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19 - Mohawk Valley by W. Max Reid · Mohawk Valley

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eighteen of the Mohawk Valley. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Recording by Roger Moline. The Mohawk Valley,
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  Speaker 1: Its Legends and its History by W. Max Reid, Chapter eighteen.
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  Speaker 1: Early Industries. In the year eighteen o two, the Reverend
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  Speaker 1: John Taylor, while on a mission through the Mohawk Valley,
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  Speaker 1: made in his journal the following entry about Amsterdam, which
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  Speaker 1: was formerly part of the ancient town of Cognawaga. Near
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  Speaker 1: the center of this town, Amsterdam, the Octanonda Creek empties
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  Speaker 1: into the Mohawk, a very fertile and useful stream. On
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  Speaker 1: this stream and in this town there stand four gristmills,
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  Speaker 1: two oil mills, one iron forge, and three sawmills. On
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  Speaker 1: an old map dated a eighteen o seven is shown
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  Speaker 1: an oil mill situated near the mouth of the creek
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  Speaker 1: and near the present site of the Pioneer knitting mill.
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  Speaker 1: This seems conclusive evidence that an oil mill was in
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  Speaker 1: operation at an early date, although our oldest residents confess
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  Speaker 1: that they have no knowledge of such an industry at
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  Speaker 1: that period. Where the other was situated, it is impossible
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  Speaker 1: to say at the present time unless it may have
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  Speaker 1: been in operation on the Jactananda Creek and anti dated
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  Speaker 1: the primitive mill of Supplyina Kellogg, one of the early
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  Speaker 1: settlers at West Galway, who founded a linseed oil mill
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  Speaker 1: at that place in eighteen twenty four, where he carried
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  Speaker 1: on the business in a small way until eighteen forty eight.
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  Speaker 1: Those who are familiar with the road from Hageman to
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  Speaker 1: West Galway will remember that after passing Conner's Gristmill, they
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  Speaker 1: come to a long stretch of Sandy Road, and the
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  Speaker 1: road beyond becomes its narrow and rugged on account of
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  Speaker 1: the dense growth of underbrush that lines each side of
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  Speaker 1: the wagon track. Emerging from the bushes, the road forms
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  Speaker 1: a junction with another running north and south, either branch
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  Speaker 1: of which, if followed, will lead to West Galway Village.
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  Speaker 1: In front and distant, about one hundred yards from the
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  Speaker 1: junction is visible an ancient dam across the Jactananda and
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  Speaker 1: a number of buildings, some of which have all the
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  Speaker 1: appearances of antiquity. To the left of the lane that
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  Speaker 1: leads to the old buildings are two cottages pleasantly situated,
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  Speaker 1: one of which is the home of Robert Calderwood and family.
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  Speaker 1: The writer feels under obligations to mister Calderwood for a
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  Speaker 1: courtesies extended and interesting information given. The old buildings mentioned
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  Speaker 1: above are all that remains of an active business center
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  Speaker 1: located here three quarters of a century ago. The dam,
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  Speaker 1: although the water is allowed to run through a large
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  Speaker 1: opening on the south, is in a remarkable state of
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  Speaker 1: preservation considering the manner of its construction. The wings of
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  Speaker 1: the dam are embankments about two hundred feet long to
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  Speaker 1: the north and to the south, but the poor or
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  Speaker 1: dam proper, is about fifty feet wide and constructed by
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  Speaker 1: laying heavy logs the full width of the stream, upon
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  Speaker 1: which were placed other logs about five feet apart and
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  Speaker 1: laid at right angles with the foundation. Then another row
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  Speaker 1: of long heavy logs, and a row of smaller ones
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  Speaker 1: at right angle, and so on until the desired height
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  Speaker 1: was reached. Leading from the dam on the north side
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  Speaker 1: is a square open flume showing signs of age and usage.
