December i, 1903.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



97 



NEWS OF THE AMERICAN RUBBER TRADE. 



THE HASKELL GOLF BALL SUITS, 



ON November 6 A. G. Spalding & Brothers (New York) 

 confessed judgment to the extent of $10,000 in an ac- 

 tion brought against them by the Haskell Golf Ball Co. 

 and The B. F. Goodrich Co. The case was brought in 

 the United States circuit court for the southern district of New 

 York and alleged infringement of patent. After taking testimony 

 in the case and before final hearing, Spalding& Brotherssurren- 

 dered, admitted the infringement, and agreed to pay the sum 

 named as damagesand the costs of the litigation. The suit was 

 brought on the patent obtained April 11, 1899, by B. G. Work and 

 Coburn Haskell, for a golf ball composed of a rubber center and 

 a guttapercha casing. The Spalding firm were making and 

 selling a ball known as the " Wizard," but its construction was 

 practically identical with the Haskell ball. Subsequent to the 

 confession of judgment the owners of the patent granted a 

 license to the Spaldings to manufacture upon the royally basis 

 and that firm will continue to put its product on the market, 

 under the label used hitherto. 



The decree of the court is of especial interest in that it de- 

 clares the validity of the patent, the second paragraph stating, 

 after the granting of the papers had been recited : 



That the said B. G. Work and Coburn Haskell were the first, true, 

 original, and joint inventors of the invention described in said letters 

 patent, and claimed in the claims thereof, and that the said letters pa- 

 tent are good and valid. 



A perpetual injunction was alsoentered againstSpalding from 



making, using or selling any golf balls made under this patent 

 without license from the patentee. The decree is signed by 

 Judge Lacombe. 



Quite a number of other suits similar to the one against 

 Spalding & Brothers have been brought by the same firms. In 

 the suit against Patrick Brothers, dealers, of New York, it is 

 understood that a similar decree has been agreed upon to the 

 one quoted above. In this case the damages have not been 

 settled, but the business that has been done is being deter- 

 mined by accountants. Another suit is against The Kempshall 

 Manufacturing Co., of Arlington, New Jersey. In this suit tes- 

 timony is still being taken. There is also a suit against the 

 Swift Golf Ball Co., of New York, in which testimony is being 

 taken. Suit has been recently filed against the Worthington 

 Manufacturing Co., of Elyria, Ohio, manufacturing a ball 

 known as the "Standard," which the Haskell company claims 

 is an infringement. [Further details regarding the Haskell 

 golf ball litigation appeared in The India Rubber World, of 

 August, 1902 (page 366), and December, 1902 (page 102)]. 



AMERICAN TUBING AND WEBBING CO. 

 The receivers of the American Tubing and Webbing Co. 

 (Providence, Rhode Island)'announce for public sale on Decem- 

 ber 1 (the date of this issue of The India Rubber World) all 

 the property of the said corporation other than cash and ac- 

 counts receivable. This course has been rendered necessary 

 by the embarrassment of the company growing out of the fail- 

 ure of Dresser & Co., commission merchants of New York, as 

 already detailed in these pages. The factory is offered for sale 

 as a going concern, with the good will of the business. The 

 property includes about 37,000 square feet of land in Provi- 

 dence, with a five story brick building 248 X 54 feet subject to 

 a mortgage for $25,000) ; a very complete equipment for the 

 manufacture of flexible tubing for gas stoves, drop lights, etc., 



elastic webbing for suspenders, garters, and the like, of both 

 silk and cotton weaves, hat elastics, elastic braids, and all, simi- 

 lar products. There are mentioned 150 looms for webbing, 578 

 braiders and twisters, and accessory appliances; also all mer- 

 chandise in stock, manufactured or raw. 



The American Tubing and Webbing Co. was incorporated 

 May 31, 1889, as the Rhode Island Knitting Co., the name be- 

 ing changed January 31, 1890. The first factory, for various 

 elastics, was located on Acorn street. Providence. In 1896 the 

 factory was removed to Gordon street, into a new building of 

 its own, which is now offered for sale. In 1901 there was merged 

 with the business the Narragansett Webbing Co., of Newport 

 (incorporated January 6, 1897) and the National Fabric Co., of 

 Providence. The Narragansett company was organized by 

 Daniel LeRoy Dresser, who had come into possession of the 

 plant of the E. Read Goodridge Manufacturing Co., of Newport, 

 as a creditor of that concern, and upon the amalgamation with 

 the American Tubing and Webbing Co., he became a large 

 shareholder in the latter, which was capitalized at $276,000. 



The American Tubing and Webbing Co. were understood to 

 be doing a profitable business up to the time of Mr. Dresser's 

 failure, growing out of his connection with the United States 

 Shipbuilding Co. Receivers were appointed in March last, 

 since which time the factory was continued in operation, but 

 on a reduced scale. On November 2 a petition of the receivers 

 for an order of sale was granted by the supreme court, and on 

 November 9 the plant was closed, since which time the officers 

 of the company have devoted their attention to putting the bus- 

 iness and property in shape for sale. 



GOSHEN RUBBER WORKS (GOSHEN, INDIANA). 



AT the recent annual meeting of the shareholders it was 

 voted to increase the capital of the company from $100,000 to 

 $200,000, and to add new machinery at once. The year's busi- 

 ness was reported to have made a good showing. The board 

 of directors was reelected, with the addition of Frederick Bar- 

 ber, superintendent of the factory. Among the shareholders 

 are several citizens of Indianapolis, including Governor Durbin. 

 FRANKENBURG'S CANADIAN BRANCH. 



As foreshadowed in these pages, the important English house 

 of Frankenburg (Manchester) have established a branch factory 

 in Canada for supplying mackintoshes and raincoats direct to 

 their trade in the Dominion, though at present the proofing of 

 cloth will be done at another Canadian factory. The style of 

 the house in Montreal is Isidor Frankenburg, Sons & Co., Lim- 

 ited, and the location. No. 1883 Notre Dame street. The factory 

 will supply the wholesale trade only. Their Canadian manager 

 is E. L. Rosenthal, who, in 1876, entered upon a seven years' ap- 

 prenticeship to the Messrs. Frankenburg, in Manchester. Later 

 Mr. Rosenthal became a waterproof manufacturer on his own 

 account in Canada, since which time he has become thoroughly 

 acquainted with the requirements of the trade in that country. 

 ==The parent house of Frankenburg dates from 1876. Orig- 

 inally the manufacture of leather goods was combined with 

 that of waterproof goods. More recently this feature has been 

 replaced with electric wires and cables. In 1900 the business 

 was transformed into a limited liability company, I. Franken- 

 burg, Limited, composed of Mr. Isidor Frankenburg, J. P., and 

 his sons, and capitalized at /25o,ooo, in /io shares, one half 

 preferred and one half ordinary. A branch for the manufac- 



