Worcester City (part 2 of 58)

In 1870 the business had grown to such proportions that it was necessary to have more room, and the company, in October of that year, moved to what was known as the Junction shop, where the business has continued till the present time, and preparations are being made for the erection of a much larger factory, in order that proper facilities may be secured for the rapidly increasing demands of the business.

In 1884 Mr. L. .1. Knowles died very suddenly, in Washington, and the business was conducted by the j surviving brother, Mr. F. B. Knowles, until the 1st of January, 1885, when a stock company was formed under the name of the Knowles Loom Works, with Mr. F. B. Knowles as president, which has continued the business under the same general management. In 1885 the company brought out a very heavy loom of thirty harrfess capacity for weaving worsted goods, which has been very largely introduced. Of this loom they have built and delivered the largest single order for heavy woolen looms ever given in this country, namely - two hundred and four looms tor the Riverside and Oswego Mill.s, of Providence, R. I.

The old hoop-skirt loom has gradually developed into a loom for silk ribbons, suspendei"s, bindings and all kinds of narrow goods, with great success.

AVithin a few years the company has iierfected and put upon the market looms for weaving flannels, dressgoods, fancy cottons, etc., and large numbers of them have been put into the best mills.

of silk goods, plain or fancy; also coverings for upholstery work, porti6res, draperies, etc., for silk ve^ vets, mohairs and silk plushes; and have probably made the widest looms for fly shuttles ever made, having a reed space of two hundred aud thirty-six inches.

They have also introduced, within a few years, a power-loom for ingrain carpets, many of which are now running in the best carpet-mills in the country, and are giving perfect satisfaction.

The value of the Knowles loom has also been recognized in Europe, and elsewhere, where it is being largely introduced by Mesais. Hutchinson, Hollingsworth & Co., of Dobcross, England, who are building them in large numbers and already have .several thousands of them in successful operation.

The Gilbert Loom Company, Charles W. Gilbert, proprietor, was established in 1866, and is situated at 186 Union and 33 North Foster Streets, Worcester. They employ about fifty hands, using steam-power from a ninety horse-power engine, and are building looms and machinery as follows :

Looms for the weaving of tapestry, Brussels and velvet carpets, mohair and cotton plushes, fancy woolen (twenty-four harness, four drop boxes) for woolen and worsted goods. Fancy cotton looms, gingham looms, coach lace looms, satinet flannel, blanket, jean and cassimere looms, gunny cloth and pine fibre looms, tai)e and narrow wire looms for No. 20 and finer wine, cam looms lor chairs and car-seats, heavy looms for cotton duck and belting, needle looms for wipers and sugar strainers ; and, in addition to looms, they also build yarn-printing drums and belting frames for tapestry and velvet carpets, cop winders for jute, wool, linens and cotton, yarn spoolers, mill shafting, gear cutters and harness frames ; they are also designers and builders of looms for new and special purposes.

In 1859 Fox & Rice manufactured fancy cassimeres on the stream at the junction of Green and Water Streets, employing two hundred hands and manufacturing fifty thousand yards of cloth monthly. Daniel Tainter, at the same time, employed thirty hands in Union Street in the manufacture of wool-carding machines and jacks.

The business now conducted by the Cleveland Machine Works Company, the well-known builders of woolen machinery, located at 54 Jackson Street, was established in January, 1860, by Mr. E. C. Cleveland, who commenced the manufacture of woolen machinety in Central Street in what was then known as Armsby's building. He manufactured cloth dryers.

hydro-extractors, clolh-brushiug machines, jacks, presses, fulling-mills and wash-mills, and continued in this business until early in 1863, when, in addition to the above-named machines, he built the first set of the well-known Cleveland cards, which are used for converting wool into roving previous to spinning, These cards were sold to Messrs. Howe & Jefferson, of Jeffersonville, and are now running in the mill of the Jefferson Manufacturing Company, and doing good work after twenty-six years of service.

About this time the late John C. Mason and Mr. J. M. Bassett were admitted to the firm. They, after several years, withdrew, and Mr. Cleveland continued the business until his death, which occurred April 28, 1871. Since the building of the first set of cards hundreds of sets, with improvements from time to time, have been built, and are now in successful o))- eration in first-class mills.

Since the death of Mr. Cleveland the firm has been managed by Mr. S. W. Goddard, who has introduced many new machines and many improvements in the machines made previously. They now manufacture about fifty machines for difterent uses in woolen mills, making a specialty of all kinds of cards for wool, worsted, felt and shoddy; also twisting, roving, spooling, picking, drying and cloth finishing machinery. The product is sold throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In February, 18li3, the late Hon. Isaac Davis sold the lower Junction shop, built by Eli Thayer in 1854 for gun work, and used iu 1801 for soldiers' barracks with twelve acres of land, to Jordan, Marsh & Co., of Boston, who intended to convert it into a woolenmill, with sixteen sets of machinery, making it one of the largest woolen-mills in the State. This shop was first known as the South Junction shop ; later, as the Pistol Shop Barracks and Adriatic Mills. Jordan & Marsh made extensive improvements. The main building was four hundred feet long, forty feet wide and two stories high. The second floor was devoted to carding and spinning, and was arranged for twelve sets of cards and twenty packs of four thousand eight hundred spindles. The first floor was for finishing and weaving ; the weaving all to be done by looms made by George Crompton, of Worcester. The main belt was one hundred and fourteen feet long, and thirty inches wide, double throughout, and made at the shop nf Graton & Knight in Front Street. Particular attention was called to this, as showing that the equipment of a woolen factory could be procured in Worcester ; the cards, jacks, dryers, dressers, extractors, hydraulic presses, etc., were furnished by the Cleveland Company.

This mill is now owned by the Worcester Woolen Company, incorporated in 1881. The building is now five hundred and eighty-two feet long, forty-two wide, two wings - one seventy-two by sixty, the other ninety by fifty-six. The number of the hands, at the beginning two hundred, is now two hundred and thirty. They have thirteen sets of cards, fifty-eight broad and two narrow looms, and twenty Bancroft operators. They make fine woolens, cassimeres and suitings, and produce from five thousand to eight thousand yards per week, the annual sales amounting to six hundred thousand dollars. The present proprietors, the Messrs. Legg, came from Rhode Island. March, 1881, James Legg, Jr., became the owner of the mill, and it was run under the name of James Legg, Jr., & Co., until July, 1881, when the present firm, James & John Legg, succeeded.

The Alma Woolen-Mills, in Green Street, employ two hundred hands iu the manufacture of fancy -cassimeres and suitings, running fifty-nine looms and eight sets of cards with attendant machinery.

In 1868-69 experiments looking towards making the jacks self-operating were going on in several parts of the country, and were being conducted in the shop of Cleveland & Bassett, in Worcester, by Edward Wright.

The failure of Cleveland & Bassett in the tall of 1869 brought Mr. Wright's experiments in their works to an end, but he arranged to goon with Johnson & Co., jack builders, and July 1, 1870, the copartnership was formed between Johnson & Bassett. The first self-oper;,ting attachment for jacks of their make was put at work in the mill of John Chase & Sons, at Webster, in 1870, since which time Johnson & Bassett have built up an extensive business in the manufacture and sale of self operating heads for application to hand-jacks, self-operating jacks complete with heads, and self-operating mules. The business was located in the Merrifiekl Buildings, 180 Union Street, until October 1, 1886, when it was removed to Mr. Bassett's new building, corner of Foster and Bridge Streets.

The Crompton Carpet Company was organized in 1870 by George Crompton, who, with the superintendent, Horace Wyuian, invented and patented a loom for weaving Brussels carpets by power, there being at that time no power loom for that purpose, excei)t the Bigelow loom and two makes of English looms, the right to use which could not be obtained in this country. The manufacture of Brussels carpets, therefore, was confined to the Bigelow Company at Clinton, and the greater part of the carpets used iu the United Slates was imported from England, and a high price was consequently maintained. Mr. Crompton associated with himself in the enterprise Dr. Joseph Sargent, William Cross, Horace Wyman, W. W. Rice, William H. Jourdan and Calvin Foster - George Crompton being president of the company ; William Cross, treasurer; Joseph Sargent, Jr., agent, and M. J. Whitall, superintendent. After the death of Mr. Cross, Joseph Sargent, Jr., was elected treasurer.

They commenced operations with sixteen looms of Crompton make. The factory was located in South Worcester and was a two-story building, French roof, 115x60, run by water-power, the amount being estimatedatonehuiidred horse-power. In 1871adye-house was added to the mill (which stood near the site of the old White & Boyden mill, burned August, 18(i3, and referred to previously). This enterprise was the beginning of the general manufacture of Brussels carpets in this country. Other companies were soon formed, the restrictions were removed from the sale of the English-made looms, and, in consequence, the price of carpets rapidly declined from three dollars per yard in 1870 to one dollar per yard in 1879-

The company started with one hundred and fifty thousand dollars capital, and, before their operations ceased, had increased the number of their looms from sixteen to thirty-six, and continued until 1870, when the machinery was sold to W. J. Hogg, Sr., of Philadelphia, and later the building containing the carpet machinery was leased to Mr. Hogg.

The Packachoag Worsted and Yarn-Mill wa-s built and owned by Mr. George Crompton. This mill was near the Crompton Carpet Company, and was managed by Joseph Sargent, Jr. In the yarn-mill they started with twenty-four spinning frames and accompanying machinery; later, Mr. Crompton built another yarnmill adjoining the first. The first Packachoag Mill was burned in 1884; loss, one hundred and eighty-one thousand two hundred and seventy-five dollars. After the fire Mr. Crompton sold the land and the ruins of the Packachoag Mill in part to Mr. JI. J. Whittall and in part to William James Hogg, Jr.