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  Speaker 1: Some years previous. This square flume replaced a round tube
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  Speaker 1: that had worn and rotted away. The old round flume
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  Speaker 1: carried the water that furnished the power to turn the
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  Speaker 1: water wheel that operated the machinery that ground the seed
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  Speaker 1: that made the oil in the Pioneer oil mill of
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  Speaker 1: Supplyina Kellogg, which was located below the dam on the
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  Speaker 1: north side of the stream. The building is still standing,
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  Speaker 1: although dismantled of all the machinery used for the manufacture
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  Speaker 1: of linseed oil, and though the exterior of the structure
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  Speaker 1: shows evident signs of age, the interior displays immense beams
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  Speaker 1: and girders that seemed to bid defiance to time and decay.
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  Speaker 1: I was informed that part of this old building was
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  Speaker 1: formerly located below the Beaver Dam Creek, about a mile
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  Speaker 1: below a gristmill belonging to Robert Campbell, whose residence is
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  Speaker 1: still standing near the northwest corner of the roads mentioned above.
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  Speaker 1: Two of the millstones of this gristmill may be seen
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  Speaker 1: in a field opposite the Campbell residence near the junction
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  Speaker 1: of roads. The back part of the Kellogg mill was
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  Speaker 1: used as a fulling mill, where the farmers brought cloth
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  Speaker 1: woven by their wives and daughters to be fulled and dressed.
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  Speaker 1: In the upper story. Bins were arranged in order to
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  Speaker 1: keep each customer's cloth separate, and the fields adjoining were
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  Speaker 1: fitted with apparatus for drying. The same back of this
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  Speaker 1: building and disconnected from it was a saw mill. On
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  Speaker 1: the opposite side of the creek was a tannery where
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  Speaker 1: hides were made into leather by the old fashioned, tedious
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  Speaker 1: process that took twelve months to complete. The building has
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  Speaker 1: been destroyed, but the old vats are still pointed out,
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  Speaker 1: in which may yet be seen portions of the wooden frames.
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  Speaker 1: To the west of the tannery was a fair sized building,
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  Speaker 1: still standing and formally used as a shoe shop. The
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  Speaker 1: oil fulling and sawmills were inducted by Supplana Kellogg, and
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  Speaker 1: the tannery and shoe shop by George Dunning. Across the
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  Speaker 1: fields to the south, but on the main road, still
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  Speaker 1: stands the long Low farm buildings of mister Kellogg and
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  Speaker 1: the birthplace of his sons John and Lauren, who succeeded
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  Speaker 1: their father in the linseed oil business and subsequently established
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  Speaker 1: the same in the village of Amsterdam in an old
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  Speaker 1: stone building which was formerly a distillery conducted by Benedict
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  Speaker 1: Arnold and others. Opposite the residence of Supplana Kellogg was
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  Speaker 1: the home of George Dunning, and it is mentioned that
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  Speaker 1: between the two families such cordial relations existed that they
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  Speaker 1: might almost be called one household. The method of making
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  Speaker 1: oil in those days was crude in the extreme, but
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  Speaker 1: the principle of manufacture was practically the same as now,
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  Speaker 1: that is, the crushing of the seed and the product
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  Speaker 1: to extract the oil. This primitive mill had but one
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  Speaker 1: set of stones and one press. The crushing process was
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  Speaker 1: accomplished by two circular stones shaped like gristmill stones, attached
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  Speaker 1: to an axle like cartwheels, and connected to a vertical shaft,
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  Speaker 1: which in turning gave two motions to the stones, that
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  Speaker 1: of their own axis and the axis of the upright shaft,
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  Speaker 1: and revolving on a stone bed on which the seed
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  Speaker 1: was placed. This process was continued until the seed became
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  Speaker 1: a paste, when it was tempered with heat and water,
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  Speaker 1: placed in bags, and subjected to great pressure by hand
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  Speaker 1: in order to extract the oil, which was then conducted
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  Speaker 1: to the rude cellar beneath and placed in barrels. The
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  Speaker 1: capacity of this rude mill was about one barrel a day,
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  Speaker 1: which was disposed of to neighboring farmers and the nearby village.
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  Speaker 1: It is said that a large proportion of the oil
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  Speaker 1: manufactured was consumed by the veteran painter. Of those days
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  Speaker 1: Gardener Clark, the grandfather of William G. Clark of Amsterdam.
