December i, 1901.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER ^VORLD 



85 



NEWS OF THE AMERICAN RUBBER TRADE. 



EXTENSIVE FACTORY IMPROVEMENTS. 



THE Gutta Percha and Rubber Manufacturing Co. (New 

 York) are making extensive additions and improve- 

 ments to their works on Franklin and Skinman ave- 

 nues, Brooklyn. A new power press and Custodis 

 stack are being erected — to accommodate four Babcock & 

 Wilcox water tube boilers of 300 horse power each. Their 

 sprinkler system is being enlarged and carried over the entire 

 plant, supplied by a 15 gallon water tank supported on steel 

 frames. The company have contracted with the Fariel 

 Foundry and Machine Co. for several mills and calenders ; 

 also for a large four platen press of new design and great power. 

 All these improvements have been under way for some time 

 and will be completed about January i, 1902. 



PROGRESS OF THE VOORHEES COMPANY. 

 A SHORT three years ago the Voorhees Rubber Manufactur- 

 ing Co. (Jersey City, New Jersey) began business in a modest 

 way. Two years later, a large increase in their orders demand- 

 ing more room, they erected a substantial four story building. 

 To-day they are making a further addition of a two story brick 

 building. Both of these buildings and the original plant are 

 equipped with the very latest rubber machinery, a noted addi- 

 tion being the largest hydraulic belt press now in use. The 

 Voorhees company are noted for the high quality of goods that 

 they turn out, and are the inventors of a number of valuable 

 specialties which are having a very large sale. For example, 

 the " Nubian " packing, which is theirs, has gained friends from 

 the start, and has brought it commendation from the highest 

 sources. An interesting feature about this packing is that the 

 United States cruiser Montgomery has been equipped with it 

 throughout, under a strong endorsement by the government for 

 all claims made by its manufacturers. 



STOUGHTON RUBBER CO.'s EXTENSION. 

 The Stoughton company have decided to add to their 

 present lines of manufacture, the production of certain me- 

 chanical specialties on which they hold exclusive patents. In 

 order to accommodate the new work several buildings, con- 

 stituting practically a new and complete factory, are being 

 erected on a tract of two acres lately bought by the company 

 for this purpose. It is expected that about 100 employes will 

 be added to the company's pay roll. 



THE KOKOMO INCREASES ITS CAPITAL. 



The officers of the Kokomo Rubber Co. (Kokomo, Indiana) 

 have filed a certificate with the secretary of state of Indiana, 

 to the effect that the paid up capital of the company has been 

 doubled. The Kokomo company was incorporated early in 

 i8g6, and its capital is now four times as large as in the begin- 

 ning. 



PITTSBURGH RUBBER AND LEATHER CO. 



This company has been organized for the purpose of taking 

 the distribution, in the territory of which Pittsburgh is the com- 

 mercial center, of the Diamond Rubber Co.'s products. The 

 company also acts as distributors for the Charles Munson Belt- 

 ing Co. (Chicago). The president of the company is W. B. 

 Miller, secretary of the Diamond Rubber Co., at Akron, The 

 vice president is W. C. Rae, who was formerly vice president 

 and general manager of the Charles Munson Belting Co. of 

 Pittsburgh. The secretary and treasurer is/. W. Paul, formerly 

 manager of the Pittsburgh branch of the Revere Rubber Co. A 



letter from an official of the company says: ''The prospects for 

 business in this territory were never brighter, and we look for a 

 prosperous business for some time to come." The company 

 is a partnership association, organized August 22, 1901, with 

 $9000 capital. 



JAMES W. BYRNES BELTING AND HOSE CO. 

 This very successful company, with principal store in St. 

 Louis and branches at Kansas City and Joplin, Missouri, deal- 

 ing in mechanical rubber and leather goods, is about to open a 

 buying office in New York. The company was incorporated in 

 January, 1897, with $10,000 capital, paid up. The amount was 

 increased in January, 1899, to $20,000, and one year later to 

 $40,000. The undivided profits now are $10,000. The business 

 is confined to all kinds of belting, hose, packing, fire hose, 

 and fire apparatus. The goods sold are made under the com- 

 pany's own brands, to itsown specifications. Thirty people are 

 employed, including six men traveling in seventeen states in 

 the Mississippi valley and farther west. James W. Byrnes is 

 president, Edwin Rumsey vice president, and William B. Rob- 

 inson secretary. 



EMPIRE RUBBER SHOE CO. BANKRUPT. 

 A creditors' petition in bankruptcy against this company 

 was entered November 17 in the United States district court 

 at Providence, Rhode Island. The creditors who signed were 

 Clarence V. N. Radcliffe (treasurer of the company), J. F. 

 Mulvey Plumbing Co., and Woonsocket Electric Machine and 

 Power Co. The Empire company was incorporated under New 

 York laws May 31, 1901, and leased the rubber shoe factory of 

 the Model Rubber Co. (Woonsocket), the operation of which 

 by the new company began on June io.==The Empire State 

 Rubber Co., incorporated by the same parties, under Virginia 

 laws in 1897, to operate the factories at Setauket, Long Island, 

 and to deal in rubber goods generally, was not more successful. 

 Suits brought against this corporation by parties in Setauket, 

 to recover wages alleged to be due, in the New York Supreme 

 court, were decided recently in favor of the plaintiffs. 



CHANGES OF FACTORY SUPERINTENDENTS. 



Superintendent Frederick T. Cowee, of the Woon- 

 socket Rubber Co., will devote his attention hereafter to that 

 company's boot factory, at Millville, Massachusetts, with the 

 assistance of his son, F. M. Comee. The company's "Alice" 

 mill, at Woonsocket, will be in charge of John Robson, late 

 superintendent of the Boston Rubber Shoe factory at Maiden, 

 who will be assisted by George Schlosser, who already held the 

 position of assistant superintendent at the Alice mill.^^The 

 employes of the Alice mill, on the retirement of Superintend- 

 ent Comee, united in purchasing a testimonial, in the shape of 

 an elegant mahogany roll top desk, which he was pleasantly 

 surprised to find at his home on returning from the factory on 

 the evening of November 6.=^Colonel F. L. Locke has been 

 appointed superintendent of the factory at Maiden, to succeed 

 John Robson. He will be assisted by George W. Chase and 

 John Williams>^^=^Notice was given on November 6, at the 

 factory of the L. Candee & Co. (New Haven, Conn.), of the 

 resignation of Clarence G. Ames, who had been superintendent 

 for about six years, or since Emmett A. Saunders left that posi- 

 tion. The vacancy has been filled by the appointment of John 

 H. Pearce, who has been assistant superintendent for several 

 years. Mr. Ames will remain in another position. 



