December i, 1903.] 



THE INDIA RUBbER WORLD 



95 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. 



TO the Editor of The India Rubber World : The Has- 

 kell Golf Ball Co. have won their suit against A. G. 

 Spalding & Brothers in the United States circuit court in the 

 southern district of New York, the defendants having confessed 

 judgment on $10,000 for the infringement of patents owned by 

 the Haskell company. This suit was one of several brought by 

 the Haskell company against manufacturers of golf balls, for 

 infringement of patents, and the result of similar suits which 

 are yet unsettled is said to promise favorably for the plain- 

 tiffs. The Haskell company own the patents for the Haskell 

 ball, which is a wound rubber cored ball, the invention of Mr. 

 Coburn Haskell and Mr. Bertram G. Work, vice president of 

 The B. F. Goodrich Co. of this city, and the great popularity of 

 this ball among golfers has resulted in other manufacturers 

 trying to imitate it. The Spalding company made a ball of a 

 similar nature, and when brought to task about it by the Has- 

 kell company claimed that as base balls in which some rubber 

 thread is used were made prior to the manufacture of the Has- 

 kell ball, the latter is no novelty. As the Spalding company 

 have long been noted as the makers of base balls, they felt se- 

 cure in their claims, and fought the suit brought by the Has- 

 kell company. They have evidently thought better of it since, 

 as they have not only confessed judgment for $10,000 and 

 agreed to pay the costs of the suit, but have entered into an 

 agreement with the Haskell company for a license to make the 

 Haskell ball. Mr. B. G. Work, vice president of the Haskell 

 company, states that the result of the suit is very satisfactory 

 to them, as the confession of judgment amounts to a vindica- 

 tion of the claims of the company. Mr. Work also stated that 

 there is nothing new to say in regard to the patent infringe- 

 ment suits of the Haskell company against The Kempshall Man- 

 ufacturing Co. 



» » * 



The plant of the India Rubber Co., or rather that portion 

 which was not destroyed by the fire (in March, 1903) which 

 caused the removal of the company from this city, has been 

 purchased by a company of Pittsburgh and Cleveland capital- 

 ists, formed for the manufacture of cutlery. The plant was pur- 

 chased for about $50,000, including the office building. The 

 deal closes the history of one of Akron's most successful enter- 

 prises, as everything connected with the former company has 

 been removed to the plant of the new company, The India 

 Rubber Co. of New Brunswick, New Jersey. 



* * * 



The plant of the Lyon Rubber Co., which went into the 

 hands of a receiver on October 6, is again in operation. Re- 

 ceiver Kling disposed of the machinery to Ossian G. Lyon, 

 who was vice president and manager of the company, for 

 $669.98, and the raw material and finished goods to David G. 

 Armstrong, who was its secretary and treasurer. These gentle- 

 men will continue the business, under the name O. G. Lyon, 

 making rubber gloves, finger cots, and other dipped goods. 

 Receiver Kling has not yet made a report, owing to the ac- 

 counts which remain to be collected, but is of the opinion that 

 the creditors will receive 50 per cent, of their claims. 



* ♦ » 



The night watchman at the plant of the Pure Gum Specialty 

 Co. (Barberton) prevented the plant from being robbed on the 

 night of November 20. He was attracted by a noise in the rear 

 of the plant and got to the scene in time to prevent two men 

 from entering. One of the men, in his hasty retreat, dropped 

 his hat. The next day the Barberton police saw Frank Lee 

 wearing a straw hat, and placed him under arrest. The hat 



found by the watchman was identified as the one worn by Lee 

 prior to the robbery, and he is held pending a trial for attempt- 

 ed burglary. 



* * » 



After a trial lasting several days a jury in the court of com- 

 mon pleas returned a verdict against the Diamond Rubber Co. 

 in the suit of Addison McClurg, who sued the company for 

 $20,000 damages, alleged to have been sustained by reason of 

 the negligence of the defendant company. McClurg lost ahand 

 in one of the machines at the factory of the company some 

 time ago. He operated a calender, and in his petition, alleged 

 that the rolls of the calender were not properly guarded. Mc- 

 Clurg was awarded $2,100 by the jury. The case may be car- 

 ried to a higher court. 



* » * 



Ax option has been taken by Pittsburgh parties on the plant 

 of the People's Hard Rubber Co., which has been standing idle 

 since the failure of that company, and it is stated that a com- 

 pany will be formed for the manufacture of street railway spec- 

 ialties. It is one of the best rubber plants in Akron, but it was 

 dismantled soon after the purchase of the assets of the company 

 by New York interests, and has not been used since. 



* * * 



John F. Ives, the inventor of an automobile tire, has filed a 

 suit in the court of common pleas at Akron, against the Dia- 

 mond Rubber Co., for damages in the sum of $5563, for the al- 

 leged violation of contract. The plaintiff alleges that he enter- 

 ed into a contract with the Diamond company on April 2. 1902, 

 to work for them at a fixed salary, and to give the company the 

 exclusive right to manufacture and sell his tire. He alleges 

 that the company has refused to manufacture the tire under 

 his patent, though retaining the exclusive right to do so until 

 April 2. 1903. By this action, the plaintiff says, he was restrain- 

 ed from manufacturing the tire on his own account which he 

 could have done with good profit. He states that the company 

 agreed to pay him not less than $1000 per year in quarterly 

 installments, and paid but two installments. 



* * * 



When a good sized convention is to be held in Akron, as has 

 happened several times within the past year or two, the circu- 

 lars descriptive of the city, sent out in abundance by the local 

 committees, invariably call attention to the importance of the 

 rubber industry here, and delegates are promised a trip through 

 the principal factories as one of the events of the visit. This 

 promise is seldom made good, however, on account of the un- 

 willingness of the rubber manufacturers to open their works 

 freely to inspection. But the disappointment of the delegates 

 is mitigated in part by the distribution of rubber souvenirs of 

 some sort. In former years delegates could expec; to secure 

 souvenirs emblematic of Akron's potteries and clay product 

 companies, but these are never thought of now. Just now the 

 most popular souvenir of the "Rubber City" is a miniature 

 hot water bottle holding about a quarter pint, which really is 

 a useful article. It can be used as a face bottle, and delegates 

 who are fortunate enough to secure one of them count them- 

 selves favored. This souvenir first came into popularity upon 

 the occasion of the second state campaign opening of the Re- 

 publican party here two years ago, when the local press com- 

 mittee, in search of souvenirs, hit upon the idea of miniature 

 water bottles, and secured a supply of them for the visiting 

 newspaper men. The visitors displayed their souvenirs to men 

 high in the councils of the party who were present, and they in 

 turn besieged the local press headquarters in quest of the neat 

 little souvenir, and since that time the miniature bottle has 

 been a great favorite. At the recent conclave of the Knights 