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  Speaker 1: The residuum called oil cake was allowed to accumulate until
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  Speaker 1: such time as a market could be found for it
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  Speaker 1: in some neighboring city, when it was hauled to Amsterdam
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  Speaker 1: and shipped to its destination by canal. Almost the first
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  Speaker 1: building erected by the early pioneers after building their rude
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  Speaker 1: log huts was a sawmill to prepare their timber for dwellings,
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  Speaker 1: then the gristmill to grind their grain, and afterward a
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  Speaker 1: fulling mill for the dressing of cloth woven on their
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  Speaker 1: rude looms at home. The definition of fulling or milling
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  Speaker 1: is as follows, the operation of removing greasy matters from
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  Speaker 1: woolen goods and of giving to them a more compact
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  Speaker 1: texture by causing the fibers to entangle themselves more closely together,
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  Speaker 1: as in the process of felting. Fulling mills are a
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  Speaker 1: very ancient invention. After the death of Suplana Kellogg and
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  Speaker 1: the removal of the plant to Amsterdam, his sons John
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  Speaker 1: and Lauren increased the capacity by larger sets of stone.
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  Speaker 1: The increased product of the mill made it necessary to
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  Speaker 1: buy seed in larger quantities than our farmers could furnish,
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  Speaker 1: although they were encouraged by Messrs Kellogg to plant increased
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  Speaker 1: acreage by loaning them seed for that purpose. At that time,
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  Speaker 1: Boston was the center of importation of India seed, and
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  Speaker 1: from that city the firm bought most of their supplies.
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  Speaker 1: When the firm decided to engage in the manufacture of
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  Speaker 1: oil and Amsterdam in eighteen fifty one, they purchased of
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  Speaker 1: the estate of Benedict Arnold, the mill property that they
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  Speaker 1: now occupy. Some years earlier, mister Arnold purchased of Tunis
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  Speaker 1: I van Derveer this mill site and water power, and
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  Speaker 1: erected a stone building sixteen feet high for a distillery
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  Speaker 1: and transferred the apparatus from his old distillery building, which
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  Speaker 1: formerly stood where the YMCA building now stands. When Messrs
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  Speaker 1: Kellogg bought the property, the still had not been in
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  Speaker 1: operation for a number of years and the dam was
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  Speaker 1: in need of repairs. Mister John Kellogg informs me that
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  Speaker 1: in making the needed alterations, evidence was found in the
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  Speaker 1: bottom of the dam that a primitive oil mill had
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  Speaker 1: been located on the banks of the creek at this point,
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  Speaker 1: at some early period in the history of the village.
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  Speaker 1: Probably this was one of the two oil mills spoken
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  Speaker 1: of by the Reverend John Taylor in eighteen oh two.
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  Speaker 1: Messrs Kellogg at once added two stories to the old
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  Speaker 1: distillery building, repaired the dam, and otherwise improved the property.
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  Speaker 1: They increased the capacity of the old mill to four
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  Speaker 1: sets of stone for grinding the seed, and the necessary
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  Speaker 1: presses for extracting the oil. These presses were run by
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  Speaker 1: hand and the work was very laborious. Gradually the business increased,
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  Speaker 1: requiring additional machinery and more adequate means for extracting the oil,
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  Speaker 1: and additional buildings for storage of raw material which they
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  Speaker 1: imported direct from India and manufactured product. The dam was
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  Speaker 1: enlarged and the water power thereby increased fourfold. Upon the
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  Speaker 1: death of Lauren Kellogg, mister James A. Miller was admitted
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  Speaker 1: to the firm. As the years rolled around, other changes
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  Speaker 1: were in the firm by admission or withdrawal. Until now
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  Speaker 1: the firm consists of John Kellogg and his two sons,
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  Speaker 1: George and Lauren, under the firm name of Kellogg's and Miller.
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  Speaker 1: In order to accommodate the constantly increasing business of the firm.
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  Speaker 1: A branch railroad was built in eighteen seventy nine, connecting
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  Speaker 1: with the New York Central Railroad and owned by a
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  Speaker 1: private corporation consisting of members of the above firm. The
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  Speaker 1: same year the branch was opened, a very serious accident
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  Speaker 1: occurred on this branch, whereby mister George Kellogg lost his
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  Speaker 1: left arm by falling from a train of freight cars
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  Speaker 1: in motion. Previous to this, the younger son, Lauren, nearly
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  Speaker 1: lost his life by the accidental discharge of a gun
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  Speaker 1: while hunting on the banks of the Galway Reservoir. In
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  Speaker 1: both cases, their vigorous strength and indomitable will snatched them
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  Speaker 1: from the jaws of death and restored them to health.
