September i, 1902.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER ^A^ORLD. 



391 



THE OBITUARY RECORD. 



RICHARD R. WHITEHEAD. 



RICHARD R. WHITEHEAD, president and treasurer of 

 the Whitehead Brothers Rubber Co., (Trenton, New 

 Jersey), and a pioneer of the rubber industry in that city, died 

 at his home there on July 25. In his death the city lost one of 

 its leading citizens and the rubber interest one of its successful 

 workers. 



Mr. Whitehead was born in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, Decem- 

 ber 24, 1824. He 

 went to Trenton in 

 1845, where his 

 father had estab- 

 lished a woolen 

 mill. This busi- 

 ness was c o n- 

 tinued under the 

 name of John 

 Whitehead & 

 Sons, and later as 

 Whitehead Broth- 

 ers, until the end 

 of the civil war. 

 In 1870, Messrs. 

 Whitehead Broth- 

 ers started the 

 manufacture of 

 mechanical rub- 

 ber goods. This 

 R. R. WHITEHEAD. was the beginning 



of an industry that was destined to be very successful and 

 rapidly grew into one of the chief enterprises of New Jersey's 

 capital. 



From the inception of the new concern the subject of this 

 sketch was closely identified with the business and its prosper- 

 ty was largely due to his efforts. The business continued to 

 grow and on November 21, 1887, the Whitehead Brothers 

 Rubber Co. was incorporated and purchased the interests of 

 Whitehead Brothers. 



James R. Whitehead was the first president of the new com- 

 pany and Richard R, Whitehead, its vice president and treas- 

 urer. The latter became president of the company, January i, 

 1894, since which time he had held that position. The com- 

 f>any will continue under the management of Howard C. 

 Whitehead, who has been vice president, and Alfred C. White- 

 head, secretary and manager. 



In addition to showing marked ability in a managerial capa- 

 city, the deceased had no small mechanical genius, and per- 

 fected several improved processes in rubber manufacturing, 

 which were put into successful operation in his mills. Mr. 

 Whitehead was noted for the close attention which he gave to 

 his business. He devoted his whole time to promoting the in- 

 terests of his mills and, aside from owning stock in a local 

 bank or two, had no outside business connection. Nor had 

 he any political aspirations. 



NICHOLAS WILLIAMSON, M. D. 



Dr. Nichola-s Williamson, a prominent citizen of New 

 Brunswick, New Jersey, and some time mayor of that town, 

 who died on August 15, was connected with a family once 

 largely interested in the India-rubber industry, and had him- 

 self been engaged in the business. The deceased was a son of 

 Nicholas Williamson, whose father was a bank president in 

 New York and once comptroller of the city. Nicholas Wil- 

 liamson, Sr., after having been a bank teller, was for two years, 



until early in 1853, secretary and treasurer of the Union India 

 Rublier Co. (New York), being succeeded by Frederick M. 

 Shepard. In that year he assisted Christopher Meyer and 

 Martin A. Howell in organizing the Novelty Rubber Co. at 

 New Brunswick, N. J., becoming treasurer and later president 

 of the company, and dying in 1862. Nicholas, Jr., born in New 

 York city in March, 1845, and removing with his family to New 

 Jersey, had prepared for Rutgers College, but on account of 

 the death of his father did not enter. Instead he accepted the 

 position of secretary of the Novelty Rubber Co., where he re- 

 mained several years, continuing his studies meanwhile. In 

 1871 he was graduated from the College of Physicians and 

 Surgeons (New York) and entered upon the practice of medi- 

 cine at New Brunswick. The Novelty Rubber Co., by the way, 

 had a license under Nelson Goodyear's hard rubber patent to 

 make buttons, canes, fancy boxes, and pipes. At one time hard 

 rubber buttons were in great demand for ladies' dresses, and 

 the profits of the company were phenomenal. Later the fash- 

 ion changed, the hard rubber patent expired, and the company, 

 after various changes, went out of business, selling their prem- 

 ises in February, 1886. Dr. Williamson took an active interest 

 in the affairs of his town, serving several terms as an alderman 

 and three terms ( 1895 97 to 1899 1901) as mayor. On the day 

 of his funeral, August 18, flags were at half mast throughout 

 the town. Dr. Williamson is survived by his second wife — 

 who was MissGurley, of Troy, New York — a son, and three 

 daughters ; also by two brothers : Douw D. Williamson, of 

 New Brunswick, and George N. Williamson, of Englewood, 

 N. J = = A brother of Nicholas Williamson — Douw Ditmars 

 Williamson — was interested in the rubber industry at New 

 Brunswick and later at Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was the 

 first manager of the North British Rubber Co., Limited. 



* » » 



Luther R. Marsh, who died recently at Middletown, New 

 York, upwards of 80 years of age, had been one of the great 

 lawyers of his day. He was at one time a partner of Daniel 

 Webster. While it is not known that he ever was interested 

 with Webster in India-rubber litigation, he had some rubber 

 parent cases on his own account. Mr. Marsh was counsel for 

 the North American Gutta Percha Co. of New York, founded 

 in 1853, and was elected a director at the second annual meet- 

 ing. This company, by the way, was succeeded by the present 

 Gutta Percha and Rubber Manufacturing Co. The India 

 Rubber World library contains a pamphlet by Mr. Marsh, in 

 answer to one by William Judson, in a discussion over John 

 Rider's Gutta percha patent. 



=Joseph Henry Converse, who died at his home in Cam- 

 bridge, Massachusetts, August 2, in his eightieth year, was 

 born in Boston, where he became a successful business man, 

 particularly in connection with the development of street rail- 

 ways. He was also at one time president of two southwestern 

 railway companies, and was interested in coal mining in Nova 

 Scotia. He was for 27 years treasurer of Tremont Temple, in 

 Boston, and aided in the development of various charitable in- 

 stitutions. He was a cousin of the Hon. Elisha S. Converse, 

 and it is mentioned that when the elder brother of the latter — 

 the late James W. Converse — went to Boston to make his start 

 in life, his first employment was with his uncles, Joseph and 

 Benjamin Converse, father and uncle, respectively, of Joseph 

 Henry Converse. 



Herbert C. Comstock has succeeded Silas L. Hazen as 

 sales agent for The Victor Rubber Tire Co. (Springfield, Ohio), 

 n charge of the company's New York branch. No. 1769 Broad- 

 way. 



