USA > Pennsylvania > A biographical album of prominent Pennsylvanians, v. 3 > Part 19
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Mr. Goodwin had fully determined to offer his services to the government to aid in the suppression of the rebellion. The dangerous proportions of it were fully realized by him, but he was perplexed as to which arm of the service to join. To settle this matter in his mind he visited Washington for the purpose of consultation with President Lincoln. While at the White House awaiting an opportunity to see Mr. Lincoln Admiral Dupont came into the waiting-room. Recognizing him as an officer of distinction, he being in full uniform, Mr. Good- win approached him, and without ceremony introduced himself, stating that he was just from the South ; that he was waiting to see Mr. Lincoln, and that lie wanted to impress upon the President the necessity of at once sending out expe- ditions for the purpose of securing footholds on the Southern coast; that he knew from conversations he had listened to before leaving the South that the rebels dreaded a movement in that direction more than anything else that could happen. Dupont listened with more than ordinary attention and interest, and this fact settled him in the conviction that his best field of operations would be
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the navy. Accordingly he applied for a commission in that service, and was appointed Paymaster and assigned, by his own selection, to the "Bienville," which proved to be one of the swiftest and most efficient vessels in the service. The next afternoon Mr. Goodwin, having received notice of his appointment, took the train for Philadelphia for the purpose of securing the necessary bonds. As he took his seat in the car, Admiral Dupont, who had just entered, occupied the other half of it. After the train started, he turned to Mr. Goodwin and asked him if he was not the person whom he had met at the President's the day before, and with whom he had talked about the advisability of the government attempting to take the Southern ports. Mr. Goodwin replying in the affirmative, the admiral plied him with many questions until their arrival at Baltimore, where the admiral left the train. In a few days the ship was ordered to join the fleet of Admiral Dupont in the Port Royal expedition. After the battle Paymaster Goodwin was sent aboard the frigate " Wabash," where he met the admiral for the first time since the talk on the train. Dupont at once recognized him, and seemed delighted to find him an officer in his squadron. Referring to the inter- view at the White House and on the train, he told Mr. Goodwin that he had not had anything to disturb him so much, as he had just parted with the President after conferring with him and receiving his instructions for the Port Royal expe- dition. He also remarked that he had almost made up his mind, upon that occasion, that Mr. Goodwin was a rebel spy, and was on the point of having him arrested. Mr. Goodwin did not tell the admiral that he had then just been appointed to the navy, and had no idea that in a few days he would take part in the expedition under him.
From the time of the engagement at Port Royal until the close of the war the "Bienville " participated in most of the naval operations.
In the battle of Port Royal the " Bienville " led the starboard division, the old "Wabash," under Admiral Dupont, heading the port. The "Bienville," after having passed Fort Walker, and put to flight Tatnall's fleet of river boats that had come down into the harbor, was signalled to follow the movements of the flag-ship, which brought her third in line and immediately behind the frigate "Susquehanna." The fort was passed several times out and in, each time the vessels going nearer. On one of these trips Mr. Goodwin was standing beside the captain on the bridge. The frigates "Wabash " and "Susquehanna " had just passed ahead and delivered their broadsides, sweeping the parapets. The captain turned to Mr. Goodwin, and said: "Stop her, Paymaster, stop her!" thinking thereby to give the gunners a better chance for aim. Mr. Goodwin on pulling the engine bell kept hold of the handle, confident the rebels would reman their guns. In a moment more, sure enough, hardly had the order been obeyed and the " Bienville's " broadside been fired, when all the remaining guns of the fort that had not been dismounted by the fire of the fleet blazed forth their shot and shell, one shot passing so close to the captain and Mr. Goodwin that both instinctively dodged, and quick as thought came the order: "Start her,
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Paymaster, start her!" Mr. Goodwin says he does not think four bells were ever given quicker on board a man-of-war. The old ship was struck six times. Mr. Goodwin was an eye-witness of the scene where Captain Percival Drayton, commanding the United States gunboat " Pocahontas," ran his vessel right under the guns of the battery, which was commanded by his own brother, General Drayton. When this was witnessed by the fleet the men were so carried away by the scene that they momentarily left their posts, and mounting the sides of their ships gave three rousing cheers.