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  Speaker 1: Fifty years ago, the capacity of the small mill on
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  Speaker 1: the banks of the Jectanunda at West Galway was one
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  Speaker 1: barrel of oil a day, or ten thousand gallons a year. Today,
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  Speaker 1: the yearly output is linseed oil one million, seven hundred
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  Speaker 1: thousand gallons, oil cake fifteen thousand tons, and the consumption
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  Speaker 1: of flaxseed about seven hundred and fifty thousand bushels. Practically,
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  Speaker 1: Amsterdam is a city of the nineteenth century and beyond
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  Speaker 1: a few primitive saw mills and gristmills. All of the
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  Speaker 1: industries that have made it a city have been inaugurated, extended,
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  Speaker 1: and multiplied within the nineteenth century. The very first year
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  Speaker 1: of the new century, or the very last year of
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  Speaker 1: the old nineteen hundred, was the centennial of the erection
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  Speaker 1: of them the first church building in the village of
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  Speaker 1: Amsterdam Veddersburg. Among the many and varied industries that have
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  Speaker 1: been the potent element that has developed a primitive hamlet
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  Speaker 1: of a half dozen families to a thriving city of
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  Speaker 1: twenty thousand inhabitants is the carpet industry. I speak particularly
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  Speaker 1: of this industry as it seems to have been woven
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  Speaker 1: into the early life of the city more than any other.
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  Speaker 1: From the fact that the persons who have done more
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  Speaker 1: than any others to establish the two great industries of Amsterdam,
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  Speaker 1: the manufacture of carpets and the manufacture of knit goods,
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  Speaker 1: were formerly partners, and a small carpet factory standing on
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  Speaker 1: the site of the present buildings of the Green Knitting Company.
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  Speaker 1: The history of the carpet industry of Amsterdam reads like
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  Speaker 1: a fairy tale, with its small beginning and struggle for existence,
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  Speaker 1: and its present immense plant and the affluence of its
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  Speaker 1: p Sometime about eighteen thirty six, William K. Green Senior
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  Speaker 1: met with reverses in business in Connecticut, his former home,
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  Speaker 1: but at once set about retrieving his fortune. His son,
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  Speaker 1: William K. Green, securing a situation in a silk mill
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  Speaker 1: at Poughkeepsie as bookkeeper. Thinking that there was a good
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  Speaker 1: opening for business in the village, he advised his father
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  Speaker 1: to come there and open a boarding house. Poughkeepsie was
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  Speaker 1: then quite a manufacturing town, and besides fulling mills, woolen factories,
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  Speaker 1: an oil mill, and a large number of grain mills,
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  Speaker 1: there were fifty looms in families for the manufacture of
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  Speaker 1: cloth for common clothing. In eighteen ten, there was only
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  Speaker 1: one hotel and about three thousand inhabitants in the village. W. K.
