August i, 1903.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



393 



NEWS OF THE AMERICAN RUBBER TRADE. 



T 



BOSTON GOSSAMER RUBBER CO. LIQUIDATING. 

 HE following letter which was sent out to customers of 

 the Boston Gossamer Rubber Co. was received with 

 much surprise and a great deal of regret. The reason 

 for the liquidation of the company as stated in the let- 

 ter is the sudden illness of Mr. S. Klous, who was taken with a 

 hemorrhage of the nose and came very near bleeding to death. 

 Physicians, claim that in reality the hemorrhage in all proba- 

 bility prevented a paralytic shock and was, therefore, a blessing 

 in disguise. 



The Boston Gossamer Ki hii k Co., 

 S.Klous&Co. 



Manufacturers of Rubber Clothing. 



11 . 1. Park, U vs.. July 9, 1903. 



Gentlemen i We deeply regret to be obliged to inform you that owing 

 to the recent sudden and serious illness of our Mr. S. K!ous, it has be- 

 come necessary that he retire from all active business, and in conse- 

 quence of this and the further fact that our Mr. II. D. Klous's health at 

 the present time renders it imprudent for him to undertake to carry on 

 our business, we have decided to liquidate at once, and trust that this 

 action will put you to no inconvenience. 



We wish to thank you for the very pleasant relations that have existed 

 between us, and wish you the greatest possible success for the future. 

 Yours very truly. THE boston gossamer rubber co. 



Mr. Klous long has been one of the most interesting figures 

 in the rubber clothing trade, and has been universally respected 

 and loved. He was born 81 years ago in Breslau, Prussia, and 

 when 16 years of age was foreman of a factory in Berlin with 60 

 men under him. He came to the United States when he was 

 20 years old and after a time went into the hat, cap, and fur 

 business. He followed this until the great Boston fire in 1872, 

 at which time he was not only the largest manufacturer and 

 dealer in his line, but he was also an exceedingly wealthy man, 

 owning much real estate in and about Summer street. The 

 fire affected his business so disastrously that he was obliged to 

 make a fresh start. Indeed, it was said that of all the business 

 men in Boston he was the largest individual loser. He there- 

 fore started, in 1888, a small proofing plant at Readville, and a 

 making-up department in Boston, the line of manufacture being 

 gossamer rubber garments. In 1890 he built a fine plant at 

 Hyde Park and induced his son, Mr. H. D. Klous, to join with 

 him in the business. The company although known as the 

 " Boston Gossamer Rubber Co." was never incorporated, as it 

 was a partnership, the partners being father and son, and oper- 

 ating under the name of * S. Klous & Co." After there ceased 

 to be a market for gossamer rubber goods Mr. Klous took up 

 the manufacture of a full line of mackintosh clothing and was 

 for years undoubtedly the largest manufacturer in that line in 

 the United States. 



In the process of liquidation the factory and some twenty 

 acres of real estate will be sold and Mr. H. D. Klous will devote 

 himself to the care of his father's properties, which are large. 



ASSIGNMENT OF THE CABLE RUBBER CO. 

 The Cable Rubber Co. (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) made a volun- 

 tary assignment on July 1 5, the assignees being B. L. M. Tower, 

 representing the Cable interests, and Frank Tent, of the Ham- 

 ilton National Bank (Boston), representing the creditors. The 

 news of the assignment came as a great surprise to the trade. 

 The Cable Rubber Co. was founded in 1881 by Wheeler Cable, 

 who was accounted one of the most skillful rubber men of his 

 day. The line of manufacture was carriage drills, melodeon 



cloth, heavy clothing, etc. Since the death of Wheeler Cable 

 in January, 1899, the company has been operated by William J. 

 Cable, and S. H. Cable, the former being the treasurer and sales 

 manager, and the latter superintendent. Nearly all of the stock 

 was held in family, Mr. William J. Cable being the largest indi- 

 vidual owner. The embarrassment was due to large contracts 

 for carriage cloth taken when supplies were at a lower figure, 

 the advance in rubber and in cotton duck causing the business 

 to show a loss. As there are many orders on hand, it is thought 

 that after a temporary suspension the business will be resumed. 



HOUSATONIC RUBBER WORKS (BRIDGEPORT, CONN.). 

 A contract has been awarded for the erection of an addi- 

 tional building, 155X4° Ieet > P art brick and part frame. Mr. |. 

 A. Wilson, proprietor, informs The INDIA Rubber World 

 that the new facilities in prospect will permit the present ca- 

 pacity of the works to be more than doubled. The business of 

 this establishment is the removal of cloth and fiber from waste 

 rubber. 



HARTFORD RUBBER WORKS CO.— FACTORY EXTENSION. 

 Work has been begun on an extensive addition to the fac- 

 tory of this company and will be hurried through for comple- 

 tion at the earliest possible date. The building of this addition 

 had been contemplated for several months, but it has now be- 

 came a positive necessity on account of the increase of their 

 business, and particularly that portion pertaining to the manu- 

 facture of pneumatic automobile tires and solid carriage tires. 

 The new building will occupy a space of about 100x200 feet, 

 being of brick construction and brownstone trimmings, some- 

 what similar to the present main building of the company's 

 plant. It will consist of 3J4 stories and basement and subbase- 

 ment. Its architectural design is a pleasing one, a tower in the 

 center affording a change from the ordinary factory construc- 

 tion. The company are also about to double their power plant 

 by installing a new 1000 HP. steam engine. 



THE CANADIAN RUBBER CO. OF MONTREAL. 

 Plans were submitted recently, at a special meeting of share- 

 holders, for the extensive remodeling of the plant of this com- 

 pany, which plans were approved, and the directors empowered 

 to make an issue of bonds to provide the necessary additional 

 capital. The plans have not been worked out in detail, but 

 The India Rubber World is advised by an official of the 

 company that the idea is to double the capacity of both the 

 mechanical goods and the boot and shoe departments. The 

 machinery to be added is to be of the latest improved types, 

 and in its installation a partial re-arrangement of the existing 

 factory plans will be necessary. 



FAILURE OF l.AMKIN & FOSTER (BOSTON). 

 Lamkin & Foster, shoe jobbers, No. 172 Congress street, 

 Boston, have been petitioned into bankruptcy, the petition not 

 being opposed by the firm. The firm was organized in 1873 by 

 the late William C. Lamkin (who died in 1890) and Alfred S. 

 Foster, who recently has been only a general partner. For sev- 

 eral years, up to January 1, last, the firm were exclusive New 

 England agents for the footwear of the Goodyear's India Rub- 

 ber Glove Manufacturing Co., but since then several other 

 houses have been admitted to the sale of these goods. Prior 

 to the proceedings mentioned above, attachments were levied 

 against the firm to a large amount, the United States Rubber 

 Co.'s claim being reported at $1 50,000. Two Boston banks are 



