January i, 1907. J 



THE INDIA. RUBBER WORLD 



131 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT TRENTON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



'T^HE break in the banks of the Delaware and Raritan 



-*- canal, east of Trenton, on November 30, caused some 

 trouble at both the Whitehead Brothers and luupire Rubber 

 Manufacturin<; plants. The break was caused by niuskrats 

 burrowinj;in the banks. The water from the canal found its 

 way to Assanpink creek, from which the Empire plant takes 

 water, and also flooded Whitehead's pond. At the latter 

 place a new water wheel was being installed and the exca- 

 vation for the foundation had been about completed. This 

 was flooded and partially washed away. Besides this dam- 

 age the repair work was delayed about one week. 



General C. Edward Murray is unusually busy these days, 

 because he has added to his other many duties that ofbeing 

 one of three men to procure a site for and erect Trenton s 

 new city hall. Besides General Murray, the citj' hall com- 

 mission is composed of Ferdinand W. Roebling, Sr., of the 

 John .'\. Roebling's Sons Co., and former State .Senator 

 Jonathan II. Klackwell. General Murray is treasurer of the 

 commission. 



General Murray has been reelected a member of the board 

 of trustees of McKinley Hospital for a term of three years, 

 and has been made a member of the finance committee of the 

 board. 



Mr. William J. B. Stokes, one of the proprietors of the 

 Trenton, Home, and Joseph Stokes rubber companies, will 

 on Tuesday, Januarj- r, be reelected treasurer of the city of 

 Trenton, for the sixth consecutive term. He has filled this 

 oflice since 1894. Mr. Stokes was unanimously re-nominated 

 for the position at the Republican city caucus held iu the 

 Trenton House, December 6. The administration is strongly 

 Republican so his election is assured. The caucus was fol- 

 lowed by a banquet at which Treasurer Stokes was a guest. 



The Whitehead Brothers Rubber Co. have ordered recently 

 considerable new machinery, which it is expected will ar- 

 rive soon. With the new addition to the buildings, the in- 

 creased power, and more machiner3', the Whitehead mills 

 have been greatly improved and are among the best in the 

 city. 



The Acme Rubber Manufacturing Co. (formerh- the Eure- 

 ka Riibber Manufacturing Co.) are planning extensive im- 

 provements to their plant, which thej- will begin in the 

 spring. The improvements will increase the capacity of the 

 company' "s mills about one-third. According to the plans 

 now iinder consideration, brick additions will be erected at 

 each end of the present main building on East State street, 

 to accommodate a general expansion of the plant, which is 

 made necessary bj' the increasing business. The factory is 

 unusually busy. About January 10 the conipan}- expect to 

 put on a night shift and commence running 24 hours a day. 

 This extra run does not usually begin until about March i, 

 and the earlier hustle this season is rendered necessary bv 

 the rush of orders. 



The Hamilton Rubber Manufacturing Co. report business 

 as rushing, with a splendid outlook for 1907. " In fact, " 

 said William L. Blodgett, secretary' of the company, "we 

 have more business than we can handle. In certain lines 

 we have had to stop taking orders because we have reached 

 our capacity. " Mr. Blodgett said also that the Combination 

 Rubber Manufacturing Co. at Bloomfield, now operated by 



the Hamilton management, are rapidly getting down to 

 smooth running order. Business is good there also. 



Seated in commodious offices in the new $5000 addition to 

 the mill of the Luzerne Rubber Co., representatives of the 

 company talked to Thk Inoia Ri'bber World correspon- 

 dent about the prospects of the concern, which, though one 

 of the youngsters in the Trenton trade, is already looming 

 up as a lusty enterprise. The new building is of brick and 

 two stories high. It is fully equipped and in running order. 

 Besides this structure the company have also erected a one 

 story building 40 X 40 feet, to the rear of the main factory 

 building. The additions just about triple the size of the 

 plant. New vulcanizers and other machinery of the latest 

 pattern have been installed, giving the company a thorough- 

 ly up-to-date mechanical outfit. The company manufacture 

 hard rubber goods exclusively, and cater largely to the elec- 

 trical trade. 



Industrial building in Trenton has been unusually brisk 

 during 1906, and the rubber mills have shared in the general 

 expansion. Among the additions to local rubber lactones 

 have been the following : New building at the Whitehead 

 Brothers' plant costing several thousand dollars ; new store 

 house at the Hamilton company's factory ; Crescent Belting 

 and Packing Co., two new buildings, costing $10,000; new 

 building at the Luzerne plant. 



The Whitehead Brothers' Rubber Co. are making arrange- 

 ments to install a new water wheel at their plant, a short 

 distance beyond the city limits. The plant is being kept 

 exceedingly busy and the new wheel will be put in so that 

 the power may not be impaired. The main portion of the 

 Whitehead plant, one of the oldest mills in this section, for- 

 merly was operated entirely by water power. Now, how- 

 ever, it has a large steauT power plant which is supplemented 

 l)y the water wheel. A representative of the company says 

 that business is good and the prospects for 1907 verj' bright. 



The Home Rubber Co. report the trade outlook promising 

 from their viewpoint. The boom in their " N. B. O. " sheet 

 packing still continues, the sales are growing every month. 



THE RUBBER TRADE AT AKRON. 



nv A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



'npHE Akron rubber manufacturers are much gratified at 

 -*■ the showing made by their tires at the New York 

 automobile show during the first week of December. All of 

 .•\kron's tire making concerns were represented, and their 

 exhibits were conspicuous among the manj- to be seen. 

 There were 239 cars shown, and 1 18 of these, or almost one- 

 half, were equipped with Akron tires. When it is stated 

 that there were no less than 19 makes of tires on the various 

 machines, the prominence of the products of the local com- 

 panies can be better realized. 



The plant of the Lyon Rubber Co., of which O. G. Lyon 

 is president, has been completely wiped out by fire. It is 

 not known how the fire originated. Two thousand pounds 

 of mill rubber was all that was saved from the ruins of the 

 building. Mr. Lyons says that his loss will amount to $10,- 

 000, and that he will rebuild in a different location. He 

 carried no insurance. He secured a controlling interest in 

 the company about a year ago, and since that time has de- 

 voted most of his attention to the manufacture of quick re- 

 pair cement for bicycle and automobile tires. 