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  Speaker 1: Green Senior went to Poughkeepsie and opened a boarding house,
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  Speaker 1: as advised by his son. Among his boarders was a
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  Speaker 1: man by the name of Douglas, an experienced dyer whose
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  Speaker 1: father was a manufacturer of ingrain carpets in Scotland. A
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  Speaker 1: great deal of his conversation was about carpets and carpet manufacture,
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  Speaker 1: and he soon interested mister Green and his son, to
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  Speaker 1: the extent that they began to think seriously of starting
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  Speaker 1: a factory in a small way. One day, while talking
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  Speaker 1: with mister Douglas about carpets. Being undecided where to locate,
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  Speaker 1: mister Green picked up a copy of the New York
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  Speaker 1: Herald and noticed an advertisement of an old stinet mill
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  Speaker 1: and dwelling at Hageman's Mills, offered for rent for one
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  Speaker 1: hundred dollars a year. They at once secured the buildings,
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  Speaker 1: purchased six hand looms and the necessary apparatus complete, and
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  Speaker 1: load them on a sloop en route for Albany. Thus,
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  Speaker 1: by accident or by fate, the carpet industry was brought
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  Speaker 1: to the Mohawk Valley. This was in the month of December,
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  Speaker 1: but before the vessel reached Albany, a severe spell of
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  Speaker 1: cold weather closed the river, and they found their plant
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  Speaker 1: fast in the ice, fifty miles from their destination. Nothing daunted, however,
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  Speaker 1: they caused their looms to be loaded on sleighs, and
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  Speaker 1: in that primitive fashion, after a journey of fifty miles,
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  Speaker 1: arrived safely at Hageman. With the Greens came Douglas, William Perkins,
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  Speaker 1: and William wright, son in law of mister Perkins, experienced weavers,
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  Speaker 1: but like all of the others except Douglas, knowing little
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  Speaker 1: about the manufacture of carpets. After a few years of
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  Speaker 1: varied success at Hageman, the firm was induced by the
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  Speaker 1: vice of mister John Sandford and others to move their
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  Speaker 1: plant to Amsterdam Village and establish themselves in a long,
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  Speaker 1: low yellow building, formerly the mill site of the sawmill
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  Speaker 1: of Albert h Vedder, the founder of Vetterersburg, and now
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  Speaker 1: occupied by the immense factory of the Green Knitting Company.
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  Speaker 1: After the change in the location of this primitive carpet factory,
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  Speaker 1: John Sandford became associated with the Greens in the manufacture
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  Speaker 1: of carpets, and continued a member of the firm for
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  Speaker 1: some time. The old yellow mill was burned in eighteen
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  Speaker 1: forty nine. How well I remember that cold, windy midwinter night.
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  Speaker 1: It being my first experience of a fire of magnitude,
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  Speaker 1: is probably the reason that the occasion has made such
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  Speaker 1: a lasting impression on my memory. Even the weird undulatory
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  Speaker 1: clang of the old Baptist church bell as it sound
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  Speaker 1: borne upon the wind, reached the ear from the frantic
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  Speaker 1: efforts of some person unused to the method of ringing.
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  Speaker 1: The alarm seemed to cry fire, fire, fire, which sound
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  Speaker 1: was soon changed to the harsh, meaningless sound of a
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  Speaker 1: broken bell, as the bell had indeed been broken by
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  Speaker 1: the frantic efforts of the ringer to arouse the sleepers.
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  Speaker 1: As we reached the foot of the hill, the sight
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  Speaker 1: that met my inexperienced eyes was grand and fearful. Truly.
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  Speaker 1: It was a light set upon a hill that could
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  Speaker 1: not be hid. The tongues of flame borne to and
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  Speaker 1: fro by the wind, the myriads of sparks vanishing in
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  Speaker 1: the blackness of the heavens, the somber evergreens on Cornell's
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  Speaker 1: Hill fitfully lighted by the roaring flames. The creak of
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  Speaker 1: the fire engine toiling up the hill through the ruddy
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  Speaker 1: whiteness of the snow covered street, the horse shouts and
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  Speaker 1: oaths of the fireman. The cries of fire fire gave
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  Speaker 1: a nervous chill to the looker on that was not
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  Speaker 1: all attributable to the intensely cold night. The building was
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  Speaker 1: totally destroyed shortly afterwards. Mister Sandford sold the land and
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  Speaker 1: mill site to W. K. Green, whose heirs are in
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  Speaker 1: possession of the property at the present day, and in
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  Speaker 1: company with his son Stephen Sandford fitted up an old
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  Speaker 1: stone mill at the head of Church Street for a
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  Speaker 1: carpet factory. Jehiel Dean also erected a weave room on
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  Speaker 1: Livingstone Street where a box factory now stands, and W. K.
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  Speaker 1: Green Senior also engaged in the manufacture of carpets in
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  Speaker 1: a small way on the opposite side of said street.
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  Speaker 1: The building on the north side of the street was
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  Speaker 1: afterwards bought by mister Stephen Sandford and subsequently destroyed by fire,
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  Speaker 1: and the building on the south side was purchased by
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  Speaker 1: John M Clark and moved to the corner of Livingstone
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  Speaker 1: and Chechtanunda Streets and used as a carpenter shop. This
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  Speaker 1: building was subsequently burned and rebuilt of brick, and after
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  Speaker 1: numerous changes, is now known as Morris Mill Number three.