The " Bienville " carried to the North the news of the Port Royal expedition, returning immediately afterwards to the fleet with Mr. Goodwin on board, and participated in the capture of Fernandina and St. Augustine, and for a long time the vessel was one of the blockading squadron off Charleston. During this time she captured several valuable prizes, among them the steamers "Stettin " and " Patras." The former was discovered early one morning attempting to run into Charleston harbor by the channel inside what is known as Rattlesnake Shoal. The "Bienville" chased her out to sea, and finally overhauled her. She was loaded with a most valuable cargo of medicines, arms, silks, etc., valued at a quarter of a million of dollars. When her officers were transferred on board of the " Bienville " they were placed in charge of Mr. Goodwin to ration. To one he paid particular attention, thinking to secure valuable information about blockade-running. He was rewarded by being informed that another steamer would be due in a couple of days, and he then informed Captain (afterwards Admiral) Mullaney of the fact, and urged that efforts be made to have the ship returned to the station she had been occupying, it being the most northern one of the fleet then blockading the harbor of Charleston. This was done, and at daylight of the morning of the second day a steamer was seen going at full speed, having passed inside the " Bienville " and was well in towards the shore. It was but the work of a moment to slip the cable, and the " Bienville " was after her with the speed of a greyhound. It took but one shot from the hundred-pound rifle to bring her to, it striking so close to her bow that the water was splashed over her. As she came about and passed near the stern of the " Bienville," her captain, discovering the officer who had informed Mr. Goodwin of the expected arrival of the vessel just captured, hailed him and asked what he was doing there. Quickly came the reply : "What you will be doing in a few moments." The steamer proved to be the " Patras." Among her cargo were some two hundred thousand pounds of powder and a large number of rifles valued at upwards of a hundred thousand dollars. Both the vessels were turned into gunboats, and used in the service of the United States.
Another incident occurred while the "Bienville" was on the Charleston blockade. Among the persons captured on one of her prizes was a pilot, who in a confidential moment communicated to Mr. Goodwin that a steamer, known at that time as the " 290" and afterwards as the celebrated Confederate cruiser "Alabama," was expected at a certain group of islands, and that he had been
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solicited to act as pilot for her. He stated that he had refused, but was willing to pilot the "Bienville " to the place, and was sure that she could capture the "290" if prompt action was taken. Mr. Goodwin made a written report con- cerning the information and handed it to the captain, who said he would refer it to the admiral. Nothing was done, however; but it is a matter of history that the " 290," or "Alabama," did go to the islands, and was fitted out and pro- ceeded on her voyage of destruction to American commerce, the effect of which is felt to this day.
His vessel was afterwards transferred to Admiral Farragut's squadron, and for a long time Mr. Goodwin was stationed at Galveston, Texas, where he witnessed many exciting incidents. Prior to the battle of Mobile Bay his vessel was ordered to join the squadron off that place, and afterwards participated in that celebrated fight. While standing alongside the commanding officer on the bridge trying to observe the effect of the shot from his vessel, he saw the water suddenly thrown up in great volume around one of the ironclads. He turned to his commanding officer, who had not noticed it in the excitement, and said : "My God, there goes one of our ironclads!" The reply was: "Impossible." To which Mr. Goodwin answered: "When this fight is over you will find we are one short," which proved to be true. The ill-fated vessel was the monitor "Tecumseh," commanded by Captain Craven. Pilot Collins, who escaped from the " Tecumseh," told Mr. Goodwin, the day after the battle, that he stepped aside while in the turret in order to afford Captain Craven a chance to escape ; but true to the etiquette and discipline of the navy, that the commander shall be the last to leave his vessel, he replied : "After you, pilot." Collins instantly passed out the port-hole, and brave Craven sacrificed himself to discipline, and went down with his ship and many others of her brave crew. Matthews, who was the pilot with Farragut, and was above him in the rigging of the "Hartford," afterwards told Mr. Goodwin that, upon the sinking of the "Tecumseh," the "Brooklyn," being just behind her, stopped to avoid running over the men who had succeeded in getting out of the sinking vessel. This compelled the " Hart- ford" to stop, thus causing the vessels which followed to slow up; thereby bunching them, creating confusion, and enabling the rebels to get better aim at the ships. Farragut, as Matthews stated it, instantly called out : " Pilot, what is the matter ?" "An ironclad has been sunk by a torpedo, sir." "D-n the tor- pedo! Ring four bells to go ahead fast," was the instant order. During the bombardment of Fort Morgan, some days after, Mr. Goodwin was directed to report to the admiral on the " Hartford " (which had been so disabled in the fight just alluded to that she could not participate in the bombardment) for orders as to the disposition of the shot, shell and stores in his charge on a tugboat. The admiral calling for a marine glass, looked towards the fort, turned to Mr. Good- win, and said : "Paymaster, the enemy do not seem to be replying. You will therefore deliver your stores to the ironclad." Mr. Goodwin, saluting the admiral replied, " Aye, aye, sir," and left the "Hartford " feeling that he was
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about to lose "the number of his mess ;" but he obeyed the order, and delivered the stores to the ironclads, then about four hundred yards from the fort. After the surrender of the fort Mr. Goodwin's vessel returned to the Galveston blockade.
