USA > Ohio > Butler County > Hamilton in Butler County > The centennial anniversary of the city of Hamilton, Ohio, September 17-19, 1891 > Part 20
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Everybody appeared to ridicule the caster as a thing out of which Mar- tin could make any money and Martin was looked upon as an inventor who was foolishly wasting his time. He took his models to large hardware con- cerns in Cincinnati and these men gave him the laugh. They let him make exhibitions with his tissue paper, &c., and then said they would not have the thing as a gift ; that there never had been any demand for such a thing and never would be; that furniture casters were good enough, and that if an in- ventor had any sense he would set his wits to work to contrive cheaper ways of making the present casters instead of getting up new fangled ones that were bound to cost very much more than the old styles. Martin came home again with his models, thinking none the less of them however.
Messrs. Sohn and Rentschler had gotten out of the woods, and their shop was next door to that of Martin and they saw so much of Martin and his casters that some of Martin's enthusiasm began to rub off on theni. Messrs. Tucker & Dorsey were in contact with the hardware trade in Indianapolis and had had many close dealings with Sohn and Rentchler. Sohn and Rentchler talked to Tucker and Dorsey about the caster and finally the four joined hands and made a royalty contract with Martin. The terms of this contract, when they became known, excited more smiles than Martin's caster ever had, for that contract obligated these four men to pay Martin a big royalty on each caster and to sell a specified large number of casters per year. It look- ed like a splendid thing for Martin but it was prophesied to be the ruination of Sohn and Rentchler and Tucker and Dorsey. But the prophecy was not
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fulfilled. The caster business was started and George Helvey was employed as Superintendent He built a complete line of labor saving machinery for making these castors nicely and as cheaply as possible. But the casters did not pretend to be cheap casters. They were essentially high priced. But the trade was pushed directly to the teeth of the hardware dealers and the hardware trade became finally convinced that this caster had come to stay and that it had its place in the market. The sales were pushed to an enor- mous extent, and they continued to grow ever since and the business has made magnificent returns to everyone connected with it. Mr. Martin died soon after tlie thing got fairly started but his royalty paid all his debts and left his family a competence, and the manufacturers have done exceedingly well. The firm of Sohn, Rentschler, Tucker & Dorsey was established and began making the casters in 1877 and about 1884 the concern was incorpo- ated as the Phenix Caster Co. with the same owners. The factory is always running to its fullest extent and the two wheel casters, since copied largely, are now a staple article in the hardware market.
The Hamilton Autographic Register Co.
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N the systematic retail store, the salesman writes a bill in duplicate, which bills go through certain retail processes of settlement with the customer before the delivery of the goods. The National Autographic Reg- ister is a contrivance designed to improve upon this method. It contains several rolls of paper, and when the salesman writes the bill, upon a part of the paper exposed in the machine, several copies are produced, one of which may go to the customer, and one to the cashier, but another copy is retained on an endless roll wound up in the machine, which is locked up so the sales- man cannot get it. A true autographic record is thus kept of each transac- tion and the record cannot be tampered with by unauthorized persons. This register is controlled by the National Autographic Register Co. of New York, and, in 1887, the Hamilton Autographic Register Co. was incorporated to work the register in certain Western territory, the registers being leased to the users. The officers of the company are Chris Benninghofen, President ; Peter Benninghofen, Secretary ; George Hughes, Treasurer, and Jacob Rost, Manager. The registers are procured from the New York Co. and leased to merchants and other business men requiring their use, the Hamilton com- pany, in its territory, having canvassers employed to introduce the device and look after its operations, and sell the supplies needed for its use. Places have been found for thousands of these registers and their use calls for a great deal of roll paper properly printed and consecutively numbered and the Hamilton company, in its factory on Third Street near Black Street, is thor- oughly equipped for supplying this paper, which calls for a class of printing not within the capacity of usual printing offices. The paper is purchased in long rolls and is slitted into narrow widths and is printed by continuous pro- cesses, each bill of the series receiving a consecutive number, and the com- pleted paper is delivered in rolls ready for use in the autographic register. The company also supplies cash-carriers and parcel-carriers, the product thus comprehending a complete system of store-service apparatus.
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THE LOUIS SNYDER SONS COMPANY,
Paper Manufacturers.