Mr. Whittall, who was superintendent of the Crompton Carpet-Mill from the commencement of business, was from Stourport, England, where he was manager of the Severn Valley Carpet Works of Faw cett & Spurway. In 1879 Mr. Whittall returned to England, and while there purchased eight Crossley Carpet Looms. He brought these to this country, and began to operate them in a building leased of the Wicks Manufacturing Company. In 1882 another story was added, and Mr. Whittall added eight more carpet-looms; but business increasing, more room was needed, and he determined to erect a building for himself; and in 1883 bought of Mr. Crompton a piece of land facing Mr. Crompton's original carpet-mill, and erected a building one hundred and seventy-five by sixty feet, two stories in height. This mill was finished during that year, and the machinery from the Wicks building, together with fourteen new carpet-looms, was put into operation. In 1884 an extension was added, together with twelve looms, making forty-two in all.

It will be recollected that Mr. Whittall had purchased part of the land and all of the buildings that remained of the Packachoag Mill property, and on this spot he erected another carpet-mill, and also repaired the old yarn-mill, engine-house, etc. In this new mill he had seventeen new looms, making fifty-nine carpet-looms in use in his business. He manufactures six-frame and five-frame Wilton and body Brussels carpets, and employs about three hundred and twenty hands.

In 1884 Mr. Hogg built a yarn-mill on part of the land he had purchased of Mr. Crompton, on the site of the first Packachoag Spinning-Mill, and has continued to run it up to the present time. This building was one hundred by sixty feet. The last mill built has seventeen looms', making in both of his mills fifty-three looms, which he runs at the present time, employing about three hundred and twenty hands.

Mr. Whittall is the largest individual manufacturer of Wilton and Brussels carpets in the United States. Mr. W. .1. Hogg is the second largest.

The manufacture of thread has been conducted in Worcester for over twenty years. This is a most favorable place for this industry, because of the excellent shipping facilities, and the fact that the Worcester Bleach & Dye Works - one of the best dyehouses in the country - is located here.

Thread was first manufactured in Worcester in 18().5. The business was discontinued from 187ii till 1881, since which time it hag been a rapidly-growing industry. The Glasgo Thread Company, so called by reason of the fact that this company controls a spinning-mill at Glasgo, Conn., was incorporated in March, 188.3, and for a time the business was conducted in Foster Street, in the building of Charles Baker. In 188o the company removed to Beacon Street, where it is now located. The average daily production, at the present time, is four thousand dozen of two hundred yards.

The process of manufacture is most interesting, and con.sists in carding cotton until the fibres lie parallel lo each other ; the loose rolls are then taken to the drawing-machine, which consists of a series of rolls, each set revolving faster than the preceding, which reduces the strand to the required degree of fineness. The strands are repeatedly united and reduced. This process is called "doubling," and ensures a uniform, strong and perfect product.

The united threads, which are called " slivers," are then spun into a single thread on a mule. After being dyed the skeins are subjected to the operation of drying, and are then put upon spools for finishing by saturating with sizing, and then passing over rapidly revolving brushes.

Important improvements have been made in thread machinery since the introduction of its manufacture in this city ; the most important is the automatic winder, with which the operator can wind from two to four times as much, and with less exertion, than he could formerly do by hand. The automatic machine is set to wind any number of yards the operator may desire.

troduce fine Sea Island thread upon pound spools. Formerly only the small spools were used, but now almost any size may be found, from two hundred to thirty thousand yards, which hasled to a considerable saving to the consumer. The greater part of the thread used by the manufacturing trade is put up on large spools holding from six thousand to thirty thousand yards.

The Ruddy Thread Company, manufacturers of all grades of cotton thread - principally for the manufacturing trade, sewing-machines, corset-works and shoe manufactories, was established in 1887, and is located at 7.5 Central Street, under the management of Mr. Eobert Ruddy.

C. H. Hutchins & Co., 2 Allen Court, established in 1876, manufacture elastic and non-elastic webs for suspenders and stocking-supporters, also spool tapes, used by cotton and woolen manufacturers to tie up their goods.' The material used is cotton and rubber, the rubber being woven in process of manufacture. The looms are the Knowles fancy loom, one of which will weave twenty-five hundred yards per day.

The L. D. Thayer Manufacturing Company, in the building formerly occupied by Ethan Allen. Established in 1878, and miniifactures tapes, bindings, galloons and webbings, and operates sixty-eight looms.

A. G. Hildreth, in Stevens' Block, manufactures overalls, pants, shirts, butchers' frocks, etc., employs forty-five hands, using sixteen sewing-machines. In 1887 three hundred and twenty-five thous.and yards of cloth were cut up, and in 1888 five hundred thousand yards.

The Worcester Felting Company, in Foster Street, do a large business in the manufacture of linings, upholstery, saddlery felts, petershams, rubber-boot and shoe linings and trimming felts.

Among the smaller manufactures connected with textile fabrics, but none the less important, may be mentioned the improved loom-reeds, manufactured by M. Place & Co., whose business was originally established by Silas Dinsmore in 1840.

William H. Brown, 81 Mechanic Street, manufactures a number of ingenious tools for the use of carders. This business was established in 1855.

In 1876, Mr. B. S. Roy, now located at 75 Beacon Street, began the manufacture of card-grinders, for grinding card-clothing, all his machines being of his own invention. Mr. Roy was formerly superintendent in a cotton-mill, and, recognizing the necessity of a belter method for grinding the card-clothing, engaged in his present business. The old method of grinding cards was by spreading emery on a board, which was rubbed back and forth over the ends of the wires, thus sharpening the teeth. This process was called by the English "strapping" or " strickling " the cards.

The next improvement was the construction of a machine, with a cylinder covered with emery, but with no traverse wheel. This method of grinding teeth made them uneven. In Mr. Roy's improvement, the traverse wheel runs with an endless chain back and forth on the cylinder over the teeth of the card with a rotary motion. These machines are sold in this country, South America, Mexico, Canada, England and Ireland.

Chapter Cxciv Manufacturing And Mechanical Industries

Foundries. - Mr. William A. Wheeler was one of the oldest iron founders in the State, having begun in 1812; he moved from Hardwick to Brookfield, and from the latter place came to Worcester in 1823 and established a blacksmith's business at the corner of Thomas and Union Streets. Among other pieces of work he made the doors of the Court-House in Worcester. This blacksmith's shop was on the site of the foundry. In 1825 Mr. Wheeler, in company with George T. Rice, H. W. Miller and A. D. Foster, under the name of William A. Wheeler & Co., made all kinds of castings, fire-proof book-cases and doors. To run a fan for his cupola-furnace, Mr. Wheeler had the first steam-engine, or one of the first ever operated in Worcester. In 1826 the business passed under the control of the Worcester & Brookfield Iron Foundry, which had furnaces in both places.

Daniel Heywood & Co. furnished at this time all kinds of castings. The demand appears to have been considerable, for in 1827 Washburn & Goddard received orders for machine castings made at Stafford, Conn.

In 1828 Sumner Smith (Worcester Iron Foundry) put a furnace in blast near the paper-mill of Elijah Burbank, at Quinsigamond, and had for sale every description of iron castings, cast-iron plows, stoves, cauldron kettles, hollow-ware, oven frames. Darby's patent wheel-boxes. In 1833 the Worcester Iron Foundry removed from Quinsigamond to the first mill privilege north of Main Street, one mile from

In 1881 or 1832 Mr. Wheeler returned to Worcester and reorganized his shop, abandoned the steam-engine which he had previously put in, and substituted horse-power, and continued to do a constantly increasing business until the foundry was enlarged, about 1840, when another steam-engine was added and a machine shop attached. The castings were made for the iron-workers and tool-makers in the city, and comprised castings for "heavy gearing, besides a variety of other work, including heavy sheetiron work, fire-proof safes, mill-irons, water-wheel irons, cages, coupling-boxes, plow-castings, patent ovens, ash-holes, boiler-doors and pipe-boxes; factory shafting was also turned.

About the time his machine-shop was started Mr. Wheeler procured an iron planer, to be run by hand. This was the first iron planer in Worcester, or in the State. It would weigh about one hundred and fifty pounds, and was three and one-half feet high. The bed was four feet long and twenty inches wide.

Mr. Wheeler designed the first Iwring-machine in Woree.ster, and in 1838 got out patterns for cookstoves, box-stoves for heating, and manufactured them, and in 1842 invented a furnace for heating buildings with wood or coal.

When Mr. Wheeler commenced business he made five hundred or six hundred pounds of castings per day, and increased until his daily production was ten tons. He began with three or four men, and in the height of his prosperity employed two hundred.

In 1852 Mr. Wheeler's son (Charles) became interested in the business at Thomas Street, and when AVilliam A. Wheeler died, in 1873, it passed into the hands of William F. Wheeler, and finally to the Wheeler Foundry Company, which remained at the old location for a time, and then moved to 138 Mechanic Street, where the business has been located for seventeen years, employing about ninety men, largely in making castings for wire and rolling-mill machinery and for general purposes.

In 1843 the Washington Square Iron and Brass Foundry, built by A. A. Trask, was operated by S. Trask & Co. in the manufacture of cauldron-kettles, stoves, oven-doors, ash-pits, etc., and in 1843 a new foundry was built near the Boston and Worcester Railroad by Henry P. Howe, and was occupied by George Goodnow in the manufacture of iron, copper, brass and composition castings.

In 1847 Oliver K. Earle built a foundry on the corner of Canal and Foundry Streets. He sold out to A. B. Chaffee in 1848, who took Jason Chapin into company the same year. They started in business to supply Howe & Goddard with their brass castings. In 1852 Chapin purchased Chaffee's interest, and in 1853 built a shop in Manchester Street, where he continued until 1859, when he built the shop in Summer Street, where he continued until 1887, when he sold out to Mr. L. H. Wells.

