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 42

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 42

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He has never been an active politician, or an office-seeker or office-holder. His early sympathies were with the Webster or old line Whigs ; since the war, he has often, though not always, voted with the Democrats.

In all the circles of trade and business, Mr. Jennings has the reputation of being an energetic, industrious, persever- ing, honest and straightforward man, of large sympathies, and of genial temper. He may be impulsive, but he is sure to be just.

810

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

Of the other silk manufacturers, only Lowenstein & Keyser make lace to any extent. They are understood to have given up the manufacture of trimming laces, though they have a stock on hand, and are importing some. Their principal product now is silk mitts. Their product does not probably exceed $150,000, and their present force of operatives is said not to be large.

Henry Soar makes hair nets, and perhaps some Not- tingham lace in a small way.

Cobley Bros. manufacture belt ribbons, and those dress trimmings which are wholly of silk. Their es- tablishment is not very large.

August Moll, J. S. Steinborn and J. Naul, manufac- ture braids and cords; Jacob Will, hat cords; William Reitmeyer, fringes and dress trimmings on a large scale; The Manchester Gimp Co., Furniture gimps. Messrs. G. L. Kelty & Co., S. McLure, and A. Maynard & Co., are manufacturers of upholstery trimmings, furniture coverings, and curtain materials, cords, gimps, tassels, fringes, etc .; McLure makes also dress-trimmings; E. Estberg, makes shade-tassels and cords. The last four are all, we helieve, doing a large business. Messrs. Kelty & Co., and McLure certainly are, but their pro- ducts for the most part belong to the class of mixed textiles, as they contain cotton, linen, worsted, woolen or jute in combination with silk. The combined statis- tics of the two classes would show about 1,350 hands, and a total out-put exceeding $1,600,000.

SUBSECTION I .- Woolen and Cotton Goods; Knit Goods.

The production of these goods in Kings county is not large. In woolen goods, we find two houses, both now defunct, James H. Prentice and W. E. Doubleday, who were formerly engaged in the manufacture of felted skirts; A. Moll, braids, whom we have already noticed under silk goods; Messrs. J. & H. Hutchinson, manu- facturers of coir and wool-bordered mats, already men- tioned under " Mats and Matting;" the Planet Carpet Mills, which mingle a very little wool with a great deal of jute, and which are already noticed under "Jute and Jute Butts;" and that mythical wool-hat factory, alluded to under "Hats and Caps." Messrs. Jennings & Sons also manufacture what they call "Pearl Lace Shawls, Nubias," etc., in fine worsted, and have introduced many new improvements and inventions in these goods.

Of "knitting works," there are 7 houses named in the directory, of which one certainly, and possibly two, arc defunct, and the others very small, except the Island City Knitting Mills in South Fifth street, E. D.

The cotton manufacture is a little larger, reporting four or five establishments, of which the Union Print Works, of Johnson and Union avenues, and Joseph T. Perkins ,cotton bagging, and possibly the Hunt Bay- ging Co., are the largest. Goodman & Mayer batting, and Louis Mayer, cotton goods, are also named. The en- tire out-put of thewoolen, cotton and knit goods manu- factures can hardly exceed $400,000.

SECTION XXXIX. Soap Manufacture.

The soap production of Brooklyn is heavy. Charles S. Higgins's is the largest. The cut on the opposite page represents his soap works. The business was started in 1842 by Wm. O. Higgins (since deceased), father of the present proprietor. Necessarily, as is the case with all new undertakings, the business was started in a very small way, and at that time the facilities in the way of machinery was very meagre. The quantity of soap then manufactured was small. The demand for soaps of Charles S. Higgins's make has steadily increased, and at the present time the fac- tory covers about 20 full city lots. The factory is sup- plied with the newest and best machinery, enabling the proprietor to produce millions of pounds of soap per year. Within the past two years the manufacture of toilet soaps have been added to the business.

The manufacturer next in rank is Thomas Gill, manufacturer of patent borax soaps, 223 to 229 Kent avenue; office, No. 14 Park place, New York. Mr. Gill, who was previously a dry goods jobber in New York, commenced making soap at No. 55 Atlantic avenue, in 1874. In 1880, he moved to Kent avenue, where a steam engine and sixteen hands now turn out 20,000 pounds per day, amounting to $250,000 a year. His indignation was early aroused by the impure ma- terial and the adulterations so largely used in many cases in the production of this household necessity, and he prides himself in using no kinds of grease but pure tallow, in any of his products, from the laundry to the finest toilet soaps.