Mr. Goodwin, after nearly four years' service on one vessel, was ordered to the steamer " Fort Morgan," and was finally honorably discharged with the thanks of the department, after having served from 1861 to 1866, with but twenty days' leave of absence during the war.
After retiring from the service Mr. Goodwin went to the oil country and assumed charge of the celebrated "Hyde and Egbert" farm, near Petroleum Centre, on which was located the great "Maple Shade " and "Coquette" oil wells. During his management the late President Garfield, then a member of Congress, visited him and took squatter's luck in a bed over the office. Having witnessed his midnight labor, General Garfield warned Mr. Goodwin of the danger to his health from overwork, and expressed a desire to go to bed. Twenty-three years have passed since that night. The general, in the turn of fortune's wheel, became President of the United States, and fell a victim to the hand of an assassin, while Mr. Goodwin continues to labor on as assiduously as ever with all his faculties unimpaired.
In 1867 Mr. Goodwin left the oil region and entered into the gas business in Philadelphia, occupying the position of President of the Goodwin Gas Meter Company, which was founded by him. He is also President or Director of several other organizations of a kindred nature. He is a Thirty-third Degree Mason, and has filled the position of presiding officer in almost every branch of the order in both the subordinate and grand bodies. He is also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, the United Service Club and the Grand Army of the Republic, and as such was one of the fifteen members of the latter organization selected to perform the burial services of the order at General Grant's funeral. He is an ardent Republican, a member of the Union League, Manufacturers' Club, Historical and New England Societies ; and, as he states, has been engaged in earning his living for forty-five years, and still feels he is good for forty-five years more. Few men have passed through more thrilling and exciting scenes, or spent a more active life ; yet, as he puts it, " I feel a little heavy sometimes ; but I am still about as young as ever, and can get over more ground in a given time than many a younger man."
Mr. Goodwin was married in October, 1865, to Miss Edie G. Ridgway, of Burlington, N. J. They have three sons living, one having died several years ago.
H.
P. M. TEMLAST
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WILLIAN W. G.ESS. .
WILLIAM WARREN GIBBS.
W ILLIAM W. GIBBS, Vice-President of the United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia-a corporation that controls the gas production of a large number of the cities of this country-was born in the village of Hope, Warren county, N. J., March 8, 1846. His father's ancestors were among the early settlers of Rhode Island. His mother, Ellen Vanatta, was a sister of the late Hon. Jacob Vanatta, one of the leading lawyers of New Jersey, and at one time Attorney-General of that State.
Mr. Gibbs obtained what education he could in the public schools of his native village before he was fourteen years old. Upon reaching that age he procured employment as a clerk or "boy-helper" in a grain, flour and feed store in New- ark, N. J., where he remained a year and then returned to his native village, where he secured a clerkship in a general country store. Here he was employed for two years, and then went to a larger store of a similar kind at Hackettstown, N. J., where he continued for eight years, the first two years with W. L. & G. W. Johnson, and thereafter with Jacob Welsh, Jr. It was here that he first displayed the possession of the financial abilities which have made him so successful. He was seventeen when he went there ; at twenty-three he was a partner in the busi- ness with Mr. Welsh, and two years later, when his partner died and the business was wound up, he was ready to begin anew with a few thousand dollars cash capital, the result of his own unaided efforts and economy.