LOUIS OUIS SNYDER was a Bavarian paper-maker. He came to the United
States without money and began the manufacture of paper in hand molds in Brookville, Indiana. He finally got into the general merchan- dizing business in Milford, Indiana ..
In 1854 he built the Franklin Paper Mill at Hamilton, putting in a seventy-two inch machine and making book and newspaper.
In 1868 he built an additional mill, the Fairgrove Mill on the Canal at the city limits. This mill made newspaper, having a seventy-two inch machine. In this year he took in his sons, Henry and Louis P. and Edward J. and also Mr. William Pfau, and the firm name became Louis Snyders Sons. In 1875 Louis Snyder died and the other partners bought his interest of the estate and the firm name remained unchanged. In 1880 the firm built the third mill, the Fordham Mill at Second and Mill Streets. This mill was for making book and newspaper, and its ninety inch machine was then the widest machine in this valley.
In 1886 the Franklin Mill was entirely remodeled and a new machine ninety-two inches wide was put in. The mill when remodeled produced four times as much paper on the ninety-two inch machine as had been made be- fore on the seventy-two inch machine.
In 1887 the business was incorporated as "The Louis Snyders Sons Co." with a capital of four hundred thousand dollars, with Henry Snyder as Presi- dent and Treasurer and Edward J. Snyder Secretary.
In 1891 the construction of the "fourth" mill was begun at Second and Mill Streets. This mill has not yet been christened but "Fourth" will prob. ably be its name. The new mill is for the production of sulphite of wood fiber. The daily capacity of the three mills is fifteen tons of paper and the capacity of the fourth mill seven tons of pulp. The product of these mills is marketed throughout the sections buying Western paper.
This concern has been the pioneer to the point of revolution in certain grades of paper manufacture. To make paper of old paper which had been printed upon was long a problem in the trade and the problem seemed im- possible of solution, old printed paper being looked upon as one of the waste products of the world. But the problem was solved by the chemical research and earnest experiments conducted in these mills. A small percentage of printed paper was successfully dealt with and finally the end was reached and one hundred per cent of this stock was successfully employod in making white paper.
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THE SOHNGEN MALTING COMPANY.
N 1859 Louis Sohngen started in the malting business, building a small malt house on the corner of C and Franklin Streets. The house had a capacity of ten thousand bushels. The new house was built and the capacity enlarged. In 1868 it was increased to sixty thousand bushels, in 1872 to eighty thousand bushels, and in 1875 to two hundred thousand bushels. In 1878 Louis Sohngen was succeeded by Charles Sohngen & Company, the firm being composed of Charles Sohngen and George P. Sohngen. In 1891 the business was incorporated with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. Charles Sohngen is President, George P. Sohngen Secretary and Treasurer, and Edward Sohngen has an interest.
The product of this establishment is sold throughout all portions of the country buying malt from this district. This concern also markets the product of the Hamilton Malting Company.
SCHLOSSER & CO. MALTSTERS.
ENRY SCHLOSSER came to this country in about 1849 and landed in Cincinnati with an empty pocket. He walked to Burlington, in Hamilton County, and went to work on a farm, and soon after he went into Roger's mill in Burlington and learned the miller's trade, and he finally drifted to Hamilton where he became head miller in the Bridge Mill.
In 1870, when Henry Schlosser was working in the High Street mill, there was a small malt house at the corner of Fourth and High Streets, and Henry and his brother, Jacob, bought that institution and began malting with a capacity of about thirty thousand bushels. In 1874 Jacob Schlosser retired and in 1878 important improvements were made in the malt house bringing its capacity up to one hundred thousand bushels. In 1891 still more important improvements were made, increasing the capacity to two hundred and twenty thousand bushels and the house was equipped with new machinery, and an elevator was built with a capacity of about one hundred thousand bushels. The trade is in the East, South and West. The busi. ness is conducted by Mr. Henry Schlosser and his son, Williamn Schlosser, both giving constant attention to the business. Mr. Henry Schlosser travels after the Northern trade and Mr. William Schlosser after the Southern and Eastern trade.
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GWINNER, DOWREY & CO. FURINTURE CASTERS.