In August, 1850, McFarland & Bisco, of Leiceoter, started in the malleable iron business, which was continued in 1851 by Wood, McFarland & Co. They occupied the building known as the Arcade, formerly known as "The Old Brewery," near the Western depot. Here, with one air furnace and two small annealing furnaces, they commenced the making of malleable castings for guns, carriages, harness buckles, wrenches and parts of cotton and woolen machinery, previously made of wrought iron. At this time there was but one other malleable iron foundry in the State, which was located at Easton. The process of malleable iron founding is different from that of ordinary casting. The purpose to which the product is applied requires a greater degree of tensile strength and tenacity in the materials and a closer attention to all the details. Instead of placing the coal and pig-iron in the furnace together, the pig-iron is thrown into what is called the air furnace by itself and subjected to an intense heat; it is then drawn out and poured into moulds, in which state the metal is very hard and brittle ; it is then packed in an annealing furnace ^nd subjected to strong heat for about nine days and nightn, when the furnaces are opened and the pots cooled ; the iron is then unpacked and cleaned ready for delivery, when it has both fineness of grain and great toughness.

The old firm of Wood, McFarland & Co. remained in business but a short time ; their interest was taken by Warren McFarland, who continued with a silent partner until 1877, when he became the sole owner.

In 1880 Mr. George B. Buckingham, who had been connected with Mr. McFarland since 1873, took charge of the works, Mr. McFarland remaining connected with it till his death, in 1884.

In December, 1886, Mr. Buckingham purchased the property of the Worcester Malleable Iron Foundry, that being the second known by this name, which had been run about three years, and has since been run as the Worcester Malleable Iron Works, giving the two plants, now under one management, a capacity of three air furnaces and nine annealing furnaces.

The line of goods now made includes different parts of agricultural implements, guns, pistols, sew-, ing-machines, cotton and woolen machinery, in fact, all parts of machines or tools where strength and lightness are combined. The use of malleable iron and steel castings, which are now made by the above

The second malleable iron foundry, known as the Worcester Malleable Iron Foundry, was started in Manchester Street, by Waite, Chadsey & Co., in 1852.

In 1857 Oliver K. Earle, who had previously been in the lumber business, was admitted into partnership with Fitch & Jones, who continued business at the Union Street Foundry (present site of Eice, Barton & Fales) and also at the Junction Foundry in Southbridge Street. After Mr. Earle's death, Willard Jones, Wood & Light, Richardson, Merriam & Co. succeeded ; it was then taken by Mr. Otis Warren, the present proprietor, who has controlled it for the last fourteen years. The first work done at this foundry was the manufacture of the iron-work for the front of Foster's Block, at the corner of Main and Pearl Streets.

Caleb & J. A. Colvin commenced the foundry business at Danielsonville, Conn., in 1863, where they manufactured stoves and machinery castings. In 1865 Caleb sold his interest to his brother and moved to Worcester, where he bought and built his plant in Gold Street.

The business increasing, J. A. Colvin moved to AVorcester, and a new partnership was formed, which continued until 1880, when J. A. Colvin built his present foundry in Jackson Street. His principal work is for the loom companies, and largely for the Knowles Loom Works. He employs about ninety hands.

Since 1880 Mr. Caleb Colvin has more than doubled his capacity for doing work. He employs ninety hands, and has a capacity of three hundred tons per month, almost entirely used in the city, and largely by the makers of woolen machinery, machinists' tools and wood-working machinery.

Heald & Brittan built on Foundry Street about 1866, and made iron castings. They removed from there to Thomas Street Foundry, when the Wheeler Foundry Company moved to Mechanic Street. This foundry afterwards came into the possession of the Holyoke Machine Company.

L. H. Wells and Herbert M. Rite began business January 1, 1867, in North Foster Street. Mr. Wells learned his trade of Jason Chapin, and was subsequently foreman of the late George Crompton's foundry, in Green Street. Mr. Wells purchased Mr. Rice's interest in September, 1869, and in 1877 invented his bronze metal, largely and successfully used for bearings. By the use of chemicals the oxidation of the tin, one of the ingredients, is prevented ; themetal is ten per cent, denser than the ordinary bronze, and of a very firm, tough structure. In 1887 Mr. Wells purchased the Chapin Foundry in Summer Street, to which he has removed. Mr. Wells has the largest set of furnaces in the city ; his castings are cleaned by power in a large water rumble, a hollow cylinder, which makes ninety revolutions per minute, and emery wheels are used for smoothing the castings.

The process of casting is simple, and consists of melting the metal in crucibles, which are made of plumbago, and then turning the molten metal into moulds. When taken out they are cleaned and finished.

Prespey Pero, located in Hermon Street, manufactures machinery and tool castings, and makes a specialty of light castings; was established in 1877. His business has grown from employing three or four men until he now employs forty-five.

The Star Foundry was established in 1880 by George Crompton, and started with forty men. Double that number are now employed on all kinds of work, including steam-engines, machinists' tools and castings for building purposes, although the principal product is loom castings for the Crompton Loom Works.

Luther Shaw & Son do a business in brass casting, and manufacture Babbitt metal and solder, also all kinds of brass composition, zinc, lead and white metal ca.stings. They also make gong-bells, faucets and copper castings. Their product is sold throughout New England, and some of it in New York State, but the bulk of it is used in this city and county. The metals used are principally copper, tin and antimony.

Arnold & Pierce, at the Hammond Street Foundry, established in 1882, began with six men, and now employ twenty-two. They manufacture castings for the makers of machinists' tools.

The firm of A. Kabley & Co., composed of A. Kabley, Alonzo Wbitcomb and F. E. Reed, located at 57 Gold Street, started with fifteen men, and now employ fortj'. They supply all the castings for the machinists' tools of F. E. Reed and Alonzo Whitcomb & Co., besides some general work.

Machinists' Tools. - The manufacture of machinists' tools has, for many years, had a most prominent place among the industries of Worcester. To Samuel Flagg, or, as he was more familiarly known, "Uncle Sammy Flagg," belongs the distinction of having first engaged in this business in Worcester, whither he came, from West Boylston, in 1839, to secure better facilities and to save cartage of castings which he used in his machine-shop in West Boylston, where he built tools and cotton machinery from patterns made by William A. Wheeler. He made a turning-lathe, which was the first one Mr. Wheeler had when he started his machine-shop. The ways and frame of his machine were of wood, the head and tail-box of iron.

Mr: Flagg hired room and power of Samuel Davis, the lessee of Court Mills, and there made band and engine lathes. He had no planer when he commenced, and at this time the planing of iron was looked upon as a remarkable accomplishment. The work was done by hand-chipping and filing, which was of necessity tedious and unsatisfactory.

The old Court Mills, located on Mill Brook, at the junction of Lincoln Square and what is now Union Street, was the cradle of the machinists' tools industry in Worcester, as it was of many others.

Mr. Flagg started with eight or ten men, and every one thought that he was visionary to expect to keep them occupied in building machinists' tools. He was the first man in Worcester to use a planer in this business. He commenced in Court Mills. Euggles, Nourse & Mason, and Thomas Daniels, the inventor of the Daniels planer, were also tenants. Deacon Kichard Ball was at this time Mr. Daniels' foreman. In 1845 Thomson, Skinner & Co. succeeded to Mr- Flagg's business. They moved to Merrifield's building, and, shortly before the fire of 1854, were absorbed by the New Haven Manufacturing Company, and removed from the city. Mr. Flagg continued without a competitor until Pierson Cowie started in the old Red Mill, the present location of the Crompton Loom Works. From there he removed to the then new building of Howe & Goddard, now Rice, Barton & Fales, in Foster Street, and thence into the building where W. T. Merrifield's engine is now located.

In 1845 or 1846, Cowie made six iron-planing machines which were driven with a common log chain passing over a drum at each end of the machine. This arrangement was, in a few years, superseded by a rack and gears.

He was succeeded in 1845 or 1846 by Woodburn, Light & Co., who, in 1861, moved to Estabrook's new building at the Junction, built by Charles Wood and Col. James Estabrook. Later the firm became Wood, Light & Co., and, in 1870, built the shop now occupied by Mclver Brothers, where they at one time did a very flourishing business, and had the best equipped shop in New England, employing one hundred and seventy-five men. They introduced greatly improved methods for turning shafting, increasing the amount from forty or fifty feet per day to three hundred feet. They' also invented and manufactured bolt-cutting machines, the best then known.

The building of railroads created an increased demand for machinists' tools, and in 1845, Samuel C. Coombs, a machinist in the employ of Phelps & Bickford, in company with R. R. Shepard and Martin Lathe, a wood-worker, in the same shop, formed a co-partnership under the style of S. C. Coombs & Co- They started in the Court Mills, then moved to Dr. Heywood's shop. Before they moved C. Wheelock was taken into partnership. From the Heywood shop, in Central Street, now used by the Harrington Brothers as a paint shop, they removed to the Estabrook shop, where they occupied room in the northern end of the building, where their successors, the Lathe & Morse Tool Co., continued until they moved to their own building, in Gold Street, where they are now located. Their business from the start has been the manufacture of lathes and planers. They emplov on an average about fifty hands, and their product goes all over the world.

The first exhibit of machinists' tools was made by S. C. Coombs & Co., at the Mechanics' Exhibition held in September, 1851. The first exhibition of the Mechanics' Association was held in the City Hall, Tuesday, September 26, 1848, and the circular announcing it was signed by William B. Fox, William A. Wheeler, Ichabod Washburn, William N. Bickford, Freeman Upham, John Boyden and Samuel Davis.

A. & S. Thayer began at Court Mills in 1845, where they employed ten men in the manufacture of engine lathes. These were an improvement upon the lathes then in use, and attracted much attention among machinists.

A. & S. Thayer moved from Court Mills into Allen & Thurber's Pistol Shop, which stood just south of Merrifield's present engine-house, and was burned in 1854.

They occupied the south-end basement, while Samuel Flagg & Co. occupied the north end. They afterwards moved into the Dr. Heywood building, in Central Street. While there, Sewall Thayer dTed. Upon his death, A. Thayer associated with him H. H. Houghton and E. C. Cleveland. They moved back into the pistol-shop, and remained in Union Street till the fire, when they removed to Washington Street (present location of the Allen Boiler Works), and continued in business until 1857, when Mr. Cleveland retired. They continued the business at the Washington Street shop until the breaking out of the war, or a little later, and were employing about one hundred and fifty men, and making some of the finest tools in the country, when the business was bought by the New York Steam-Eugine Company, and continued a short time under that name, when it was moved to Passaic, N. J., and finally went out of existence.