John H. Doscher and Karl R. Kichner, corner of Raymond and Boliver streets, are extensive manufac- turers of laundry and toilet soaps, and dealers in starch, candles and sal soda. They have $115,000 cap- ital invested; employ 40 workmen at a cost of $30,000 per year, and do an annual business of $200,000. The establishment dates back to 1860.

James A. Barnett & Co., 82 Wallabout street, com- menced the manufacture of Soap in 1878. They use steam power; employ 12 hands, and turn out a produc- tion of $80,000 per year.

Brewster, Rutherford & Co., 46 Kent avenue, were entirely "too busy " to give any attention to our repeated inquiries for information.

SECTION XL. Musical Instruments.

The census statistics are: 1. Musical instruments and materials (not specified), 9 establishments; $13,500 capital; 46 hands; $20,543 wages; $56,483 materials; $102,724 annual product. 2. Musical instruments, organs and materials; 4 establishments; $7,700 capital; 8 hands; $6,139 wages; $4,237 materials; $18,076 annual product. 3. Musical instruments, pianos and materials, 11 estab-

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

811

HIGGINS' BROOKLYN SOAP WORKS.

SOAP

HIGGINS

GERMAN LAUNDRY

GERMAN

: SOAP

LAUNDRY

CHARLES S, HIGGINS' SOAP MANUFACTORY.

lishments; $195,775 capital; 124 hands; $68,984 wages; $122,810 materials; $252,983 annual product-a total for all of 178 hands, and $373,783 annual product.

The manufacture of musical instruments is a large and constantly growing interest in this city. In the manufacture and repairs of pianos, 11 firms are engaged, with an aggregate capital of $350,000; 200 hands; $12,- 000 annual wages; consuming materials worth $14,000, and turning out an annual product of $400,000. The largest manufacturer is F. G. Smith, successor, in 1867, to W. B. Bradbury, whose factory is on Raymond street, corner of Willoughby. Within the compara- tively few years since American makers commenced the manufacture of piano-fortes, a separate trade in the various different parts, such as the action, iron frames, strings, and wood-work has grown up. Piano man- ufacturers can buy these various parts cheaper and better, in general, than they can make them. Mr. Smith brings his cases from his factory in Leominster, Mass. Here they are polished and finished, the iron frame and action inserted, the strings put on and adjusted and the instrument tuned. The pull of the strings of a concert grand being equal to about 17 tons, the frames must necessarily be made solid and strong to resist it. The iron bed-plate under the strings is

screwed fast to maple plank, three or four inches in thickness, into which the tuning pins are sunk. The sounding board, of deal or spruce, is just beneath the strings in the grand and square instruments, and behind in the uprights.

The "action " consists of the keys, the felt-covered hammers which strike the strings, and a series of felt dampers which fall on the strings to stop the vibra- tions when the keys are released. These main parts are similar in all pianos. Mr. Smith has some $300,000 invested in the business and gives employment to 120 men. Besides the manufacture of instruments he also has a department for repairing.

The establishment of C. W. Held, Jr., 114 Liv- ingston street, is also well worthy of notice.

This gentleman happened to be the only one of seve- ral brothers that " took " to the occupation of the father. The special business of the father was the repairing and tuning of pianos. He was for years in the employ of the Steinways and Weber, in New York, and after- wards in the same business in this city. The son can remember his liking for the same occupation when he was a lad of only eight years, and this liking was encouraged and confirmed in after years by the father's careful and efficient instruction. He used to employ the

812

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

CHAS W. HELD'S

CHAS. W. HELD JB

PIANO

WAREROOMS

PIANO REPAIRING ESTABLISHMENT

CHAS. W. HELD'S PIANO WAREROOMS.

leisure time between school hours in assisting his father, and thus became familiar with all branches of the work while at an early age. While still in his teens he was connected with prominent establishments in the metropolis, and was depended upon to perform work not often entrusted to so young a craftsman.

In 1865, he commenced business on his own account in Brooklyn, at 163 Atlantic avenue. In 1870, his place was located on Joralemon street, upon the spot on which the Municipal Building now stands. For the past ten years he has been commodiously situated at 114 Livingston street, corner of Boerum Place. The sign is inscribed, " Chas. W. Held, Jr., Piano Tuning

Establishment." It is notable that this was the first sign of the kind ever exhibited in this city, and this still remains the only place in Brooklyn at which piano repairing is made a specialty. The concentration of his attention upon a particular line of work, a natural fitness, to which is added the valuable practical ex- perience of years of study and labor, and the enthusiasm of a man who loves his calling, have led to success. Additions to his space have been made of necessity, from time to time, to accommodate a constantly grow- ing business; and within a year the entire first floor of the building, which is double its original size, has been thrown into one room for the exhibition of pianos and organs. The Kranich and Bach pianos, for which he is agent, are especially and personally selected by him for his Brooklyn patrons. The advantage of such a selection by a conscientious expert, is too obvious to call for comment. The second and third floors are occupied as repair shops.