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  Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty three, the old Stone Mill, as it
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  Speaker 1: was then called, was destroyed by fire, but was immediately rebuilt,
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  Speaker 1: only one story high but covering about three times as
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  Speaker 1: much ground. Mister Stephen Sandford entered the carpet manufactory in
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  Speaker 1: eighteen forty four, and in eighteen forty eight formed a
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  Speaker 1: co partnership with his father, mister John Sandford. After the
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  Speaker 1: destruction of the old Stone mill, mister Stephen Sandford purchased
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  Speaker 1: his father's interest, which was little else than the ruins
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  Speaker 1: of the burned mill. He immediately set to work rebuilding
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  Speaker 1: and enlarging the factory, which year by year has increased
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  Speaker 1: in magnitude under his personal supervision. As the business prospered,
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  Speaker 1: new buildings were erected for the manufacture of different materials
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  Speaker 1: that enter into the manufacture of the various kinds of
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  Speaker 1: carpets produced in these mills, and for the storage of
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  Speaker 1: raw material. At present, this immense plant comprises thirty six
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  Speaker 1: buildings whose floor space amounts to six hundred and sixty
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  Speaker 1: three thousand square feet or about fifteen acres. When we
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  Speaker 1: think that this immense floor space is covered with machinery, engines, boilers,
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  Speaker 1: looms and shafting, together with stock and manufactured product of
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  Speaker 1: the mills, and that the daily product of the mill
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  Speaker 1: would carpet the road from Amsterdam to Johnstown, or more
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  Speaker 1: than five million yards in a year, with a payroll
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  Speaker 1: of over one million dollars in twelve months, we may
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  Speaker 1: begin to conceive its magnitude, and to feel additional respect
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  Speaker 1: for the man and mind that has created and controls it.
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  Speaker 1: I think it is safe to say that during the
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: last half century at least forty thousand persons have earned
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: a living and in some cases a competency in this mill.
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: Some have grown gray inside its walls. Others have built
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: factories of their own and have shown their business ability
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: by making a success of their undertaking. A long list
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: could be made of men holding prominent places in the
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: business interest of our city who served apprenticeship in the
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: Sandford Carpet Factory. Among them are W. B. Smith, James T. Sugden,
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: William mc cleary, the late John Howgate, Almond Filkins, Samuel Wallen,
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: David Krauss, and a host of others, including John Lorimer
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: of Philadelphia. I might go on and give statistics of
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: the business of this mill, of the millions that have
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: been paid to employees during the last fifty years, of
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: the thousands of miles of carpets that have been manufactured,
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: and the thousands of employees who thus earned their daily bread,
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: and of the capital that is required to conduct this
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: immense business. But this has so often been written by
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: other pens than mine, that I shall refrain from statements
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: whose figures, in the language of the old scotchmen, would
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: only begumble the senses and confound the imagination, and would
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: be revealing matters of a personal character to which the
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: public can claim no right Although the proprietors might not
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: have any desire to win hold them. The success of
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: this great business is a matter of pride to the
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: citizens of Amsterdam, from the fact that not alone has
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: the city been benefited by its success, but private individuals
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: and organizations of all kinds have received benefit by its
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: enabling the proprietors to gratify the natural impulse of their
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: generous hearts with hands open as day to melting charity.
