April i, 1905.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



239 



OBITUARY RECORD OF THE MONTH. 



JOSEPH P. EARLE. 



JOSEPH PITMAN EARLE, long widely l«nown in the 

 crude rubber trade and in New Yorlt club circles, died in 

 his fifty-eighth year at his residence, Uuck Cove Farm, 

 Wicktord, Rhode Island, on March 2. Owing to ill health 

 he retired from active business in 1896, and afterward spent 

 most of his time on his farm. Since 1899 he was confined to a 

 rolling chair, a cripple from locomotor ataxia, and although 

 his sulTerings must have been great at times, he never com- 

 plained, but tried to cheer those who were wiih him during his 

 long illness. He was optimistic to the last as to his recovery, 

 and was constantly making plans for reentering the crude rub- 

 ber business. Since early in February a rapid decline in his 

 general health was noticeable. His end was peaceful. 



He was graduated from Brown University in i87i,and in 

 the same year, with Mr. Henry Smythe.ot New York, formed the 

 firm of Smythe, Earle & Co., brokers in India-rubber, which 

 firm was dissolved in 1877, and was succeeded by Earle Broth- 

 ers. It was largely due to his advice 

 that the firm of W. R. Grace tS; Co. en- 

 tered the rubber market as important 

 factors in 1878, and up to 1886, when 

 the New York Commercial Co., Lim- 

 ited, was formed by Mr. Earle and his 

 associates, Messrs. Grace & Co. based 

 many of their large operations on Mr. 

 Earle's judgment and knowledge of the 

 market. 



It was largely through Mr. Earle's 

 instrumentality and on account of his 

 intimate acquaintance with the rubber 

 manufacturers and with important 

 financial houses that the United States 

 Rubber Co. was formed, in 1892, and 

 soon after it was he who conceived the 

 best plan of bringing about the consol- 

 idation that was formed in the mechan- 

 ical rubber goods trade. 



In i89[ he visited Paid on business 

 and in 1893 he went to La Paz, Bolivia, 

 in order to further develop the Boli- 

 vian crude rubber industry. There he 

 was taken sick, either, as he thought, 



through having been poisoned, or, as is more likely, through 

 the perils of the tropical climate. He never again recovered 

 his former good health. 



Although thoroughly devoted to business, Mr. Earle took a 

 keen interest in many sports. At college he was considered 

 one of the best baseball players, and later was a popular oars- 

 man and gymnast. He was an enthusiastic hunter, and also 

 took much pleasure in yachting. Many of his friends remem- 

 ber the enjoyable times they had on his sloop yacht Grade, 

 and acknowledge that as a generous host he had few equals. 

 While for a long period he was considered the leading spirit in 

 the crude rubber market, this did not prevent his devoting a 

 good deal of time to social life, his tact and sympathetic na- 

 ture making him a favorite with all who came in contact with 

 him. He always remained a bachelor. He became a member 

 of the First Baptist church of Providence, R. I., in 1866. 



He was descended from Puritan stock, through Captain 



THE LATE JOSEPH P. EARLE. 



Ralph Earle, who came to America from Exeter, England, in 

 1634. and settled in Newport, R. I. His remains were buried at 

 Swan Point cemetery. Providence, on March 6, the services 

 being conducted by the Rev. Dr. W. H. P. Faunce, president 

 of Brown University, of which institution Mr. Earle had been 

 a trustee since 1888. 



JOHN C. BALDERSTON. 

 John C. Baluf.r.ston died at his home in Boston on March 

 21. He was born in September, i83t. in Baltimore, Maryland, 

 where he grew up and engaged in the boot and shoe jobbing 

 business, founding the house of Balderston, Ward & Co., which 

 continued until 1877. In that year he removed to Boston and 

 formed a copartnership with the late Charles M. Clapp, under 

 the name Clapp & Balderston. The firm later became Bal- 

 derston &. Daggett, and took the selling agency for the National 

 Rubber Co. ( Bristol, Rhode Island), of which Mr. Balderston 

 became a director. With the reorganization of this company 

 in 1887, as the National India Rubber Co., with Colonel Samuel 

 P. Colt president and treasurer, Mr. 

 Balderston became vice president of 

 the company, in charge of the Boston 

 store. No. 28 Lincoln street. Upon the 

 merger of the company in the United 

 States Rubber Co., in 1892, Mr. Balder- 

 ston retired with a competency, and 

 has since led a life of leisure in his 

 home. No. 473 Beacon street. For sev- 

 eral years his health had been failing, 

 and last year he had a severe illness. 

 Funeral services were held on March 

 24, being conducted by the Rev. W. H. 

 Dewart, a former assistant rector of 

 Trinity church, in which Mr. Balder- 

 ston was long a pew holder. The pall- 

 bearers were Charles H. Uuincy, the 

 Hon. Augustus O. Bourn, John Brooks, 

 William A. Rust (president of the Free- 

 man's National Bank), William T. Lam- 

 bert, and Dr. Daniel W. Cheever (a 

 brother of the late John H. Cheever, of 

 the rubber trade). The interment was 

 at Forest Hills cemetery. A widow, 

 four sons and two daughters survive, 

 the eldest son being Frank D. Balderston, manager of tennis 

 sales for the United States Rubber Co. 



ANDREW ALBRIGHT. 



Andrew Albright, president of the Rubber and Celluloid 

 Harness and Trimming Co., and one of the best known citizens 

 of Newark, New Jersey, died of apoplexy on March 17 at Sea 

 Breeze, Florida, where he had gone three weeks before in appar- 

 ent good health himself, in company with his wife, who was not 

 well. Mr. Albright was born June 23, 1831, at Dryden, Tomp- 

 kins county. New York, where his father was a successful far.tier. 

 He was educated in the country schools and remained on his 

 father's farm until over 30 years of age, during which time he 

 gave much attention to the improvement of farm implements. 



The idea of inventing a cheap and durable covering lor har- 

 ness buckles interested him so much that he went to New 

 Jersey to carry on his experiments neara rubber factory. After 

 much experimenting he obtained a patent [No. 62,106 — Febru- 