An enviable reputation has been acquired for this establishment, by strict attention to the old adage that " Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well." When an instrument is taken for repairs, it is never suffered to leave the shop until restored to perfect order and put in a condition to remain so for years. This is no easy task. In fact, it is more difficult to repair an instrument than manufacture a new one. A thorough knowledge of the greatly varying methods of construction in instruments made twenty years ago, or recently, is absolutely required to repair them success- fully. The strain of the wires upon modern pianos is equal to a pressure of from thirty to forty-five thou- sand pounds, or an average force of one hundred and eighty pounds to each wire. One needs little me- chanical genius to understand that the accurate adjust- ment of a net-work of wires at such a tension, is work only for a skilled hand and an able ear to detect the slightest discord. Pianos are often sent back to the makers to be repaired, but an expert is seldom found to manipulate them at the manufactories. The reason of this is found in the fact that each part of the man- ufacture has its special workers, and it is rare indeed that one is met with familiar with all of the eight or ten distinct branches, as a successful repairer must be.

Other piano manufacturers are Jacob Bros., 55 Bush- wick avenue, J. Schuladen, 133 N. 1st street, and William Wall, 656 DeKalb avenue.

Church organs are built by the following firms : Reuben Midmer, 97 Steuben street, J. M. Mandeville, 417 Atlantic avenue, Edward Hechinger, 110 Trout- man street, E. R. Lake, 529 Grand street, C. J. O' Rielly, 470 Baltic street, G. H. Whitten, 37 DeKalb avenue. The aggregate of capital is $30,000; there are 35 men em- ployed, earning $18,000, and manufacturing instruments of the value of $40,000. The work of Brooklyn organ builders ranks high, though it is not an old established industry in the city. With the exception of the metal work, the process of manufacture is carried on by each builder in his own place. The foundation, the bellows, is a large oblong box, with top, bottom and middle partition of wood, sides and ends made of leather, to be flexible. The "windways" conduct the air up to a large wind chest, into which the various pipe are set. A valve below each pipe is drawn down by the key, admitting wind into the pipe; a "lip" in an opening in the side of the pipe causes the column of air to vibrate and give a sound proportioned to the size and length of the tube. Various "stops" or mechanical arrange- ments admit the wind to the different sets of pipes, some wood, some metal. Generally at the top of the instrument is the "swell," enclosed in a box with shutters in front, which can be opened and closed at will to vary the volume of sound. Light wooden rods and wires connect the keys with their corresponding pipes.

Brooklyn also has several makers of guitars, banjos, tambourines, drums, and the smaller musical instru-

813

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

ments. One of the oldest is George Velsor & Sons, 122 Grand street, established 1852, who has 12 employees, and whose annual sales are $30,000; George Cloos, of 39 Stagg street, established 1865, has 10 em- ployees, manufactures and sells about $10,000 worth annually. Other makers are: W. R. Cornell, 251 Grand street; F. Gretsch, 379 Broadway; Hosens & Bro., 94 Grand street; H. Lawrence, 235 Ainslie street; A. L. Ludwig, 166 4th street, E. D .; R. H. Muyland and E. J. Stanley, 24 Myrtle avenue; A. Pfaendler, 683 Broad- way; E. Schoen, 93 Graham avenne; G. P. Mein, drums, 253 Fourth street, E. D., and W. Schultz, 194} Fulton street.

The 12 establishments have a capital of $20,000, employ 60 hands, earning $30,000, and manufacturing goods worth $150,000 annually.

SECTION XLI. Roofing and Roofing Materials.

