496 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



[September 1, 1911. 



news about rubber that I am not interested in. Ever since I 

 started in the rubber industry with my wife as a partner, I have 

 lived on the study of it." He attributes the wonderful growth 

 of the rubber industry of late years largely to the advent of the 

 gasoline engine, this making possible the automobile, and the 

 automobile in turn calling for rubber tires. 



Mr. Holton, no doubt, is the oldest rubber student of The 

 American Rubber University, .\lthough an octogenarian, his 

 step is steady, his eye penetrating, his mind clear, analytical, 

 logical and constructive, his chief aims being the advancement 

 jof the science for which he has given almost a lifetime of effort. 

 * * * 

 .\ welcome indication of prosperity at Akron and in Summit 

 'County generally is afforded by the fact that more than three 

 weeks elapsed without any petition in bankruptcy from either 

 quarter being filed with tlie Akron otTicial referee. 



LAUGE EXTENSION OF REPUBLIC PLANT, 



At a recent meeting of the Board various important additions 

 to the works of the Republic Rubber Company, Youngstown, 

 Ohio, were decided upon. These include enlargement of the 

 power plant and mill-room capacity. In connection with the two 

 new buildings just completed the improvements will allow of a 

 largely augmented product, while the working staff will be in- 

 creased from 1,000 to 1,500 hands. 



A PEIZE-WTNNING STABLE. 



Among the most admired cquines at the recent Chagrin 

 Valley Hunt Club Show were three "blue ribbon" stars — Dun- 

 ferdmiller, Wild Irish Rose and Lochinvar — from the stable of 

 W. B. Miller, secretary of the Diamond Rubber Company, Akron. 

 The first-named entry took the prize on that occasion in the 

 heavyweight hunter class. 



THE CREATION OF THE FIRESTONE COMPANY. 



ITARVEY S. FIRESTONE, president and general manager 

 ■* ^ of The Firestone Tire &: Rubber Company, is a capable 

 president, an efficient manager and a constructive engineer of 

 marked ability. He was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, 

 December 20, 1878, of sturdy pioneer stock who had lived in this 

 country more than a century and had taken not only an active 

 part in political and commercial lines, but had helped shoulder 

 the burdens of the moral and military conflicts of this nation 

 commencing with the French and Indian wars. 



Endowed with physical strength and stamina, given the ad- 

 vantage of the schools of his home, and supplemented with a 

 first-class commercial education, in 1888 he started as a book- 

 keeper in a coal office. After mastering the details of this busi- 

 ness, and desiring to broaden his business education, lie became 

 a traveling salesman for a drug and grocery specialty house. In 

 1894 he entered the employ of The Columbus Buggy Company. 

 He soon became convinced that there was a broad field for 

 development in rubber tires for various vehicles. Acting on this 

 conviction he resolved to devote his entire efforts to the dcvclop- 

 ' ment of this industry. 



He at once commenced to exploit rubber tires for buggies, and 

 in 1894 drove the first rubber tired buggy in Michigan. The 

 next two years he spent in Detroit demonstrating to various 

 owners of iron tired vehicles the advantage of using rubber tires. 

 In 1896, realizing that there was more business in Chicago than 

 in Detroit, he went there and with a capital of less than one 

 thousand dollars organized The Firestone Rubber Tire Company. 



The first few years Mr. Firestone gave almost his entire time 

 to the sales end of the business, having his tires manufactured by 

 contract. Then he and his associates, having bought out The 

 Imperial Rubber Tire Company of Chicago, consolidated with 

 The Rubber Tire Wheel Company, of Springfield, Ohio. This 

 consolidation was supposed to control the rubber tire business 

 at that time. Mr. Firestone and his associates sold their rights 



to New York parties, who later formed The Consolidated 

 Rubber Tire Company of New York. He remained in Chicago 

 as general manager of that company until August, 1899, when 

 he came to Akron, Ohio. 



In August, 1900 he organized the present Firestone Tire & 

 Rubber Company, which was incorporated for $50,000 for the 

 purpose of making carriage tires of the side wire type, of which 

 Mr. Firestone owned the original patents. In 1903 The Fire- 

 stone Tire & Rubber Company bought an old foundry in East 



1^ 1»K 



\ 



H-'\RVEY S. FiRESTOXE. 



President Firestcn,e Tire & Rubber Company. 



Miller avenue, and commenced to manufacture tlicir own tires. 

 The number of tires manufactured increased until the summer 

 of 1910 the 3J4 acres of floor space was completely outgrown; 

 the company had no room to increase their output, as the plant 

 was running day and night. The company immediately com- 

 menced to construct a new plant of latest design, construction, 

 machinery and equipment covering a floor space of over ten 

 acres, which was completed in May of this year. 



SIGHT TO THE POINT. 



We are requested to publish the following, a communication 

 addressed to the members of the Rubber Section of the Ameri- 

 can Chemical Society: 



"The American Chemical Society is very anxious that those 

 of its members interested in the chemistry of India rubber 

 should have their problems considered and solved. The India 

 Rubber Section has had two meetings, but there is not yet 

 sufiicient evidence of real co-operative effort among the rubber 

 chemists to insure success. The methods of analysis of India 

 rubber are in almost a chaotic condition. The usual specifica- 

 tions for rubber goods meet the approval only of those who 

 make them. The general chemistry of India rubber is sadly 

 in need of improvement. 



"Only the chemists actively interested in the India rubbft 

 industry can hope to improve affairs, and it is, accordingly, 

 necessary that they should really get tcigetlier w'ithout too many 

 padlocks on their lips if results are to be accomplished. It is 

 certainly true that there are many secrets of the rubber trade 

 which cannot be disclosed, nnr is there any desire that they 

 should be disclosed, but when certain firms decline even to 

 allow their methods of analysis to be known, it would certainly 

 seem that secrecy is carried too far. The Section can never 

 become a success if every member goes to its meetings with no 

 idea of his responsibilities toward helpfulness, but simply to learn 

 from others, many of whom may be in a similar position." 