The firm of Samuel Flagg & Co. was organized in 1847. Mr. Flagg associated with him Henry Holland and two of his former apprentices, - L. W. Pond and Ephraim H. Bellows. They started in the second floor of Heywood's building, in a room twenty feet by forty. They remained there but a short time, until Allen & Thurber's building was ready for tenants, when they moved into the north end ; they remained there until 1849, when Mr. William' T. Merrifield put up his first brick building ; they then moved into the same location now occupied by the Wheelock Steam-Engine Company. Shortly before the fire they took the whole basement, and were burned out in 1854, when they went into the lower floor of the Goddard & Rice factory in Union Street, where they remained until the Merrifield buildings were rebuilt, to which they returned, remaining until 1861.

others in interest. Meantime J. B. Lawrence, in 1854, built the east end of the building lately occupied by the Pond Machine Tool Company. In 1861 L. W. Pond purchased this, and built the west end, and continued there until 1875, when the business was continued by the Pond Machine Tool Company, which in 1888 removed to Plainfield, N. J. While in Worcester, they maintained a high reputation for the quality of their work, excelling particularly in the production of large tools.

The brothers, Carter Whitcomb (who had been in the employ of Howe & Goddard) and Alonzo Whitcomb (who had been in the employ of S. C. Coombs & Co.) formed a copartnership under the name of Carter Whitcomb & Co., and began the manufacture of copying-presses, in 1849, in the Union Street shop of Howe & Goddard. They occupied room in Merrifield's shop prior to the fire of 1854, when they were burned out; they returned soon after the new building was completed, and later went to the Estabrook building, and from there to the present location in Gold Street.

This was the first successful attempt to establish in this country the business of manufacturing copyingpresses. George C. Taft had previously begun the manufacture, but continued only a short time, when it fell into the hands of the Messrs. Whitcomb. These presses have been sold throughout the country, the sales, some years, amounting to five thousand presses. From the first this company has manufactured iron planers, and later commenced the manufacture of shears and punchiug-machines. The iron planers first made very light and poorly constructed; the gears were cast, the cut-gear was unheard of. This company continues to make copying-presses, iron planers and shears for cutting iron plate for boilers, but their principal business is in planers.

In 1856 Samuel Flagg organized a Machinist Tool Company, composed of Samuel Flagg, Pierson Cowie, De.Kter Flagg, Lemuel G. Mason and George H. BlancharJ. They only continued in business a short time, but made at their shop, in Merrifield's building, the largest lathe, with one exception, up to that time made in the couutry. It weighed about thirtyfive tons; the length of the ways was thirty-five feet and width eight feet. They also engaged in the manufacture of machines for mortising iron, weighing six tons each, some of which were made for the government.

In the fall of 1864 Joseph A. Sawyer had a little shop in the building known as Heywood's Boot Shop, in Main Street, for repair work and the manufacture of sewing and other machines ; subsequently he removed to the second floor of the Union Water Meter Shop in Hermon Street, where he manufactured shafting, pulleys and friction pulleys. In the fall of 1877 he built his present shop, one-story, forty by seventy- two feet, and in 1881 he built two additional stories, to furnish room and power to let. Mr.

Joseph A. Sawyer was the inventor of a machine for pleating cloth up to eighteen inches in width, which was sold to the Elm City Company, of New Haven, and is said to be the only practical pleating-machine ever invented. Mr. Sawyer invented many devices now used in boot and shoe factories. Since his death, in May, 1888, the business has been continued by his son, who manufactures Sawyer's Combined Hand and Power Planer, and who also does a large business in fitting up corset and boot and shoe shops, putting up the stitching-machines and keeping them in repair. Mr. Sawyer has made much automatic machinery used in the organ and reed business, and makes a specialty of difficult machines for special purposes. Their work is of a varied character, and much of it very delicate.

Parritt Blaisdell, who was with Wood, Light & Co. for fifteen years, built a shop in Jackson Street in 1865 and commenced the manufacture of machinists' tools, with four or five men. Afterwards he took into company John P. Jones, and in 1873 S. E. Hildreth. Mr. Blaisdell died in 1874. His widow sold a part of his interest to Enoch Earle, and all of these partners are in the business at the present time. They have enlarged their shop and increased their business until at the present time they employ about one hundred men.

W. F. Bancroft & Co., established in 1870 by Kent & Bancroft, make self-operating spinning machinery, lathes, planers and special machinery.

William H. Eddy, manufacturer of machinists' tools, established 1873, manufactures planers, twistdrills, griuding-machines, stone, bolt and gear cutters; the twist drill-grinders are his own invention; he has also devised a clutch friction pulley that prevents noise in the changing of belts. He began with two men, but now employs eighteen. Mr. Eddy was contractor for L. W. Pond for twenty-one years.

F. E. Reed, in April, 1875, purchased a half-interest in the concern of A. F. Prentice, who then employed six men in French's building, in Hermon Street. In August, 1877, Mr. Reed purchased Mr. Prentice's interest and continued the business alone. At first he occupied but one floor, but soon added another, and later, built a commodious shop in Gold Street, which was finished in 1883, two stories and a basement, one hundred and eighty by fifty-five feet. The machinery and tools are all new and of the best patterns. One hundred and twenty-five men find employment in this business, and the power is furnished by a forty horse-power Brown engine, while an Armington & Sims engine drives an Edison dynamo which supplies three hundred sixteen candlepower lamps. The principal products of this shop are engine-lathes, ten to twenty inch swing, handlathes from nine to sixteen inch swing and a large line of foot-power lathes, with or without screw-cutting attachments. These machines are shipped to England, Germany, Japan, Mexico and to other

Under the names of Boynton & Plummer, 60 Lagrange Street, James Kindred, H. S. Brown and Henry Kindred have, since 1878, manufactured blacksmith drills, bolt-cutting machines and shapingmachines, and are the pioneers in this class of work in the city. Their trade extends throughout the country and to Australia and South America.

In February, 1878, E. H. Wood began to manufacture for Harwood & Quincy, of Boston, the Bramwell Feeder, which is used for feeding the wool into carding-machines. This feeder has revolutionized the work of supplying carding-machines, and has been a great factor in the development of the wool-carding business.

In 1881 their present shop, ne.ar the Junction, was completed and the Harwood & Quincy Machine Company was formed. The Bramwell Feeder was invented by W. C. Bramwell, of Terre Haute, Ind. ; the entire patent is owned by Harwood & Quincy, who have the exclusive manufacture of the machine. Mr. Edwin H. Wood, the superintendent of this company, was seventeen years the foreman in the shop of Daniel Tainter, formerly a well-known manufacturer of woolen machinery.

In 1879 Mr. W. C.Young, began with one assistant in Mawhinney's building. No. 19 Church Street, the manufacture of shoe tools and edge planes ; he now employs twenty hands in the manufacture of enginelathes, wood-turning and amateur lathes, which he designs himself, exporting a large number.

Currier & Snyder began in 1883 in Central, and are now at 17 Hermon Street, where they manufacture upright drills. At first they employed but one hand, and now they employ fifteen. The ease and rapidity with which their drills can be manipulated have won for them a high reputation. Both the partners were for many years employed in the Blaisdell shop.

The Powell Planer Company was incorporated in 1887 for the manufacture of machinists' tools, and make a specialty of iron planers. They control patents upon lathe devices, for shifting belts, and for general convenience in operating the machine ; and have a system for securing a very fine, even surface for the working parts of their machines by using what they call " surface plates." Starting with three men, they now give employment to fifty.

The tools made previous to 1845 were very much lighter than those made to-day. The beds of the engine lathes were of wood, with strips of iron bolted to them for the ways, and the carriage that held the cutting tool was operated by a chain. Gradually this was superseded by a rack and gears driven by a rod in front of the lathe. Tools have been very much increased in weight and the workmanship is much improved. There has been as great a change in the character of our shops in the last forty years as in their products. Then, a man was expected to begin work as soon as he could see, and to continue until nine o'clock at night, with half an hour for breakfast, an hour for dinner and half an hour for supper. Whale-oil lamps were used; thes-e smoked badly, and made the atmosphere almost unendurable. Pay came but once in six months, and then often in the form of a note, - a strong contrast with the short hours of the present day, steam heat, gas or the electric light and weekly wages in cash.

Ageiculueal Implements. - It is said that it took the observation of the farmers and the inventive genius of the mechanics of the country, from 1797 to 1842, to decide upon the best form of a plow. It was a subject that seemed to aflxird endless opportunity for argument and controversy. Thomas Jefferson was mueh interested in the subject, and in a letter written to Jonathan Williams, in July, 1796, says that he has discovered " the form of a mould-board of least resistance," that he has reduced it to practice, and that his theory is fully confirmed. He gave this subject careful study, as appears from his correspondence.

The first iron plow in Worcester County was made by William A. Wheeler, in Hardwick, in 1822, but plows of some sort were made in Worcester in 1821 and prior to that time by Oliver Wetherbee, who carried on the business in the blacksmith's shop of Levi Howe, and later at his own shop, a few rods from Captain Thomas' inn.

In November, 1824, the committee, in reporting upon the articles exhibited at the Cattle Show, then lately held, refer to two cast-iron plows exhibited by Oliver Wetherbee, and state that those plows are fast superseding those of the old construction.

Burt & Merrick, in June, 1828, appear as agents of the Hitchcock plow, claimed to be superior to those previously used, and in 1829 Benjamin Butmau & Co. had for sale "Nourse's Cast-iron Plows." These plows were manufactured by J. & J. Nourse, at Shrewsbury, and were known as the Hartford Castiron Plows.

In April, 1833, C. Howard's cast-iron plows are offered for sale by G. T. Rice & Co., and, at the same time, Mr. Wheeler announces that he has "just received an assortment of plow-poinis from the various patterns heretofore cast at Brookfield." Meantime, Mr. Joel Nourse appears to have moved from Shrewsbury to AVorcester, and to have taken a shop in Thomas Street, for in August, 1833, he there offers for sale plows of the most approved construction and of five different sizes. He also offers for sale in March, 1834, his "side-hill plows." Mr. Nourse seems to have been a successful manufacturer of plows, for in its report, the committee at the Cattle Show, in 1835, compliment him highly, and say that all the plows on the field except three were of his make.