The census statistics are: 29 establishments; $82,975 capital; 199 hands; $98,443 wages; $160,974 material; $447,259 annual product. This business has grown very rapidly in the past four years. There are now 60 firms manufacturing roofs and roofing material in Brooklyn. The largest number make the gravel or tarred paper, coal tar and gravel roofs; some substitute asphalt for the tar; others use cement, and others still plastic slate. Two or three firms make the last a specialty; three, and perhaps four, use tin only; three use slate, and sometimes tin; one uses a compound of asbestos. Besides these 60, there are agents of several New York houses who do business in Brooklyn. The builders of speculation houses generally prefer the gravel roofs, but they are very poor roofs, and very heavy. The leading gravel roofers are: Chas. S. Buell; Comins & Evans; Anglo- American Roofing Company; Empire Roofing Works; Long Island Improved Roof- ing Company; Brooklyn Roofing Company; David Fitzgerald; New York Roofing Company; E. M. Shute; Ellery & Garrison, 520 DeKalb avenue, roofers and manufacturers of Ellery's India Rubber Paint, established at New York in 1857, etc., etc.

The cement men are Hamilton Roofing and Cement Company, Comins & Evans.

Plastic slate, Polhemus & Matthews, Edward Van Orden & Co.

Tin and slate, John Davis, William Martin, James White, T. Vincent, E. M. Shute, etc., etc.

There are about 350 hands, and the out-put exceeds $1,000,000 in all kinds of roofs.

SECTION XLII.

Dyeing and Cleaning-Carpet Cleaning.

The census gives: 20 establishments; $23,250 capital; 48 hands; $22,349 wages; $178,667 material; $236,007 annual product. This leaves out the carpet cleaning

by machinery entirely, and gives a false impression in regard to cleaning of garments. The value of the clothing, goods or carpets to be cleaned or dyed is not a part of the manufacture, and should not be counted. There are 59 dyers, bleachers and scourers in Brooklyn, and their entire capital in their legitimate business does not amount to over $60,000, and their receipts for their work may be $200,000. They employ about 112 hands.

There are 18 carpet eleaners, of whom 6 are com- panies, using steam and machinery for cleaning. One calls itself the Open Air Carpet Cleaning Company. The rest do their carpet cleaning with a stick, and there are 50 more at least who clean carpets in the same way. The carpet cleaning companies have large establish- ments, and make money. One of these claims to have cleared over $100,000 last year. This was the New York Patent Steam Carpet Beating Company. Several clean by steam, and two use naphtha or benzine.

A. P. Stevens & Co., 247-251 Willoughby street, established 1871; capital, about $10,000; average num- ber of hands, 20; wages annually paid, about $6,000.

SECTION XLIII. Flouring and Feed Mills.

The manufacture of flouring and grist mill products has long maintained a good position here, notwithstand- ing many misfortunes, accidents and failures. It is a business conducted on very close margin, and the vary- ing price of grain and flour renders the profits some- what precarious. It is not materially increasing, either in Kings or New York county, the western flour from the immense mills of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Chicago, and St. Louis, competing so strongly with the eastern products as to make the profits very small. According to the census of 1880, the net profit in that year could not have exceeded three per cent.

The statistics of 1880 for the county were : Nine es- tablishments, employing $662,500 capital and 170 hands, paying out $98,655 wages, using $2,615,270 of raw material, and producing flour, etc., to the value of $2,806,503. New York nearly doubled these figures, her establishments numbering 15, and her product $6,267,669, with a margin of profit of about 8 per cent. net. The figures for Kings county in 1870 were: Five establishments, 138 hands, $645,000 capital, $94,000 wages, $2,475,700 annual product.

There are but two flouring mills in Brooklyn ; each does a large, prosperous business. The largest is at the foot of Fulton street, and is owned and run by the Jewell Milling Company. Theodore E. Jewell and F. E. Smith bought this mill in 1855, and operated it in partnership till the death of Mr. Jewell, in 1864, when his sons, Herbert S. and Edward M., took charge of the business, as Jewell Brothers, till 1880. At this time the present company was organized. The officers are: H. W. Slocum, President ; G. P. Sheldon, Treas-

814

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

urer ; E. M. Jewell, Secretary ; H. S. Jewell, Man- aging Director. Four large boilers furnishsteam to a 550 horse power engine, one of the finest in the State. Roller process machinery was adopted in 1880. 1,000 barrels of flour and 75,000 pounds of feed are ground every 24 hours. The working force is 65 hands, and the yearly production is about $2,000,000. The mill was burned in 1861, and again in 1864, at which latter time the present mill was built. In 1881, the engine- house was shattered by a boiler explosion, but was at once replaced with new building and new machinery. This property includes the Jewell dock, noted as the landing for summer excursion boats, and part of the Pennsylvania Annex slip. On the dock is also an elevator that handles two and one-half million bushels of grain per year.

