October i, 1902.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



21 



ALEXANDER C. OLIPHANT. 



Alexander C. Oliphant, treasurer of The United and 

 Globe Manufacturing Cos. and adjutant general of New Jersey, 

 died at his home in Trenton on September 16, from acute 

 Bright's disease. He had been stricken with paralysis three 

 days before, and remained unconscious most of the time until 

 his death. General Oliphant was born March 25, i860, at 

 Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and at the age of seven removed 

 with his family to New Jersey. He was a son of General S. 

 Duncan Oliphant, who served his country with distinction dur- 

 ing the civil war and who for more than thirty years has been 

 clerk of the United States circuit court for the district of New 

 Jersey. Alexander Oliphant was the sixth of a family of ten 

 sons, all the rest of whom survive. He received his early edu- 

 cation at Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and in the State Model 

 School at Trenton, and was graduated from the United States 

 Naval Academy in 1881. He was assigned to the United 

 States ship Laiicas/er, then flagship of the European squadron, 

 and was in the force landed at Alexandria in July, 1882, to 

 repulse the anticipated attack on that city by the Egyotian 

 rebels. He was discharged from the navy by an act of Congress 

 reducing the number of naval officers 

 of all ranks. He served on the staff of 

 Major General William J. Sewell in the 

 national guard of New Jersey, and at 

 the outbreak of the war with Spain was 

 made military secretary of Governor 

 Voorhees, and at the conclusion of the 

 war was made assistant adjutant gen- 

 eral. He became adjutant general in 

 1900. 



General Oliphant began his connec- 

 tion with the India-rubber industry 

 when the Globe Rubber Works was 

 founded at Trenton by Brook, Oliphant 

 and Co., the firm being composed of 

 James F. Brook, Alexander C. Oli- 

 phant, and the late Samuel K. Wilson. 

 About eleven years ago this firm was 

 dissolved and the Globe Rubber Woiks 

 was continued under the ownership of 

 Mr. Wilson. Shortly after that date the 

 United Rubber Co. was organized at 

 Trenton, to do a jobbing trade in rub- 

 ber goods by Watson H. Linburg, Welling G. Sickel (since 

 mayor of Trenton), and Mr. Oliphant, the latter being treasurer 

 of the company. They did a high class trad eand built up an 

 extensive business among the railroads and in the mining in- 

 dustry, and for several years many of the goods sold by them 

 were manufactured by the Globe Rubber Works. The two con- 

 cerns were finally consolidated under the name of The United 

 and Globe Rubber Manufacturing Cos., for which a certificate of 

 incorporation was issued July 25, 1899, and of which Alexander 

 C. Oliphant was treasurer, filling this position during the rest 

 of his life. General Oliphant married a daughter of the Hon. 

 Stephan B. Elkins, senior United States senator for West Vir- 

 ginia, who survives with several small children. 



The funeral on September 18 was attended with full military 

 honors. The services were conducted at the residence by the 

 Rev. yohn Dixon, D.D., former pastor of the First Presbyterian 

 church of Trenton, of which General Oliphant had been a 

 member. The long list of honorary pallbearers included Gov- 

 ernor Murphy, former Governor Voorhees, Captain William W. 

 Broivnson, of the United States naval academy ; Colonel A. L. 

 Mills, superintendent of the United States military academy at 



West Point ; Robert E. Paterson, former governor of Pennsyl- 

 vania; Messrs. Linburg and Sickel above mentioned; John S. 

 Broughton, secretary of the rubber company ; officers of the 

 New Jersey national guard, and several others. A handsome 

 floral tribute came from General Oliphant's class at the naval 

 academy. Other elaborate pieces came from the employes of 

 the rubber works, from Governor Murphy and other state offi- 

 cials, from Senator and Mrs. Elkins, from Senator and Mrs. 

 Davis, also of West Virginia; and very many others. The 

 funeral escort consisted of the Second regiment and Battery 

 B artillery. The funeral was attended by many members of 

 the rubber trade. 



THE COTTON DUCK MARKET. 



THE LATE GENERAL OLIPHANT 



MANUFACTURERS of rubber goods in connection with 

 which cotton duck is used have been making their an- 

 nual contracts, and it is estimated that fully 75 per cent, of 

 these have already been placed for the coming year beginning 

 with October i. The high price of raw cotton which has been 

 in evidence for some time past, with no promise of a decline, 

 has had a tendency to cause manufact- 

 urers to enter the fabric market earlier 

 than usual this year, in the hope of 

 covering their requirements for the 

 season at as low prices ns possible, and 

 there is no question that those who 

 have placed their orders have suc- 

 ceeded in securing better rates than 

 those who are holding their orders 

 back. There is nothing in sight at the 

 moment to warrant a buyer of anything 

 in the line of cotton to look for cheaper 

 material for some time to come, but, 

 on the other hand, cotton continues to 

 display an upward tendency, and the 

 Southern mills that make the greater 

 part of cotton duck and heavy brown 

 sheeting are paying to-day ]4 cent a 

 pound more for raw cotton than they 

 were a week ago. 



Shrewd buyers, however, are not dis- 

 posed to place implicit reliance upon the 

 reports that the cotton crop is unusually 

 light, and declare that the market is a speculative one, which 

 will in due time witness a slump in prices. However this may 

 be, rubber manufacturers are compelled to have the cloth, at 

 whatever price, and they have been buying more heavily than 

 ever before. That the rubber trade is on the up grade is evi- 

 denced by the fact that manufacturing concerns which have 

 heretofore placed orders for from 3000 to 5000 rolls to carry 

 them through the year, have raised their limit to from 5000 to 

 Sooo rolls. It is true that they have paid a higher price than 

 last year, but concerns which contract for the year have been 

 favored with a minimum rate. 



Manufacturers of rubber hose and belting ordinarily use cot- 

 ton duck 42 inches wide and weighing from 28 to 32 ounces to 

 the yard, the nominal price of which is at present quoted at 19 

 cents per pound. This same class of fabric sold last year at 17 

 cents. In contracting for a year's supply rubber manufactur- 

 ers, of course, secure a better price than this. For the special 

 make of duck intended for fire hose and air brake hose an ad- 

 vance of 3 cents is charged. And a much larger demand is 

 coming forward for this class of goods, on account of the new 

 equipments which railroads are constantly making. Then, too, 