J. Nourse & Co., March, 1836, added the manufacture of cultivators to their business, and in March, 1838, Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, a firm composed of Draper Ruggles, Joel Nourse and J. C. Mason, announce that they have made arrangements for manufacturing on an extensive scale the most improved form of cast-iron plows, and that they have secured Jethro Wood's patent on the same, and add, - " Most of the cast-iron plows are made too short, and are too concave for the mould-board to run easily." Ruggles, Nourse & Mason make plows for turning over green sward, turning over stubble; and also make three sizes of the celebrated side-hill plows; also, improved seed-sowers, improved expanded cultivators, and Goats' patent revolving hay-rake.

Ruggles, Nourse & Mason were in lliomas Street, at first, about opposite the present location of the City Water-works Shop ; afterwards Mr. Samuel Davis induced them to move to Court Mills, where increased facilities enabled them to largely extend their business.

The next new implement made by Ruggles, Nourse & Mason was the Wilkes revolving horse-rake. They were constant exhibitors at the Cattle Shows, and in 1851 showed over twenty difi"erent kinds of plows. This industry was a most important one. Worcester, at that time, is said to have been more largely engaged in the manufacture of agricultural implements than any other city or town in the United States, aud the business had been entirely developed within a comparatively few years; for there were those living who remembered the stub hoes and wooden plows, while the sensation of first seeing the cast-iron plow was fresh in the recollection of many farmers in the county. Ruggles, Nourse & Mason at this time, 1851, occupied the Court Mills, the main building being of brick, two hundred and fifty feet long, seventyfive feet wide and four stories high, and employing about two hundred hands. The motive-power was partly steam and partly, water, supplied by Mill Brook. The same turbine wheel is still used for power in E. W. Vaill's chair factory.

The white oak timber used was furuished by Oakham, PaxtOD, Sterling and other towns. The iron castings were made in an adjoining building, and three tons of iron were used daily. The product was sold in Boston, where the sales-room occupied the second story in Quincy Market, and where were displayed upwards of three hundred diff"erent patterns of plows alone, to say nothing of other agricultural implements and dairy equipment.

Among the recipients of medals at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in New York, in 185-4, was the Worcester Shovel Company, for Kimball's patent shovels with malleable iron sockets; and Ruggles, Nourse & Mason for Armsby's patent corn shovel, for Perry's patent meat-cutter and a vegetable-cutter ; also, for double sod and subsoil plow. In 1855 they ofter mowing-machines for sale.

After a time Nourse, Mason & Company sold out to Mr. Nourse, who organized a company consisting of Joel Nourse, Peter Harvey and Sampson &Tappan, of Boston, doing business under the name of Nourse, Mason & Company. Meantime, they had started a shop at Groton Junction, where they were increasing their capacity as well as employing all the labor that could be accommodated at the Worcester factory. In 1859 they were employing two hundred and fifty hands; their pay-roll amounted to eight thousand or nine thousand dollars per month, and they had increased their power by putting in a sixty horsepower engine.

In 1860 the works were purchased by Oliver Ames & Sons, and, in 1874, moved to the large brick factory in Prescott Street, where they are now in operation, under the name of the "Ames Plow Co." They manufacture all kinds of agricultural implements, power-machines, meat-cutters, etc. In 1887 they made seven thousand wheelbarrows. They make seven thousand plows yearly, and employ one hundred and seventy men.

In 1857, J. T. Adriance & Co., manufactured Manny's improved mowing-machine, and during that year made about six hundred of them. Alzirus Brown, in 1858, also manufactured these machines and Manny's reaper, employing about forty to fifty hands.

[n September, 1859, J. M. C. Armsby, who had previously been a partner in Nourse, Mason & Co., completed his building in Central Street, for the manufacture of plows, cultivators, harrows, horserakes, hoes, etc. It was one hundred feet long, thirtyfive feet wide and four stories high, with two wings extending back - one seventy-four and the other fifty feet. An engine of twenty -five horse-power, made by the Putnam Machine Company, was the only piece of machinery in the building not of Worcester manufacture.

A patent was granted, December, 1861, to L. Cr. Kniflfen, of Worcester, on his Union Mower. He formed a company for its manufacture, to be known as the "Union Mowing-Machine Company," Alzirus

The Wrench Business. - The water privilege at New Worcester, occupied by the two factories of the Goes Wrench Company, are, historically, of considerable interest.

missioners appointed by the General Court, October 11, 16G0, to survey the country in the vicinity of Lake Quinsigamond, to determine if there be a "meet place for a plantation, that it may be improved for that end, and not spoiled by granting of farms," was the original owner of this property, and from him Mr. Loring Goes' great-grandfather had a deed of this water-power and built a saw-mill at the upper dam, where previously there was a beaver dam.

On the site of the Leicester Street mill, wool and carding machinery was built from an early day. This privilege came into the hands of Moses Clements, and from him passed to William Stowell, who also made woolen machinery, carding machinery and jacks. From Stowell the privilege passed to Thomas Harbach, at one time associated with Joseph Converse, then to Edward and Martin Wilder, from whom it was purchased by L. & A. G. Coes, in 1848. At the southwest end of the Leicester Street Works was the old Cleaaents building, of wood, two stories high and fifty or sixty feet long. It was later taken down by the Goes'. The building at the northeast end, still standing, was erected by William Stowell, about 1835, and was atone time occupied by Kimball & Fuller, in the manufacture of woolen machinery. Loring and A. G. Goes were both born in New Worcester, and both worked for Kimball & Fuller. lu 1836 the brothers formed a copartnership and purchased this business, which, meantime, in November, 1835, had been moved from New Worcester to Court Mills. Here they continued until October, 1839, when the Court Mills were destroyed by fire. This loss so far impaired their capital as to prevent their starting again. Their fellow-tenants also burned out were, Samuel Davis, builder of woolen machinery ; Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, manufacturers of plows and agricultural implements ; H. W. Miller, punching-machines for manufacturing nuts, washers, etc., and Thomas E. Daniels, builder of plauing-machines.

After the fire the brothers went to Springfield, Mass., and engaged as pattern-makers in the foundry of Laurin Trask ;^ while there employed they made a model of a new and improved form of the wrench, a tool which they constantly used. There were at that time two styles - one of English invention, and the other known as the Merrick or Springfield wrench. The mechanism of both these wrenches was such that both hands were used to open or close them. This was often inconvenient, as it was important to so adjust the wrench to difterent openings, by the hand in which it was held, as to leave the other hand free for other demands of the work. It occurred to the Coes Brothers to dispense with the screw on the shaft, as in the Merrick wrench, and affix by the side of the shaft, a small bar in the form of a screw, which should enter another screw formed in the lower or movable jaw of the wrench ; and that the first screw should also have, at its lower end, where it should enter the handle, a rosette always in reach of the thumb of the hand that held the wrench.

This rosette, being pressed and turned by the thumb would operate the screw, and the opening and closing of the wrench would easily be effected by one hand. It seemed to them that this adjustment would make the tool much stronger by removing the indentations from the bar or shaft, and that there would be less liability of injury to the wrench from severe or improper use.

In November, 1840, they returned to Worcester, and at once directed their efforts to securing a patent for their invention. The patterns of their spinning machinery had been saved from the fire, and these they sold to Samuel Davis, a manufacturer of woolen machinery, and so obtained the means for securing a patent, which was granted to Loring Coes, April 16, 1841.

The brothers now formed a co-partnership under the name of L. & A. G. Coes, for the manufacture of wrenches under this patent. They were without capital, and Henry W. Miller, a hardware dealer in Worcester, aided them by fitting up a shop (in the northwest end of Court Mill, in Mr. Miller's shop), with the requisite machinery and tools, of which he retained the ownership, taking and selling all the wrenches manufactured by the Messrs. Coes. The busines-s was so far successful that early in 1843 they were able to purchase the machinery and tools. They were now employing three hand«, and made a contract with C. Foster & Go. to sell their goods. The next winter (1843-44) they moved to the shop of Albert Curtis, in New Worcester. They leased a basement in one of Mr. Curtis' buildings who built them a blacksmith shop, and put in a trip-hammer for their use.

At the close of their contract with C. Foster & Co., April 1, 1848, they entered into a contract for five years with Ruggles, Nourse & Mason. At this time, also, they bought for fifty-five hundred dollars the old woolen-mill in which they had both worked in their youth - the water privilege, two houses and about four acres of land. They were now employing from twelve to fifteen men, and making from five to six hundred wrenches a month. They repaired and raised the mill and put in a new water-wheel and new machinery.

" Their contract with Ruggles, Nourse & Mason expired, by limitation, April 1, 1853, and they thenceforward sold their own goods. They had, during the twelve years since their first patent was granted, devised, individually or jointly, various improvements in the wrenches and in the special machinery used in their manufacture.

"On July 21, 18.53, with Levi Hardy, they purchased from Moses Clement his shop, machinery and business - that of the manufacture of shear-blades and knives for hay-cutting machines. The co-partnership continued until May 2, 1864.

"After the dissolution of their co-partnership, having purchased Mr. Hardy's interest in it, they continued the business, with Charles A. Hardy as the superintendent of the shop, keeping its accounts distinct from those of the wrench business.

" In 1865 they built a dam half a mile above their water privilege, to form a reservoir, and the next year they built a shop at the reservoir, one hundred feet by forty, two stories high, with a basement, devoting it exclusively to the manufacture of shearblades, hay-cutter knives and similar articles.

On April 1, 1869, they dissolved their co-partnership and divided the business - Loring Goes taking the upper privilege, including the shear-blade business, and A. G. taking the lower privilege, and paying a bonus for the right of choice. At this time they sold monthly from ten to twelve thousand wrenches.'