M R. GWINNER had been for three years Superintendent of the Phenix Caster Co., and in 1887 he patented the Gwinner common-sense caster and during that year the firm of Gwinner, Dowery & Co. was formed, composed of L. Gwinner, T. Dowrey and W. R. Eiber, to manufacture these casters. Shop room was rented of P. Burns on Water Street, between Mar- ket and Dayton. In 1890 Mr. Gwinner patented the common-sense stove truck used by stove dealers to hold sample stoves, and in 1891 he patented the Hercules caster. A full line of the casters is manufactured, adapted for all purposes for which furniture casters are used, and they have met with a very flattering reception by the trade and the business is constantly growing. The stove trucks have been especially well received and difficulty has been found in keeping up with the orders for them. Mr. Gwinner gives personal attention to the business.
ANDERSON and SHAFFER. HAMILTON MILLS.
1854 the firm of Tanquary & Anderson built a mill at Second and Mill Streets, operated by water power. Tanquary was a miller and gave personal attention to the mill. It had a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels per day.
In 1864 this mill burned, with a loss of thirty-one thousand dollars. About 1860 Corwin & Falconer had built a mill at Water and Dayton Streets and later L D. Campbell had bought it. On the morning of Tan- quary & Anderson's fire, the firm arranged for the renting of Campbell's mill which was then called the Minnehaha Mill. It was rented and run six months by Tanquary & Anderson and was then purchased by them. But it had so run down and the water power was in such bad shape that the ca pacity was little more than thirty barrels per day. The Hamilton & Ross ville Hydraulic Company was paid sixty five hundred dollars for the privi lege of putting in an overshoot wheel to spill into the river and the mill wa: otherwise improved and the capacity brought up to about one hundred and
water fifty barrels per day. The name of the mill was changed to The Hamilton Mill.
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About 1866 William Shaffer bought out Mr. Tanquary and the firm be
ciple came William Anderson & Co. About 1880 George K. Shaffer bought ou William Shaffer and the firm became Anderson & Shaffer. About 1882 th mill was entirely remodeled, everything being torn out and new and im to two proved machinery substituted on the modern roller mill plan, and the ca 1 pacity of the mill was brought up to three hundred barrels on which it i
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where now running full. The output of this mill is shipped principally to th South.
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THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF HAMILTON, O.
SEMLER and CO. EAGLE MILLS.
SEMLER & CO.
EAGLE MILLS.
WARE HOUSE !!
OFFICE
MSFEE-CO. CIN-HAM. O.
N 1875 John and C. M. Semler, under the name of Semler & Co., built the Semler Mill on North B Street. The mill was run by water power and had a capacity of seventy-five barrels per day.
Iu 1884 the mill was burned and was a total loss.
In the same year, 1884, the mill was rebuilt upon strictly modern prin- ciples, and was operated by steam with a capacity of one hundred barrels per day. In 1890 the mill was further remodeled and its capacity increased to two hundred barrels per day.
The flour made by this mill is sold mostly in the East and in Europe, where the well known "May Flower" brand is in high repute.
Both of the owners give personal attention to the business.
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THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF HAMILTON, O.
THE HAMILTON TILE WORKS CO.
ARTISTIC HEARTH and FACING TILES.
MIR. ADOLPH METZNER, a druggist in Indianapolis, was also a talented artist and had for many years been an enthusiastic amateur in pot- tery and tile making. In his back yard he had quite an institution in the way of a pottery, with a fair sized kiln and he kept a potter or two at work. He made a little of everything that was handsome and interesting, but never to sell. He made the things because he liked it, and he and his friends used them. He probably made the first floor tiles made in this country as there were then no tile works in the United States.
He finally thought that tile making would not be a bad sort of a busi- ness and he began looking around for a location. Martin Mason, and the Reutti's of Hamilton were relatives of his and informed him that the pottery belonging to the Royal Pottery Co. in Hamilton could probably be gotten. Metzner took into partnership with him Mr. Hatt, of Indianapolis, and under the name of Metzner, Hatt & Co. they bought the Royal Pottery in Hamilton, Only the real estate and kiln was available for tile work.
