CIbe flational lursenimati 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated. 
Vol. XX. ROCHESTER, N. Y., OCTOBER, 1912 No. 10 
CHARLES L. YATES 
Charles L. Yates, Secretary, Treasurer and Business 
Manager of the National Nurseryman and well known in 
business and political circles in Rochester, N. Y., died sud¬ 
denly at his home No. 201 Rugby Ave., on Wednesday 
evening, September 4th, at nine o’clock, of acute indigestion, 
contracted on ■ an automobile trip with his family on the 
Monday previous. 
When he returned from the trip he was not feeling well, 
but his condition was not considered serious until he 
had a sudden turn for the worse on Wednesday 
night, and died almost before medical assistance could 
reach him. 
His funeral took place from his late residence on Saturday 
afternoon, September 7th, and was attended by representa¬ 
tive nurserymen from all parts of the country and other 
business, political and masonic friends. 
Mr. Yates was born at Pigeon Hill, Canada, on August 
nth, 1847, received his education in the Public Schools. 
In 1868 at the age of twenty-one (21) he moved to Lowell, 
Mass., when he engaged in the wholesale commission busi¬ 
ness. After six years he went to San Francisco and became 
interested in quick silver mines in the St. Helena Mountains. 
Upon his return to the East he'located in Waltham, Mass., 
and engaged in the nursery business for four years as local 
salesman for the Geo. A. Stone Nursery Co., of Rochester. 
From there he moved to Philadelphia and became a partner 
in the Stone Co. 
In 1885 he severed his connection with the Geo. A. Stone 
Co., and moved to Rochester, N. Y., where he started the 
nursery business under his own name and was very successful. 
In 1893 he commenced the publication of the National 
Nurseryman, which was later adopted as the official organ 
of the American Association of Nurserymen. In 1902 the 
business was incorporated under the title of the “National 
Nurseryman Publishing Co.,’’ Mr. Yates acting as secretary, 
treasurer and business manager. In 1898 he was elected 
treasurer of the American Association of Nurserymen, which 
office he held continuously up to the present time. 
Mr. Yates was interested in several business enterprises in 
Rochester, his principal connection being with the Pulver 
Chocolate and Chicle Manufacturing Co., of which he was 
President and Manager. At the time he was elected ]ircsi- 
dent of the company it was heavily in debt and no dividends 
had been declared for several years. Under his able manage¬ 
ment, the company soon paid up its outstanding debts, built 
up a surplus in its treasury and paid up nearly all of its back 
dividends and is now in a most prosperous condition. 
For the past ten years he has been a Director of the Union 
Trust Co., of Rochester and a vestryman of the Trinity 
Church for eighteen years. 
In political circles Mr. Yates was always a'" staunch 
Republican and was a resident of the Tenth Ward for four¬ 
teen (14) years. As vSupervisor'hc served his ward with 
great credit; he was Chairman of the Executive Committee 
of the Supervisor and Ex-vSupervisors’ Association, a member 
of the Rochester Whist Club, the Protcctives and the Roches¬ 
ter Ad Club, and a prominent Mason, being a Charter 
Member and Second Master of Corinthian Temple Lodge, 
No. 80s, F. &A. M.; was at one time High Priest of Ionic 
Chapter, No. 210, R. A. M., Generalissimo in Cryenc Com- 
mandry, 39 K. T., and a member of Damascus Temple, 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and Viceroy in the Knights of 
the Red Cross, Order of Constantine. 
Mr. Yates leaves a widow and one son. 
Relative to the death of our friend, Charlie Yates, it 
opens up again the grief which we all felt when the news of 
his death was announced, and that grief makes it difficult for 
me to say all that is in my heart to say of his many good 
qualities. 
Every member of the American Association knew him, 
and every member loved him, and nothing that I can say 
will add to their knowledge of his sterling worth, or lessen 
their grief in the fact that they will see him no more. 
A good, straightforward business man, warm hearted, 
generous, a good friend and a good fellow, what more can be 
said? We shall miss him sorely every year that we gather 
together in annual convention, and more frequently will he 
be missed and mourned by those of us who were his townsmen 
and neighbors. Wm. Pitkin. 
It is with the profoundcst regret that I learn from your 
letter of September 7 th of the death of Mr. C. L. Yates of 
Rochester. 
I valued his intimate friendship very highly and many 
were the good times we have enjoyed together. 
He was a man of high ideals, of good moral character and 
incapable of insincerity and his very untimely death will be 
felt keenly not only by his relatives and friends, but by the 
nurserymen at large for he was a figure of prominence at all 
conventions and his geniality will be missed by all who have 
ever come in contact with him. 
Charles A. Ilgenfritz. 