L. Goes & Company erected the large brick factory at the lower dam, one hundred feet long, fifty feet wide and four stories high, with basement and attic. The building, with the machinery to be used in it, was finished early in 1871.

The Goes Wrench Company is a consolidation of the two companies, which was effected April 1, 1888, with Loring Goes, president ; John H. Goes, treasurer, and Frederick L. Goes, secretary - the two latter, sons of A. G. Goes. They are now manufacturing wrenches under patents of Loring Goes, dated July 6, 1880, and July 8, 1884; are producing fifteen hundred wrenches per day and employ one hundred hands.

At the outlet of the upper pond Mr. Loring Goes carries on quite an extensive business in the manfacture of die stock for cutting sole-leather and other purposes. He also makes shear-blades, knives for meat, cheese-cutters and lawn-mower knives. He nas a trip-hammer in this shop, and the old rollingmill, used for making plane irons, by William Hovey, on the mill dam in Boston many years ago.

L. Hardy & Co., at New Worcester, conducted by Henry A. Hoyt, manufacture shear-blades, die stock for cutters, &c., and John Jacques, at New Worcester, manufactures patent shears for book-makers, binders, printers and paper-bos makers ; also shears for tin-plate workers.

Other manufticturers of wrenches, in a small way, have engaged in the business from time to time. In April, 1852, E. F. Dixie advertises to manufacture " Hewefs celebrated screw-wrench." George G. Taft and John Gleason manufactured wrenches, in connection with copying-presses, at Northville, in 185.3. B. F. Joslyn, who seems to have been a most ingenious mechanic, and who made several inventions in fire-arms, made several improvements in wrenches, and on one of these, at least, procured a patent.

Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, who were at one time selling agents for the Goes', manufactured wrenches in 1859, in connection with the business in agricultural implements.

yery many purposes. This occurred at the beginning of the barbed wire business. The use of Bessemer steel for this purpose alone, besides furnishing a stronger wire than could be made from Swedish iron, represents a saving of at least four million five hundred thousand dollars annually to the farmers of the

Barbed Fencing. - The importance of the fence question to the people of the United States can perhaps be best appreciated by a mere statement of the results contained in the Report of the United States' Department for Agriculture for 1871, from which it appears that the cost of fencing in thirty-seven States had amounted to $1,M7,549,931, while the annual cost of repairs amounted to $93,963,187. This together with the annual interest on the original investment at six per cent., made the total cost, exclusive of rebuilding, $188,806,182.

The cost of fencing per rod, as stated in this report, varies from 30 cents in Alabama to $2.20 in Rhode Island. In addition, a fence occupies and wastes, upon an average, a piece of land half a rod wide, or one acre in every fifty, making a total of not less than .50,000,000 acres in the United States.

Not only was the expense of fencing with timber enormous, but apprehension was felt that the supply might be unequal to the demands made upon it. Wire as a fencing material was recommended as early as 1821. Speaking of the wastefulness of the common method of wooden-fencing, the secretary of the New York State Agricultural Society for 1850 stated that the worm-fence took " from every one hundred acres an area of five acres."

The substitution of wire for wood as a fencing material was generally recommended on the ground that it takes up no room, exhausts no soil, shades no veo-etation, is proof against high winds, makes no snow-drifts, and is both durable and cheap.

As the necessity for a cheap fencing material increased, efforts to supply the need also increased. Up to 1881 twelve hundred and twenty-nine patents had been issued relating to fencing, and more than two-thirda of that number since 1865.

The first patent was in 1801, and 'up to 18-57 about one hundred had been issued, while in 1866, '67 and '68 three hundred and sixty-eight fence patents were issued. «

In examining the patents issued it is found that of the twelve hundred and twenty-nine issued up to 1881 forty were to inventors in the New England States ; three hundred and seventy-two to the Middle States; one hundred and eight to the Southern States; and six hundred and ninety-six to the Western States ; eight to the District of Columbia and five to Canada.

Of the States, Ohio had the greatest number, two hundred and forty-one ; followed by New York, two hundred and thirty-one; Illinois, one hundred and forty-two ; Iowa, ninety-six.

Up to 1873 plain No. 9 round wire was largely used in the West as a fencing material and thousands of tons of it were in use, but it was not satisfactory. It stretched in warm and contracted in cold weather, which was the cause of constant breakages; furthermore, cattle could rub against it with impunity, and this constant pressure loosened the posts and broke the wire.

In the fall of 1873 the manufacture of barbed-wire was begun in a small way at DeKalb, 111., by Mr. J. F. Glidden, who was a farmer in that town. He first made a few rods of fencing and put it up on his own farm in November, 1873. The process was very crude when compared with the present method of manufacture.

The barbs were first formed by bending around a mandril and then slipped upon one wire of the fence; the second wire was then intertwisted with the first; this locked the barbs in place and prevented lateral as well as rotary motion. The fencing was made in sixteen-foot lengths, and as there was no means for coiling it on spools for transportation, it was carried to the point where it was to be put up, and then enough of these sixteen-foot lengths were spliced together to give a fence of the desired length. The first piece actually sold for use was in the spring of 1874. Three boys and two men were able to make fifty pounds per day. In June, 1874, it was arranged to do the twisting by horse-power, and this increased the product of three boys and two men to one hundred and fifty pounds per day.

In the latter part of 1874 a rude hand-machine was devised for twisting the barb upon the main wire and spooling the product, which was subsequently unwound and twisted with a second wire and then spooled again. By the use of the latest machinery, one man will now produce two thousand pounds, or over five and a half miles, in ten hours.

In the spring of 1876 the attention of the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company having been called to this new article of manufacture and impressed with its value, automatic machinery was constructed and patented, and the control of the underlying barbedwire patents was acquired. These patents were, - one to L. B. Smith, of Ohio (.Tune 25, 1867), in which the barb consists of four radially projecting points from a hub, which is prevented from moving laterally by a bend in the main wire. Patent granted to W. D. Hunt, of New York, in which a single fence wire is armed with spur-wheels which can revolve upon the main wire. Patent to Michael Kelly, of New York, dated February 11, 1868; this is the first patent to show two wires twisted together. The barb was made of a lozenge-shaped piece of sheet metal and was strung upon the main wire, while for strength, a second wire was intertwisted with the first. This inventor showed a most intelligent conception of the subject matter of his invention, as appears from the ioUowing quotation taken from his specifications:

I can, by this invention, nialje an efficient fence from unconnected wires, six inclies apart, iixing the artificial thorns on the wires four inches apart. This fence takes only one-fourth as much wire as in ordinary wire fences, yet it is more efficient, This fence will weigh about one-eighth as much as ordinary connected wire fence, by which I mean those woven or twisted together. It can be wound on a reel, like telegraph wire, and a farmer can transport as much in a single wagonload as will serve to build fences for a large farm.

The next patent in point of date, and chief in importance, is the patent to Glidden, dated November 24, 1874, in which is for the first time found a barb, made of wire wrapped about a fence wire, and loclied in place by a fellow wire intertwisted with the first. Meantime, barbed wire was growing in popularity ; at first, strong prejudices had to be overcome. Many hardware dealers would not have it in their stores. The public, too, had to be educated. A length of barbed wire, with two barbs upon it, was shown to two men in Texasj one guessed it was a model of a fence, the barbs being the posts, and another thought it was a bit for a hor.^e.

A skeptical farmer said he didn't believe it amounted to much ; that he had a bull (Old Jim) who would go through anything, and he guessed he wouldn't stop for barbed wire. His field was fenced ; " Old Jim " shook his head, elevated his tail, and went for it. The farmer was converted, and so was "Jim."

Barbed wire, once introduced, grew rapidly in favor. In fact, it became a necessity ; strong, durable, cheap, easily transported, and an absolute barrier against man and beast, it became at once the best fencing material known, and the demand for it rapidly increased. Meantime, infringers began to spring up, and litigation followed. No stronger or more persistent efforts were ever made to break down a patent property than were directed against the barbed wire patents.

Thousands of pages of testimony were taken upon alleged cases of prior use all over the West and in Texas. The greatest interest was taken in the cases involving, as they did, the control of what even then bade fair to be a most important industry.

The defence relied upon establishing the alleged cases of prior use, and also insisted strongly that there was no invention in arming a wire with pricking spurs. The United States Circuit Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in December, 1880, sustained the patents, and this gave the Washburn & Moen Manufitcturing Company, and their associate, Isaac L. Ellwood, of DeKalb, 111., the control of this business. Licenses were issued to most of the parties lately infringing, and the business has been conducted upon that basis up to the present time, and will be during the life of the patents, some of which do not expire for several years.

To protect themselves and their licensees, the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company has purchased upwards of two hundred and fifty patents upon barbed wire and barbed wire machinery.

The amount of barbed wire consumed in this country has increased from five tons, in 1874, to a probable output of one hundred and fifty thousand tons, over eight hundred and fifty thousand miles, in 1888. Of this amount, the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company makes about eighteen thou sand tons (over one hundred thousand miles), while the capacity of their works is seventy-five tons per day of ten hours, or four hundred and twentysix miles. The cost to the consumer has during this time been reduced from eighteen cents per pound to less than five cents. This has resulted from the reduced price of wire and the introduction of automatic machinery.

Bale Ties. - About the time that barbed wire began to be manufactured the company became the owners of patents upon bale ties, a wire substitute for the wood and rope previously used. There are probably to-day ten thousand tons used annually for binding hay in the United States.

Each ton of wire will wind three hundred and thirty tons of hay or straw, and the whole ten thousand tons of wire will bind three million three hundred thousand tons of hay and straw.

It formerly cost on an average to press this amount, when bound with rope, two dollars per ton. Wire is applied to the bales with so much greater ease than wood or rope, that a saving of fifty cents per ton, at a low estimate, is effected in pressing hay when wire ties are used. But the greatest saving made to the public by the introduction of wire for binding purposes is in the increased security against loss by fire. When hay, straw or tow are bound with rope or wood, each is easily set on fire, the binding materal burns, and thus allows the compressed mass to become loose and add fuel to, the flames. This, of course, is not the case when wire is used. For this reason, rope and wood were discarded many years ago in pressing cotton.