They started to making tiles, or tried to, but had no luck either in mak- king good tiles or in finding a market. Hatt retired and was succceded by J. L. Bieler of Indianapolis, not an experienced tile man, and the firm name was changed to Metzner & Bieler. The concern had the same hard old luck and they soon employed Robert Minton Taylor, a practical tile man, to manage the institution and it was incorporated as the Robert Minton Taylor Ceramic Co .. Taylor however having no interest in the business. Affairs began to be still worse if possible and Taylor left. Metzner and his son Otto still pegged away trying to make tiles. There was no money to work with and things looked blue indeed. The tile making was a constant series of hard experiments and the Metzner's stood by it nobly. They would work away and get out a batch of tiles and get them in the kiln and would then skirmish around and scare up money enough to buy a load of coal and fire up the kiln and then with anxious hearts they would watch around that kiln hoping for respectable results. When the kiln was opened out would come another failure. And this thing repeated itself time and again. A less hopeful man than Metzner would have quickly given it up. But he worked along with his two sons, Otto and Max, and finally success crowned their persistent efforts and they produced enameled tiles the like of which had not been seen in this country, a splendid clay body, handsome designs, a magnificent glaze, and the true and long sought for beauty of color. They now had the tile but they had absolutely no money and no office or busi- ness help. The tiles would probably sell on sight if put before the trade but
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THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF HAMILTON, O.
there was not money enough to buy even a railroad ticket to Cincinnati But the tide seemed to have turned and they managed to live.
Dr. Wild, of Chicago, was an old army comrade of Metzner's and he bought out Mr. Beiler. Mr. Julius Bunsen of Cincinnati, a nephew of the celebrated Professor Carl Bunsen, of Heidelburg University, the inventor of the celebrated Bunsen flame, was much taken with the work of the Metzner's. He saw artistic merit in it, and further than that, he saw commercial merit in it. He joined in the business and in 1884, on petition to the Court, the name of the establishmert was changed to the Hamilton Tile Works Co. Mr. Wild became President, Mr. Metzner Vice President, Mr. Bunsen Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. Otto Metzner Superintendent.
The market for the new goods had not yet been opened and the concern saw some hard times, but the haven had been really reached and the ship finally sailed grandly in. Business went up and up until nothing remained to be desired and now the magnificent tiles of this establishment are the standard in the trade. Orders are unlimited, most .always in excess of the capacity of the factory, and the highest market prices are received, for this concern makes no low grade goods. The tiles are sold from ocean to ocean and are chosen by the most critical buyers. It would be impossible with any kind of a picture which could be here produced to exhibit the beauty of these artistic tiles. The modeled designs and the range of colors is con- stantly fresh, and a view of the work of the Metzner's is always a delight to the artist. The special merit found in the tiles made by this establishment consists in the richness of color, great range of colors, originality and beauty of modeling, superior freedom from craze of surface, and that perfection of body mixture of clays which gives extreme hardness.
KRAUTH & BENNINGHOFEN.
MANUFACTURERS OF LIGHT MACHINERY.
A LBERT KRAUTH was a workman in the Niles Works and possessed a high order of mechanical skill and, in addition to that, he possessed the talents of the ingenious constructor. About 1883 he and Chris. Benning- hofen formed a partnership under the mame of Krauth & Benninghofen and rented shop room at Fourth and Market Streets and began the manufacture of portable music stands, mechanical contrivances for the use of musicians, and adapted to fold up into small compass when not in use. Mr. Benning- hofen gave no attention to the mechanical parts of the business which was left entirely in the hands of Krauth.
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THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF HAMILTON, O.
About 1886 the new shop was built on Third Street, near Black Street, and it was thoroughly equipped with machinery and tools adapted for the manufacture of various small machines and mechanical contrivances, the intention being to do such work on contract where business concerns deemed it better policy to have their goods made than to start their own factories. A complete nickle-plating outfit was also put in. About this time the National Autographic Register was being largely introduced throughout the country and the machines were being manufactured in New York. The firm of Krauth & Benninghofen took the machine in hand and greatly im- proved its details of construction, and its methods of manufacture, and ulti- mately became the sole manufacturers for the United States of these ma- chines. They do not market the machines, but simply manufacture them for the New York Company. In addition to the autographic registers the firm also makes cash-carriers and parcel-carriers for the New York Com. pany. The shop is managed by Mr. Krauth who gives it his entire attention.
FRANK SCHANTZ. MATTRESSES, ETC.