The other flouring mill is near the foot of Broad- way, E. D., and is owned and operated by Tonjes, Moller & Co. It was built in 1869 by Tonjes, Hoeft & Co., who conducted the business till the death of Mr. Hoeft, in 1876, when Mr. Moller became a partner, and the present firm was formed.

In 1881, the mill was thoroughly refitted, including the addition of machinery for the Hungarian New Process System. A steam engine of 250 horse power, and 50 men, are the working force that manufacture 600 barrels of flour per day, which, with the feed, make an annual production of $1,250,000. This firm make a specialty of preparing flour for tropical coun- tries, and their products go largely to South America, the West Indies, &c., &c.

Marsh, White & Co., proprietors of the Manhattan Mills and Elevator, at the foot of North 5th street, do the largest mill and feed business in Brooklyn, and probably the largest in the State. They were first established in New York, and came to Brooklyn in 1874. They use steam engines of 250 horse power, which drive 5 run of stone and their grain elevator, which handles 5,000 bushels per hour. They employ 60 hands, grind 2,500 bags of feed daily, which is less than one-quarter of what passes through their establish- ment to their customers each 24 hours, the total product of their annual business being over $3,000,000.

The other members of the firm are John H. Fort and George T. Bowler. They own 800 feet of water front on the East river.

The extensive elevator, mills, and feed establishment of S. W. Bowne, on Gowanus canal, near Hamilton avenue, originated with S. W. Bowne & Co. in 1867. At first they made hay and straw, leading articles, but since the completion of the mills and elevator, Indian meal, feed, and oats have come to the front. To drive the elevator and three run of stone, 100 horse power of steam is required. Twenty-five (25) hands are em- ployed, and 500 bags of meal are ground daily. The sales for the past year have been $750,000. In the spring of 1883, William Bowne retired from the firm,

leaving his brother, S. W. Bowne, sole proprietor. Mr. Bowne owns 250 feet frontage on the canal, on which he is constantly building and adding improvements.

There are in Brooklyn several mills that grind corn and the coarse grains for meal and feed. The Walla- bout Mills and Elevators, at the foot of Taylor street, are among the foremost. They were established by John A. Byers, the present proprietor, in 1872. An engine of 225-horse power and 50 men are kept in con- stant employment, and the business is extensive.

Shaw & Truesdell have a similar establishment on Second street and Gowanus canal. It was built by Mr. Shaw in 1881, and run by Sergeant & Shaw till May 1, 1883, when Mr. Sergeant was succeeded by Mr. Truesdell. Sufficient steam power to operate 3 run of stone and the elevators, and a force of 20 hands, are the executive agencies of a business that, though but three years old, aggregates a half million dollars per year.

D. D. Mangum, at the foot of Degraw street, started, in 1872, a mill for grinding corn for family use and for horse feed. He has 4 run of stone, em- ploys 20 hands, making 30,000 pounds of corn meal per day ; annual products, $125,000. His specialty is grinding feed for street railroad horses.

SECTION XLIV. Brooms, Brushes, etc.

The census statistics are: 33 establishments; $69,375 capital; 210 hands; $59,372 wages; $96,074 material $207,792 annual product. The directory gives 13 broom-makers, and 35 brush-makers, of whom one makes only brush backs.

SECTION XLV. Mats, Matting and Rugs.

The census of 1880 reports, in Brooklyn, 7 establish- ments for the manufacture of Mats and Matting, with $193,650 capital, 265 hands (297 as the largest number employed at one time), $116,029 paid as wages, using material valued at $203,427, and producing $385,340 annually.

The Business Directory for 1882 reported 14 distinct firms, and that for 1883 reported 12 firms, not includ- ing, in either case, a manufacturer of wood matting.

Neither report was, probably, quite correct; though, in regard to the number of establishments, the directory was nearer right than the census; and the census was also wrong in its other statistics.

Mats, matting and rugs may be of various material, and the material of which they are composed settles the question whether they are imported or manufac- tured here. The mats and rugs of sheep skin, Angora goat skin, or skins of other animals, which used to be entirely imported, are now mostly manufactured here. Chinese and Japanese matting, which is made from

815

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

a grass or straw found in those countries, is always, if of good quality, an imported article. The cheap labor of those countries gives them the advantage in articles where labor is the great item in the pro- duction.

But the mats and matting and the door-mats of coir, cocoa fibre, agave, Sisal and Tampico, though a few of them were formerly imported, are now made entirely here, though of imported material. This branch of manufacture is carried on very extensively in Kings county, the largest manufacturer of it in the United States being found here.

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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 42

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