Altogether, millions of dollars are saved annually to the public by the introduction of wire ties, all of which has been effected in the last twelve or fourteen years.

Copper Wire. - Since 1884 copper wire has taken a prominent place among the products of this company, as it has been and is being largely substituted for iron, particularly in long-distance telephoning and electric lighting.

Copper has always been preferred to iron for electric purposes by reason of its greater conductivity, but previous to the introduction of hard-drawn copper wire it did not possess the requisite strength. By present processes a copper wire of sufficient strength can be produced much lighter than iron, and of largely increased conductivity, as is apparent when the fact is stated that for a given length of wire an equal degree of conductivity will require five times as much weight in a mile of iron as of copper wire. In January 1884, there were probably not more than one hundred or two hundred miles of harddrawn copper wire in use in this country. To-day there are, it is estimated, at least fifty thousand miles, representing about four thousand two hundred tons of metal, now in operation by the various telegraph and telephone companies, the average weight per mile being about one hundred and seventy pounds.'

Wire Rope. - Among the more recent specialties introduced by the company is wire rope, of which is manufactured: galvanized steel wire cable for suspension bridges; phosphor-bronze and copper wire rope; transmission and standing rope ; galvanized wire seizing; hoisting rope; tiller rope; switch rope; copper, iron and tinned sash cord wire; clothes-lines and picture-cords ; galvanized iron wire rope forships' rigging; galvanized crucible cast-steel wire rope for yachts' rigging.

Wire Nails. - The manufacture of wire nails is another branch of business conducted by the company. The wire nail, as an article of manufacture, was scarcely known in this country ten years ago. Since that time it has come into general use, and it is estimated upon good authority that more wire nails are used to-day than cut nails. The variety is very largei running from three-sixteenths of an inch, made from No. 22 iron, to a length of fourteen inches, made from No. 000 wire.

It is a little remarkable that the introduction of two articles of manufacture - barbed wire and wire nails - should within the last fifteen years have created a new demand for wire, amounting to at least two hundred and seventy-five thousand tons per annum, which has been made possible by the use of Bessemer steel.

While the process of drawing wire is, in principle, the same as practiced fifty years ago, many improvements have been made leading to a largely increased relative product. Great advances have been made in certain of the mechanical processes, particularly in the rolling of wire rods. In 1846 the first rolling-mill at Quinsigamond produced about five tons of No. 4 rods in ten hours; at the present time the output is from forty to fifty tons in the same time.

The demand for wire and the purposes for which it is used have largely increased, as indicated by the present output of two hundred and forty-five tons daily, and the manufacture of four hundred and eighteen different kinds of wire.

The increase in the business of the corporation has been most rapid since the introduction of barbed wire. In 1875 the number of hands employed was seven hundred ; in 1880 two thousand one hundred, and at the present time, 1889, there are three thousand names on the pay-roll of the company, for the most part heads of families, supporting directly not less than thirteen thousand persons, and indirectly, a much larger number.

Of the operatives, one thousand are Irish ; nine hundred Swedes; five hundred Americans ; two hundred and thirty-six Armenians; forty-five Germans : other nationalities, three hundred and nineteen.

The buildings of the corporation cover twenty-five acres of ground, and the machinery is driven by engines of seven thousand two hundred horse-power. The present officers of the corporation are : Philip L. Moen, president and treasurer ; Charles F. Washburn, vice-president and secretary ; Philip W. Moen, assistant treasurer and general superintendent ; Charles G. Washburn, assistant secretary and counsel. The above, with George T. Dewey, Esq., constitute the board of directors.

The Worcester Wire Company, William E. Rice, president and treasurer, is located on the Old South Worcester privilege, utilized for manufacturing purposes from the earliest times. Here Is manufactured a variety of wire, including tedder, rake teeth, wire for hay bales, and barbed fencing, bridge rope and general wire ; bottling, baling wire; tinned mattress, tinned broom wire, harvesting wire on spools ; wire for the manufacture of screws, bolts, rivets, nails, buckles, staples, rings, hooks and eyes, pin, hair-pin, reed, harness, heddle, bonnet, brush, broom, hat, clock and umbrella wire ; also telegraph and telephone wire.

In 1834 he was located at the Stone building, Front Street, on the canal, where he manufactured " meat, milk, cheese and provision safes, wire sieves, grain, coal, sand, sugar and bakers' riddles. Fire fenders, sand screens, hatters' hurls, dusters for paper-mills, cellar and window guards, netting, wire lace, bird cages, plate covers and brass screens.''

In 1845, Mr. Samuel Ayres began to weave wire for Mr. Bigelow in a shop in Norwich Street. Mr. Bigelow then had three looms - one large and two small ones - and the business employed in all six hands, among whom were Mr. Bigelow's sons.

The business of wire-working was subsequently conducted by several firms, and finally consolidated in the National Manufacturing Company, of which Mr. Jonah H. Bigelow, a son of Jabez Bigelow, is president. This company has conducted a prosperous business for many years, manufacturing a very large variety of wire goods.

The business now conducted by the Wire Goods Company was commenced by Charles G. Washburn in the fall of 1880, on the top floor of the building then and now occupied by C. H. Hutchins & Company, in Allen's Courc. The articles manufactured were wire goods for cotton and woolen machinery.

September 12, 1882, it was incorporated under the name of The Wire Goods Company, and was continued for a time in Allen Court, but was subsequently moved into the brick factory in Union Street, the present situation. Meantime, the business has very much enlarged, employing at the present time one hundred and twenty hands. In 1888 the business of the Ayres Manufacturing Company was purchased and merged in that of the Wire Goods Company. Among the articles manufactured are bright iron and brass gimlet-pointed wire goods of all kinds. Belt hooks, hitching rings, hand-rail screws, hammock hooks, double-pointed tacks, a large variety of wire goods and a number of patented specialties ; in fact, " everything in wire." Mr. A. W. Parmelee is president and treasurer of the company.

Hamblin & Russell, in Front Street, are also engaged in the manufacture of a variety of wire goods similar to those made by the National Manufacturing Company.

Henry E. Dean, Austin St., manufactures a special line of general hardware and house goods, elevator and window guards, also all kinds of steel wire brushes.

Another use to which wire is put in Worcester is the manufacture of rivets and burrs, which is conducted by Reed & Prince, 42 Gardner Street, in the basement of the pistol factory. This industry was established in 1886.

It would be difficult to enumerate the variety of articles and machinery, manufactured in Worcester, into which wire enters in one form or another.

COPPEEAS. - An interesting illustration of the utilization of waste products is found in the manufacture ofsulphateof iron or green vitriol - commonly known as copperas, and popularly, but erroneously, supposed to be a salt of copper - from the waste sulphuric acid used in cleaning wire. This waste acid, heavily charged as it is with iron, is taken to the works of W. E. Cutter & Co., where, after being evaporated in lead-lined tanks in which iron in the form of waste wire has been placed to further neutralize the acid, is drawn off into large cooling-tanks and the copperas is deposited in green crystals upon sticks suspended in the liquid. Copperas is used in dyeing as a disinfectant, and in the manufacture of ink, and largely in the manufacture of Venetian red, also made by W. E. Cutter & Co. 7,000,000 pounds of copperas are manufactured by this company annually, representing about 700 short tons of metallic iron ; about one-third of the copperas is converted into Venetian red, of which the annual product is 2000 tons. This is an oxide of iron paint, and is very extensively used.

Copperas can also be obtained by the oxidation of iron pyrites - sulphate of iron. In 1830 a bed of iron pyrites was discovered in Hubbardston, and Mr. Bennett, of that place, with Messrs. John Green, Benjamin F. Heywood and James Green, of Worcester, formed a company for the manufacture of copperas, and began operations ; but the enterprise did not prove successful. In December, 1828, the canal boat " Worcester," Captain Green, among other things, brought one ton of copperas from Providence,

Chapter Cxcvi

Carriages and Cars. - The business of carriagemaking was conducted in Worcester at a very early day. Curtis & Goddard were in business in 1808.

In 1822 Osgood Bradley came to Worcester, and started the stage and carriage business in a small shop in the rear of what is now Parker Block in Main Street, and the same year moved into what is now known as Atchison's carriage-shop in School Street, where he manufactured and kept on hand mail-coaches, chaises, gigs, wagons, sleighs, cutters, etc. Associated with Mr. Bradley was John Manning, harness-maker, who afterwards, in 1825, went into business with Edward M. Burr, in the manufacture to order of coaches, chaises, saddles and harness, opposite Stiles & Butman's store, a few rods north of the brick hotel.

Osgood Bradley & Co. continued in the manufacture of coaches, chaises and harnesses in School Street, near Captain Thomas' cofllee-house, and were succeeded by Solon Fay, September 2, 1829.

Albert Tolman was born in Lincoln, Mass., and came from Concord to Worcester in 1833. At this time, it must be remembered, manufacturing in Worcester was in a very primitive condition ; the shops were all very small, and the proprietor, with one or two workmen and an apprentice, usually did the work.

In 1833, Mr. Tolman formed a co-partnership with Mr. Samuel L. Hunstable, and advertised to do chaise and harness-making in the yard of the Central Hotel. At this time a Mr. Goddard had a harness shop north of the Bay State House, near where the Waldo Block now is. Benjamin Goddard was a carriage maker, and had a shop on the corner of Waldo and Exchange Streets, where Walker's ice office now is.

A Mr. William Leggett was at that time an old harness-maker here, and was afterwards one of the first conductors on the Nashua Railroad. The firm of Tolman & Hunstable continued until 1837, when the firm of A. Tolman & Co., was formed, composed of A. Tolman and G. W. Russell, which continued forty years. Their work for many years was the manufacture of first-class family carriages, which they sent all over the world, some of them going to California, and even to Africa and Australia. Mr. Tolman once built a carriage for Mrs. Governor Duncan, of Ohio, before the days of railroad communication ; it was shipped to New Orleans, and from there went up the Ohio River to its destination. Now hundreds of carriages come from Ohio to the East by rail.