MR.F R. FRANK SCHANTZ, quite a young man, was teaching school near Woodsdale and his home was on his father's farm. A neighbor- ing farmer had lately gotten a machine to shell corn in the husk and the husks were thrown away. Young Mr. Schantz, in nosing around Cincin- nati, ascertained that corn husks had quite a market value as a material for matresses. He thereupon began, in a small way, to speculate in husks. He finally determined that he might as well make the matresses and sell them as to sell the husks and let some one else make that profit. So he started a small mattress factory in Hamilton. He felt his way very cautiously, buying a couple of bolts of ticking at a time and making two matresses a day. Every- thing worked out nicely and in 1888 he built a large two story brick factory on the corner of Seventh and Walnnt streets and equipped it with all the latest machinery and he went into the mattress business in earnest, and has kept at it and the results are everything that he could desire. He now makes over one hundred and fifty mattresses per day, some of husks and others of excelsior, mixed fiber, and cotton. In addition he makes the tor- sion braided wire mattresses. These mattresses have special merits. In the opinion of many they are better than the best hair, being more comfortable, more cleanly, more easily handled, and harder to wear out. Hotels and hospitals use them to a great extent and they are highly commanded for their hygenic qualities. To test their strength they have been pressed flat by machinery sixty thousand times in quick succession, which is equivalent to hard use for twenty or thirty years, without the slightest apparent change.
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THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF HAMILTON, O.
J. JACOB BRONNERT. TURNED WOOD WORK.
MR. BRONN was a skilled and ingenions wood-turner from France, and in 1871 he established in Cincinnati the business of general wood-turning for the trade.
In 1891 he moved his business to Hamilton, building a new factory on Safe Avenue, South of Lincoln Avenue, where he occupies an acre of land- The factory is of brick and well adapted for the work.
The articles produced includes balusters, newels, cabinet spindles, fur- niture-stretchers, ornamental work, and turned articles generally as called for by the furniture and building trades.
Such matters as this show to what extremes specialties in manufacture have been carried. A large furniture factory may be well equipped with turning lathes and may have men skilled in their operation, but still it is - found good policy to buy turned work from establishments devoted exclus- ively to its production, the result of the policy being that finer work is secured and at lower prices.
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THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF HAMILTON, O.
CORRESPONDENCE.
A great many letters were received in response to invitations to attend the Centennial celebration most of which were not intended for pub- lication. Among the number the following have been selected for place in the Souvenir :
The following pleasant reminder of Hamilton as it was "in the fifties," written by Laura B. Palmer, will be read with interest by all whose mem- ory goes back to those days. Those who have no such recollections will be repaid for its perusal as much by the vividness and truth of the pic- ture as by the grace and feeling with which the writer touches the can- vas of memory .-- ED.
Letter of Laura B. Palmer.
ST. LOUIS, Mo., September 5, 1891.
To Thomas Millikin, Esq., Dr. Cyrus Falconer, and others, of the Historical and Literary Committee :
GENTLEMEN : The regret of my inability to attend the Centennial cel- ebration, is magnified by the knowledge, that an invitation to attend the next one, will not be extended to me.
But, "howsoever these things be," I never propose to forget that the beautiful city of Hamilton was my home from infancy to a riper age; or to suppress the sweet memories of that long ago period; and I rejoice to- day, that the recollections associated with it are as vivid now as when, a little child, I sat in wonder and rapture, for the first time, on the banks of the river, and looked on the clear, swift stream, and out on the city of that day. I can now readily recall the new, strange and novel emotions, with which I looked upon the Great Miami, singing on its way to the sea; the wonderful water-way that stretched up to Basin street; the old bridge; the hydraulic; the mills; the railway; the green slopes, and miles of corn and grain, out to the east, and south, and west and north ; and the orchards and forests that stretched away beyond the town, on every side.
The pictures and impressions of that day press upon me for recogni- tion. They are novel, and many, and picturesque. To some, they may
NOGVA
DR. CYRUS FALCONER,
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THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF HAMILTON, O.
appear commonplace, to me, they are all of absorbing interest, bristling with unforgotten memories.
[ cannot conceive how the memory of that arm of water that ex- tended up from the main stem of the great canal into the town, could ever be effaced, or how I could forget the amazement I experienced, when I looked for the first time upon the floating barges, bearing merchan- dise to and fro on its bosom. In my eyes as I now recall the memory, trade, at the head of the basin, exceeded in volume all commerce on the piers of New York, on the quays of Venice, or the water-front of Liv- erpool. But they tell me it is no more, and that o'er its bed the busy multitude surges to and fro.
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