March 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



309 



CLINTON VAN VLIET. 



Clinton Van \'lict, president of Goodycar's India Rubber 

 Selling Co.. died in I'lushing Hospital, Flushing, Long Island, 

 on February 6. iinckr circumstanees that were not only excep- 

 tionally distressing, but so unusual as to attract wide attention. 



Early in January he was attacked with what he believed to 

 be indigestion. His doctor diagnosed it, however, as appendici- 

 tis. Mr. Van Vliet assured bini that this was impossible, as 

 some three and a halt years ago, being attacked by appendicitis, 

 he had undergone an operation at the hands of two famous New 

 York surgeons and on his recovery had paid them a large 

 amount for removing his appenthx. His friends will remember 

 the long siege that he passe<l tlirough at that time — after lie had 



CUNTON V.\X Vl.IET. 



been under the surgeon's knife — which kept him away from his 

 business duties for many months. His doctor, however, was 

 insistent that his diagnosis was correct; accordingly on January 

 18 an opertion was performed and the appendix removed. But 

 at Mr. Van Vliet's age — 69 years — he was not able to rally from 

 the shock, and some days later it was noticed that gangrene had 

 set in in one of his legs, owing to congestion of the blood. On 

 February 2 a second operation — amputating his left leg — was 

 performed. He survived this but a few days, passing away on 

 February 6. 



In the death of Mr. Van Vliet, the rublier industry has lost 

 one of its ablest men and most successful members. Below is a 

 brief resume of his life, as given by one of his business asso- 

 ciates for nearly forty-four years : 



Mr. Van Vliet was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on August 

 20. 1844. and was imbued with that good old Holland blood 

 which has given to the world a host of sturdy men and women. 

 He was educated in the public schools of his native town, from 

 which he graduated with high honors. His first entry into busi- 

 ness life was with a flour commission firm in New York City. 

 but seeing a better chance to advance himself, he became cashier 

 and office manager of an old-established carriage and wagon 

 firm, with which he remained several years. In the fall of 1870. 

 he entered the service, as office manager, of Goodyear's India 

 Rubber Glove Mfg. Co., whose offices and stores were then 

 situated at Xos. 205 Broadway and 164 to 166 F"ulton street., New' 

 York City. His ability was early recognized, and upon the 

 death of the treasurer he was made acting treasurer and general 

 manager, the firm in the meantime having removed to Nos. 503 



and 505 Broadway. .\ little later he was elected treasurer and 

 general manager, and when the business of the firm was merged 

 into the Cnited States Rubber Co., he was retained in those 

 positions and still held them at the time of his death. He also 

 was elected president and treasurer of the Goodyear's India 

 Rubber Selling Co., one of the subsidiary branches of the United 

 States Rubber Co. 



Mr. Van Vliet's characteristics were, a strict adherence to the 

 routine of business life, an unflagging energy in the advance- 

 ment of the interests of his company, and a remarkable intuitive 

 way of solving quickly many of the perplexities incident to busi- 

 ness affairs. His decisions were final, because they invariably 

 were proven correct and for the best interests of all concerned. 



While a keen man of business, he was withal a man who sub- 

 stantially helped many who were less fortunate in their daily 

 life, even tho knowing that his efforts would meet with no 

 reward except in the feeling that he was doing good. A quiet 

 man, avoiding all that was spectacular, not given to self-assertive- 

 ness. tho of exceptional ability; loyal, helpful, universally 

 respected, and b> those whose lives touched his most closely 

 much beloved. 



HENRY G. COOKE. 



The extreme winter weather that swept down on New York 

 so suddeifly in the second week of F'ebruary brought many 

 casualties and not a few fatalities in its wake— among them the 

 death of Henry G. Cooke, for the past 19 years manager of the 

 stock transfer department of the United States Rubber Co., who 

 fell on an icy sidewalk on I'cbruary 14, sustaining a fracture 

 of the skull, from which he died on the 18th. 



Mr. Cooke was 58 years of age and had spent practically his 

 whole life in New ^'ork City, residing during his last few years 

 at 2469 Broadway. His earlier business career was associated 

 with Piielps Kro. & Co.. steamship agents. In 1895 he left his 

 position with that concern tn join the United States Rubber 

 Co.. where he was soon put in charge of the stock transfers, 

 holding that iHisitioii to the time of his death. His association 

 with these two companies covered his entire business career of 

 nearly 40 years. He was a veteran of the Twenty-third Regi- 

 ment of New York and was quite prominently identified with 

 the Masons. His position in the United States Rubber Co 

 brought him in contact with the representatives of the financial 

 interests and he had a wide acquaintance throughout the Wall 

 street district. Among his associates in the rubber company 

 he was held in the highest esteem. 



MRS. F. M. SHEPAHD. 



Mrs. Frederick M. Shepard died at her home in East Orange, 

 New Jersey, on F'ebruary 18, in her eighty-second year, from a 

 complication of diseases. She had, in fact, never recovered 

 from the shock occasioned by the death of her husband last 

 June. Mr. Shepard, as is known by everyone familiar with the 

 rubber trade, was very prominent in that industry for over 60 

 years, having been president of the Goodyear Rubber Co. dur- 

 ing the greater part of his life, and president of the United 

 States Rubber Co. for a period of five years. 



Mrs. Shepard is survived by five children, viz. — Frederick M. 

 Shepard, Junior, John A. Shepard, Miss Annie R. Shepard, Miss 

 Edith M. Shepard and Mrs. .Alfred Boote— all of East Orange. 



BEQUESTS IN MH. LEWIS' "WILL. 



The late George -A. Lewis, president of the Beacon Falls 

 Rubber Shoe Co., left the larger part of his estate to his family, 

 but his will contained a certain number of specific bequests, as 

 follows : $10,000 to the First Congregational Church of Nauga- 

 tuck, Connecticut : $5,000 to the Grove Cemetery .Association of 

 that city; $1,000 each to his coachman, his gardener and a 

 woman servant who had officiated in his home for a number 

 of years, and a bequest of $500 to his chauffeur. 



