102 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December i, 1908. 



president of The H. F. Taintor Manufacturing Co. (New York), 

 whose products are widely known in the rubber industry, and 

 The American Whiting and Putty Manufacturing Co. He was 

 born in Buffalo, N. Y., on June 30, 1833, and educated at the 

 Homer Academy in that city. He engaged in railway enterprises 

 in Wisconsin, and in 1862 removed to New York city, where 

 he 'became associated with the Hon. Samuel J. Tilden, then one 

 of the most notable lawyers in the country and later Democratic 

 candidate for president of the United States, in the financial 

 management of Western railways. Mr. Taintor was an enthusi- 

 astic ally of Mr. Tilden in the campaign that led to the de- 

 thronement and exile of the one time New York political "boss," 

 William Marcy Tweed. Mr. Taintor is said to have devoted six 

 years to gathering evidence against the Tweed "ring," and he 

 was the chief witness in the public investigation of the looting 

 of the city treasury, with tlie result that large sums were re- 

 turned to the city. 



Mr. Taintor was at one time a member of the banking firm of 

 Taintor & Dyett, in New York. After becoming connected with 

 the business firms above noted he devoted great energy to their 

 development, and it is mentioned that, in case of The H. F. 

 Taintor Manufacturing Co., he signed all their checks up to the 

 date of his death. Mr. Taintor was a direct descendant of 

 Charles Taintor, who landed in Connecticut in 1643. He was 

 a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a member of 

 the Union League Club, of New York. He is survived by a 

 widow and a son and daughter, the son, Starr Taintor, being 

 treasurer of The Taintor Manufacturing Co. 



JAMES FERGUSON. 



James Ferguson died at his home in Bayonne, New Jersey, 

 on November 16. Born on a farm, he made his way to New 

 York city and started upon his life career as an electric lineman. 

 He profited from his opportunities to such an extent that in a 

 few years he was able to take part, in 1881, in an important 



"71 capacity ni organiz- 

 ing the first electric 

 lighting company in 

 the borough of Brook- 

 lyn, then an indepen- 

 dent city. The shares 

 in this enterprise, first 

 sold at 50 cents each, 

 have been quoted since 

 .'is high as $400. Eleven 

 years later Mr. Fer- 

 guson was made man- 

 ager of the Brooklyn 

 000. The company then 

 capitalized at $1,500,- 

 000. The company, then 

 becoming amalgamated 

 with another, Mr. Fer- 

 guson accepted the 

 management of the 

 J.\MEs t-EKGUsuiN. McCray Conduit Co., 



service of which his inventive and administrative ability found 

 wide scope, and brought him good returns. Later Mr. Ferguson 

 accepted a position with the Safety Insulated Wire and Cable 

 Co., then located in New York, in West Twenty-eighth street, 

 whose extensive plant he assisted to remove to Bayonne, New 

 Jersey, where it is now located. Mr. Ferguson, became super- 

 intendent if the Safety Company, his fertile brain enabling him 

 to contribute to their practice many important new processes 

 and devices. The strain of many years of hard work caused 

 a partial breakdown, to recover from which he underwent a 

 serious operation ; followed by a visit to Europe m search of 

 relief, from which he returned recently to end his days with 

 his family. Mr. Ferguson is survived by a wife, two daughters. 



and a son — the latter now employed in the electrical department 



of the Safety company's plant at Bayonne. 



GEORGE A. BURNHAM. 



George A. Burnham, general factory manager for Morgan & 

 Wright (Detroit, Michigan), was instantly killed on November 

 14, while duck hunting near Pearl Beach, Mich, While accom- 

 panied by three other members of the Morgan & Wright staff, 

 none of them was within hailing distance when the accident 

 occurred. The body was taken to Detroit on a special car the 

 next morning. 



Mr. Burnham was born in Portland, Me,, October I, 1874. 

 His parents dying while he was in infancy, he was cared for 

 by relatives in Boston, where he attended the public schools. 

 In 1893 he went to Chicago and obtained employment in the 

 bicycle tire department of the Morgan & Wright factory, then 

 located in that city. He advanced rapidly, becoming superin- 

 tendent and then factory manager. When their plant was re- 

 moved to Detroit it devolved upon Mr. Burnham to do much, 

 of the planning of the new factory from the standpoint of a 

 man who knew best how to economize in time and labor. Mr. 

 Burnham was a recognized automobile tire expert, and there 

 were few men in Detroit automobile circles more popular than 

 he. Mr. Burnham was a Knights Templar and Mystic Shriner. 

 He is survived by a widow and three young children — two sons 

 and a daughter. 



FURMAN PEARSALL. 



FuR.MAN Pearsall, whose great grandfather was the original 

 settler of the village of Pearsall, Long Island, died on No- 

 vember IS at his home, 1259 Pacific street, Brooklyn, in his 

 twenty-eighth year. He was connected with the Voorhees Rub- 

 ber Manufacturing (x). (Jersey City, New Jersey). He was a 

 member of the Twenty-third regiment. New York State National 

 Guard, and the Belle Harbor Yacht Club. His wife and a son 

 survive. 



THE LATE THEODORE S. BASSETT. 



The following tribute of respect to the late Theodore Sheldon 

 B.-issett, an obituary notice of whom appeared in the last India 

 Rubber World, has been paid by the New England Rubber Club : 



Whereas. The sad news of the sudden death of our friend and fellow 

 member, Theodore S. Bassett, has come as a great shock to the mem- 

 bers of the New England Rubber C]uh — the pioneer and leader in one 

 of the most important develop'ments of recent years in the rubber trade, 

 the importance and value of his work having been of untold benefit to 

 rubber manufacturers the world over, and a member of our Club from 

 its inception, his sterling qualities, both as a business man and associate, 

 commended himself to all, and his loss will be most keenly felt in every 

 part of the rubber trade. 



Rcsoh-ed. That this Club extend to his family its sincere and most 

 heartfelt sympathy, 



l\L-solz-eti, That these resolutions be spread upon the records of the 

 Club, and copies engrossed and sent to his family, and to his business 

 associates, 



George P, Whitmore, 

 Elston B. Wadbrook, 

 Alexander M. Paul. 

 Committee on Resolutions. 

 Boston, October 21, 1908. 



The automobile drive of Mr. Frank A, Moore from Los An- 

 geles to Walla Wall, shows the efficacy of rubber as a tire. The 

 distance covered was 1,880 miles, and it was made without change 

 of tires, and only one puncture occurred during the entire trip 

 Mr, Perkins, of the Sterling Rubber Co,, on Second street, states 

 that the sundries' business is still very good, although there has 

 been but little change in other lines. The outlook, however, is 

 entirely favorable for an excellent business ne.xt spring. 



It is announced that a chair has been endowed at the Uni- 

 versity of Liverpool for instruction in the Spanish language, on 

 account of the growing importance of the knowledge of Spanish 

 in the extension of the commerce of English speaking coun- 

 tries. This should serve as an example to .Americans, in view 

 of the fact that the Lhiited States is the industrial country of im- 

 portance most closely related naturally to the great Spanish 

 speaking world of southern America, 