In 1871 Mr. Gibbs went to New York city, and, with three friends, started in the retail dry-goods business at Eighth avenue and Thirty-seventh street under the firm name of Miles, Gilman & Co. His partners failing to contribute the amount of capital they had agreed to furnish, he bought them out and conducted the establishment by himself. The business, however, was so slow, plodding and unprofitable that he soon tired of it, and at the end of two years sold out, being no better off than when he started.
He then tried the wholesale grocery business at 146 Reade street, New York. He got two partners, each having about the same capital as himself, and started under the firm name of Bauer, Gibbs & Co. With inadequate capital, however, it proved even less profitable than the dry-goods business. It was not long, under the prevailing custom of giving credit to the small retail corner grocery stores, before the bulk of the firm's assets were represented by several books filled with other people's small liabilities. It was a constant struggle to meet the firm's obligations. Mr. Gibbs at last decided to withdraw from the business, and proposed to his partners that they should call a meeting of the creditors, state the case to them, show them that two could run the business as well as three and at less expense, and agreed that, if the other two would assume his share of the liabilities, he would surrender to them his entire interest. The proposition
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was accepted, and Mr. Gibbs withdrew in 1875 practically penniless, his only capital being a first-class character for reliability and integrity.
Meantime Mr. Gibbs had been thinking of new plans whereby to make money. He read up and investigated new inventions. He studied the scientific journals, absorbing and digesting everything he came across with a view to getting hold of something at which to make a living, and to which he could devote his atten- tion. About this time he became acquainted with Mr. Ferdinand King, an inventor, who had a patent for making gas from petroleum-King's patent. Mr. Gibbs and Mr. King formed a corporation which they called the National Petro- leum Gas Company of New York. They had no capital, but they had their patent, faith in its value and Mr. Gibbs' ability, tenacity, shrewdness and untiring energy. He figured as President on the roll of officers, but he was in reality President, Secretary, Treasurer, General Manager, Solicitor, Corresponding Clerk, Travelling Agent and Board of Directors.
His first contract was to build gas-works in a small country town, introducing the company's patent process of manufacturing gas. He succeeded in interesting Amos Paul, Esq., Agent of the Swamscott Machine Company, of South New- market, New Hampshire, and through him made an arrangement to build the works for their new system. This corporation was ostensibly the contractors for the new works, but in reality they were only sub-contractors under Mr. Gibbs' company. In this way a start was made by the National Petroleum Gas Company of New York.
The work was satisfactory and the gas was good. Mr. Gibbs had less trouble after that. He worked hard and studied hard. He got to building gas-works for large manufacturing establishments, public buildings and the little towns where no gas-works were before, and establishing rival and better gas-works in larger towns that already boasted a gas supply. The whole burden of the work, the contracting, negotiating, travelling, etc., was done by himself. He did not aim too high. He made no contracts that he did not carry out exactly as he agreed. He tried to do no more than he was able. He was conservative yet energetic, and built more than one hundred works in the first seven years in all parts of the country, from Maine to California.
Four years after he withdrew from the grocery business he had accumulated $100,000. In another three years he had added thereto $150,000 more. By this time he had become thoroughly convinced of the wonderful possibilities of the business if properly organized and backed with ample capital.
His business so far had brought him to some extent in contact with the Standard Oil Company. His system of making gas involved the use of large quantities of petroleum, the purchase of which for the various works established by his company having been intrusted to him, and in this way he came to form the acquaintance of some of that great corporation's active officials and managers, and after much effort he succeeded in interesting personally Mr. W. G. Warden, who was a large stockholder in the Standard, and was the principal manager of
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the Philadelphia interests of that corporation. Mr. Warden, after careful consid- eration, became convinced that Mr. Gibbs' proposed enterprise could be made a great success. What Mr. Gibbs had succeeded in accomplishing in the seven years that he had been in the business, with no capital to start with and every- thing to learn, was tangible testimony in the case. Besides, as an earnest of his faith in the matter, Mr. Gibbs was willing to put his entire accumulations in the venture. As a result of his representations and efforts the United Gas Improve- ment Company of Philadelphia was formed in 1882, with Mr. Gibbs as General Manager and $1,000,000 cash in the treasury. Among the Philadelphians who joined in the venture with Mr. Gibbs were Messrs. W. G. Warden, Thomas Dolan, John Wanamaker, George Philler, President of the First National Bank, Henry C. Gibson, Henry Lewis, I. V. Williamson, S. A. Caldwell, H. H. Hous- ton, James A. Wright, William M. Singerly, W. J. Carter, and others. It was a strong combination, both as regards business capacity and financial responsibility. It has grown rapidly since its organization, and has paid large dividends. Its capital stock is now $5,000,000, and sells at a large premium, while the actual assets will aggregate a much larger sum. The new corporation promptly secured all the most approved methods for improving the quality and reducing the cost of producing gas ; competent engineers were secured, and a thorough business organization in every department was perfected. The company is to-day the most extensive enterprise of the kind in the United States, already owning and controlling the gas-works of nearly fifty important towns and cities, and is rapidly adding to the number and enlarging the field of its operations.