Meantime Mr. Bradley had again gone into business, and in 1838, Osgood Bradley sold out his business to Rice, Breck & Brown, and prior to 1842, Bradley & Rice engaged in the manufacture of railroad cars, near the Western depot. This factory, which was one hundred and thirty feet by forty feet, was destroyed by fire, May 12, 1842. Mr. Bradley resumed business alone in 1849, and in 1850 had in his employ about one hundred men. His work was done in half a dozen buildings scattered over two and a half acres of ground, and at this time he had in process of construction from sixteen to eighteen passenger cars at an average price of three thousand dollars, besides a large number of freight cars.

Mr. Bradley continued in business alone until January 1, 1883, when he took into partnership his sons, Henry O. and Osgood Bradley, Jr., the firm being Osgood Bradley & Sons. Mr. Bradley remained in the firm until his death, in 1884, the firm-name continued and his sons carrying on the business.

Mr. Bradley built the first railroad cars in this country at his shop in School Street. He built four cars for the Boston & Worcester Railroad, one of which was drawn to Boston over the old turnpike road by four horses.

In 1847 Abraham Flagg, at his shop, 22 Exchange Street, manufactured I. Woodcock's patent " Worcesteree," a two-wheeled vehicle. Woodcock, Jones & Co. also manufactured them.

In 1851 the carriage business in Worcester supported about fifty families. The largest factory was that of Tolman & Russell ; it embraced some halfdozen buildings and gave employment to twenty-five hands. Most of their carriages were of the more expensive kind. At this time they were finishing three, one for the Adams House, Boston ; one for a New Bedford merchant, and one for Mr. White, of Worcester, "the attentive and obliging hackman, whom everybody knows and everybody employs." Besides these heavier carriages, Tolman & Russell manufactured a great many lighter vehicles of various patterns and prices, such as chaises, phaetons, rockaways and buggies. It is said that this firm at one time refused to take a large contract from the Government for the supply of army wagons for the use of the array during the Mexican War, solely on the ground that they believed the war to be unjust and did not wish to participate in the profits of such injustice-

The establishment of Breck & Wilder was situated in School Steeet, employing somewhat fewer hands than Tolman & Russell. Their shop occupied the site formerly occupied by Osgood Bradley, and their business was confined especially to omnibuses and stage-coaches. They built some of the largest omnibuses running between Boston and the adjacent towns, and had, in April, 1851, just finished an omnibus of immense proportions, named the " Jared Sparks," intended to run on the line between Cambridge and Boston.

George W. Wilder built a new light carriage known as the " York wagon." William C. Whiting's carriage factory, in Mechanic Street, employed ten hands on light carriages of all descriptions.

More recently, Tolman & Russell have confined themselves almost entirely to the manufacture of hearses, which find a market in all parts of the United States.

Under the old apprentice system in this business, boys were taken from fifteen to twenty-one years of age, and were paid from thirty to fifty dollars a year and their board. They bought their own clothes, and the last year of their apprenticeship were paid seventy-five dollars, which included a "freedom suit."

About 1830 the working day averaged from twelve to thirteen hours, and all the work was hand-work, down to the rivets and bolts. The average wages of a good workman, $1.25 per day.

As late as 1866 a good many carriages were made by O. Blood & Sons, Tolman & Russell and Geo. T. Atchison, but most of the carriages used in this city and county were bought in Boston.

The best carriages sold to-day in Worcester are made in Merrimac and Amesbury, Mass. Cheaper carriages come from the western part of New York and the Western States. These are kept in stock by the ditferent carriage depositaries, and probably a thousand sold yearly to supply the demand in the city and county,

George C. Dewhurst who established the first regular depositary in Worcester, manufactures sleighs. The business of Geo. T. Atchison is largely in the manufacture of water-carts.

Previous to 1836 the manufacture of wood-working machinery was not carried on as a separate industry in any part of the United States. In that year the firm of J. A. Fay & Co., composed of J. A. Fay and Edward Josslyn, commenced the business in Keene, N. H., and a few years later united with the firm of ' C. B. Rogers & Co., at Norwich, Conn.

In April, 1839, Thomas E. Daniels was located at Court Mills, manufacturing his patent plaiiingmachines, " which are useful in squaring out timber for machinery, planing floor and other boards, door, bed-stead and table stutt; also for hollowing circles for water-wheel roundings and drum locks ; he also builds machines for matching boards, grooving floor plank, and under floor plank, where it is desirable to put mortar between floors in factories to prevent fire ; recommended by Davis & Howe ; Buggies, Nourse & Mason ; White & Boyden ; Henry Gouldiug & Co.; Horatio Phelps.'' He sold out his business to Deacon Kichard Ball and Thomas Rice, who were succeeded by Ball & Ballard.

In 1843, Goddard, Rice & Co., put in the first planing-machine that went by power in Worcester County. In October, 1846, Arad Woodworth, New Worcester, showed a machine for planing window blind shades; and in 1847, Charles Price, successor to Price & Hartwell, was engaged in building planing-machines at No. 2 Central Street.

In 1849 Howe, Cheney & Co., at Court Mills, had made arrangements to build the Daniels Planing, Machine, to plane all wood from eight to ten inches wide, and from four to fifty feet in length.

At the Mechanics' Exhibition in 1851, Ephraim C. Tainter exhibited a Daniels Planer embodying many improvements. His factory was at the Junction shop, and he wiis soon after joined by Mr. Gardner Childs, who, in 1858, sold his interest to the Keene and Norwich companies already referred to, and the business was conducted as a branch under the name of J. A. Fay & Co., who also manufactured plows, power and foot mortising machinery, tenoning and sash-moulding and matching-machines. The machines of their manufacture became known throughout this country and in Europe. In December, 1858, they were building a fifty-foot planer and other machinery for the Don Pedro Riilroad in Brazil.

In 1858, and prior to that time. Ball & Williams (Richard Balland Warren Williams), successors to Ball & Ballard, were engaged in School Street, in the manufacture of planing-machines for wood-working and of improved sash and moulding-machines. They had just sent an improved Woodworth planer to R. Hoe & Co., of New York. Warren Williams retired in 1865. Mr. Ball, with his son-in-law, built the factory in Salisbury Street, now occupied by Witherby, Rugg & Richardson.

In 1859 J. A. Fay & Co. occupied one hundred feet of the second floor of Col. Estabrouk's shop at the Junction, and employed thirty hands in making woodworking machinery, and had then recently sent a sawmill to Rio Janeiro.

In 1864 they opened a warehouse at 107 Liberty Street, New York, for the sale of their products, and were the pioneers there in this line of business.

In 1877 William B. Mclver and his brother, J. C, purchased the tools, stock and good-will of the old firm and continued the business under the name of Mclver Bros. & Co. They engaged in the general manufacture of wood-working machinery on a more extensive scale than had been done in the former companies. Mclver Bros. & Co. now occupy the shop below the Junction, built by Wood, Light & Co., and in addition to their other business are largely engaged in the manufacture of coffee machinery for Central America and other coffee-growing countries.

Witherby, Rugg & Richardson began business in 1864, in the Armsby building, with twenty men, and employ at this time, at their location in Grove Street, seventy-five men. They make a large variety of woodworking machinery, which goes to all parts of the country.

Musical IssTEUME>fTS. - The principle of producing music by the vibratory motion of a reed is most simply illustrated in the jewsharp, and the development of this principle through the successive stages of harmonium, accordion, elbow melodeon, with footpedal for working the wind-chest, has resulted finally in the cabinet organ of to-day. This development has taken place within the present century.

The business of organ-building has been conducted in Worcester for more than forty years. In 1847 Mr. N. B. Jewett was engaged here in making melodeons, and in 1849 Mr. Milton M. Morse, who came from Concord, N. H., manufactured seraphines, melodeons and eolians for church and parlor use. The first melodeon was copied from the accordion. Mr. Abraham Prescott, of Concord, N. H., manufacturer of bass viols and violoncellos, made an accordion for Mr. James A. Bazen, of Canton, who thereupon had an enlarged one made by Mr. Morse, then in his employ. In 1847 the firm of Farley, Pierson & Co., consisting of John A. Farley, John G. Pierson and M. M. Morse, began business, which was conducted in the old Burnside Building, in Main Street. The first cases for this company were made by Partridge & Taber. The first melodeon made was a four-octave melodeon, held in the lap, with two rows of keys, sharps and fiats. The round keys were pushed in like the keys upon the small concertinas which are made now. The sharp keys had black rings painted on the ivory. The melodeon was held in the lap, and, while the keys were operated by the hands, the elbows worked the bellows. These instruments were greatly enlarged until they were put upon legs and called seraphines, the bellows still being worked with the elbows.

The cabinet organ is the melodeon on a large scale. Modern instruments have the exhaust bellows, while the old instruments have the pressure bellows. At the beginning this company had six hands; Mr. Morse did the tuning, Mr. Farley made the reeds, and Mr. Pierson the wood-work. Subsequently, in 1852, Pierson & Loring succeeded to the business.

One of the first melodeon-tops made by this company was twenty-two inches long, twelve inches wide, with four octaves. The bellows were made in two folds ; when the wind went out of one fold it came in and filled the other. At the last New England Fair one of these instruments, made forty years ago, vrsa shown and operated.

Taylor & Farley were manufacturing melodeons in 1855, and in 1862 harmoniums for parlors, churches and schools. In 1865 their factory in Hermou Street was erected.

In 1856, the Steam Music Company was formed to manufacture the calliope, an instrument designed to produce music by steam - the invention of a Mr. J. C. Stoddard.

In 1859 the American Steam Music Company was located in Estabrook's building and employed twelve hands in the manufacture of calliopes and terpsichoreans.

"The latter is an entirely new thing, and this company has just completed the first one as an experiment. Its notes are agreeable and pleasant to the ear. The music for these instruments is arranged by M. Arbuckle, leader of Fisk's Cornet Band, on the same floor.''