudes and changes, among which was the turning of the Nostrand avenue factory into works for the production of felt skirts, coats and other goods, Mr. Prentice finally succumbed to his successive mis- fortunes. in 1880, and after his failure, the business in all his factories was abandoned.

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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 II, Part 27

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co Number of Pages: 1345

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345