Mr. Gibbs is largely interested in several other enterprises. He is the moving and guiding spirit in a new railroad known as the Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and Boston Railroad, extending from Slatington, Pa., on the Lehigh river, to Campbell Hall, N. Y., where connection is made with the Poughkeepsie Bridge system, whose western terminus is at that point. This road is being built with a view of bringing the coal-fields of Pennsylvania in closer connection with the New England market. It will be ninety-five miles in length, and will be com- pleted early in the summer of 1889.
Mr. Gibbs also owns a large interest in the Poughkeepsie Bridge, of which he is a Director, and is one of the Trustees of the syndicate that controls the railroad in connection with the bridge extending from Campbell Hall to Hartford, Conn., and Springfield, Mass. Early in the year 1886 he undertook the construction of the great Poughkeepsie Bridge. The charter of the company was granted by the Legislature of the State of New York in 1871, and amended in 1872 so as to permit the placing of four piers in the channel not less than five hundred feet apart. The company is an independent organization, and is required to grant equal terms of accommodation, privileges and facilities to all railroad corporations that desire to use the bridge.
The construction was begun in 1873, and the corner-stone of one of the piers on Reynold's Hill in the city of Poughkeepsie was laid with appropriate cere-
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monies on the 17th of December, in that year. Further progress was interrupted by the financial troubles of the country until 1876, when the American Bridge Company of Chicago made a contract to build it, but only completed one pier, began a second and then suspended. The project was then allowed to lie dormant until 1886.
Early in the latter year Mr. Gibbs acquired all the right, title and interest in the charter and work previously done, and organized the Manhattan Bridge Building Company, subscribing and paying for its entire capital stock. This company made a contract with the Poughkeepsie Bridge Company to complete the bridge, and take what stock and bonds it was authorized to issue for the purpose in payment. A sub-contract was then made with the Union Bridge Company of New York, and the work was promptly started; but as $7,500,000 in cash at least were required to complete the bridge and connections, Mr. Gibbs set energetically to work to obtain the means. Some three months were required to complete the syndicate for the first million dollars. Among the first that Mr. Gibbs succeeded in interesting in the enterprise was Mr. Henry C. Gibson, of Philadelphia, Arthur and Horace Brock, of Lebanon, Pa., and John W. and Robert C. H. Brock, of Philadelphia. These gentlemen aided Mr. Gibbs in every possible way, and through their combined efforts the entire amount was raised and the work pushed energetically and without intermission from the day it started, and the great undertaking was accomplished in a little over two years.
After the contracts were all made, and soon after the work was well under way, Mr. Gibbs took the Presidency of the Bridge Company and remained at the head of it until the completion of the bridge, January 1, 1889. Not desiring to enter upon the practical management of the business of the bridge and the rail- roads connected therewith, and appreciating the importance of securing the ser- vices of a man for the position, who possessed a large experience and the requisite ability, Mr. Gibbs determined to retire as soon as such a man could be found. Mr. John S. Wilson, then General Freight and Traffic Manager of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad, possessed in a high degree every qualification necessary to manage the affairs of the company in the practical operation of its property, and he was offered the Presidency. He had become much impressed with the merits and importance of the enterprise, and decided to resign his position with the Penn- sylvania Railroad and accepted the post tendered him by the Poughkeepsie Bridge Company and connecting roads. The erection of the bridge is an achieve- ment worthy of a place among the great successes of American engineering. Its accomplishment is largely due to the efforts of Mr. Gibbs, who naturally takes great pride and satisfaction in this monument to his energy and perseverance.
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