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: Of course, there have been seasons of depression in this business,
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: seasons that come in the life of most business men,
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: when profits are light or none at all, seasons when
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: losses are heavy and money hard to get. But although
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: there have been times when money had to be hired
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: as a large rate of interest per month, as it
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: can be secured for now per year, the proprietor's paper
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: has always been paid at maturity. If I should be
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: asked why this firm which is composed of Honorable Stephen
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: Sandford and his son, Honorable John Sandford, has succeeded while
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: others have failed. I should say that it is because
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: the senior member is possessed of seemingly opposite characteristics cautiousness
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: and boldness. Cautious not to enter upon any method of
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: action until he is sure he is right, and then
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: to execute the same with boldness and energy. Up to
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty four, the product of this mill was ingrain
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: and three ply carpets manufactured on hand looms, and as
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: the business increased, it gave employment to a large number
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: of experienced weavers. Previous to eighteen forty nine, an old
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: frame building stood on Main Street, just west of the
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: present side of the Farmer's National Bank, and was used
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: as the post office and law office of Joseph French,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: who was also postmaster. Mister John Sandford bought the post
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: office building and had it carefully torn down and re
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: erected as a loom shop next to his buildings on
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: Church Street. This building was used as a hand loom
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: shop for a great number of years, even after the
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: large mill building had been filled with power looms for
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: the manufacture of Brussels carpets. In fact, this old building
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: was retained and hand looms used for a long time,
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: more for the purpose of finding employment for a number
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: of old and experienced weavers who had been in his
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: employee for a number of years, than for any pecuniary
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: benefits to be derived therefrom. This old landmark was torn
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: down a few years ago to make room for the
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: large Axminster mill that now covers its site. The history
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: of the carpet industry would not be complete if mentioned
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: were not made of the carpet factory of Shuttleworth Brothers.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: About eighteen seventy two or eighteen seventy three, mister James Wade,
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: an Englishman of good family connections in Bradford, England, was
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: brought to Amsterdam by mister Stephen Sandford to do some
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: special work in his mills. He was a man of education,
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: of fine personal appearance and gentlemanly address, and soon won
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: the confidence of some of the businessmen of that place.
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: With James Wade came Joseph Coates, Elijah Smith and John Simpson,
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: all experienced workers in the carpet business. A short time
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: after coming to Amsterdam, mister Wade, in company with Charles
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: de Wolfe, William h Arnold and Stephen H. Kleine organized
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: a stock company for the manufacture of carpets, and so
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: succeeded to the extent that a building was erected on
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: the bank of the Mohawk River at the foot of
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: Roman Avenue. The factory was stocked with looms and other machinery,
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: but owing to dissensions among the stockholders or want of capital,
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: it was not run as a stock company and soon
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: passed into the hands of Stephen H. Klein and William
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: h Arnold under the firm name of Klein and Arnold.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: This firm conducted the business a few years, making Brussels carpets,
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: which from various reasons, did not prove a success, and
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: the mill was closed. Subsequently, the looms and machinery were
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: sold by parties interested in New York, and the building
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: stood empty a while or until it was purchased by
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: the Shuttleworth Brothers. In eighteen seventy five, mister William Shuttleworth,
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: the father of the Shuttleworth Brothers, came from England to Glenham,
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: New York to start a carpet factory for A. T.
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: Stewart and Company, and was made superintendent of the same,
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: his sons, some of whom had grown to man's estate,
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: being engaged in different departments of the mill. After the
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: death of William Shuttleworth in eighteen seventy eight, his Son's
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: Bot of New York parties the carpet mill building on
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: the bank of the Mohawk at Amsterdam, and returning to England,
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: advantageously secured fifteen looms for the manufacture of body Brussels carpet.
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: The firm at that time consisted of James John and
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Walter Shuttleworth, who together with Herbert, a younger brother, constituted
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: a quartet in which was comprised knowledge ability and skill
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: to operate every department of the factory. The family connections
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: are quite extended, and many of them may be found
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: among the skilled workers in different departments of the mill,
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: and are among the most estimable residents of the city.
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: The firm now consists of James John and Walter Shuttleworth.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: The younger brother, Herbert, has lately established a die house
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: on a large scale in the western part of the city.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: After the burning of the carpet factory on Market Street,
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: Hill W. K. Green Senior had a small factory for
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: the manufacture of carpets in a building on the Juctanunda
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: Creek in the rear of what is now called the
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: Sanford Flats. He afterwards moved the plant to the upper
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: story of a frame building situated on the south side
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: of Livingstone Street, the lower story being occupied by William
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: Connell for the manufacture of rugs. About eighteen fifty, William K.
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: Green Junior erected a brick mill on the the site
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: of the old Yellow Mill, and in company with Davis W. Schuler,
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: conducted a carpet mill for a short time. When the
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: partnership was dissolved, W K. Green Junior secured the Harris property,
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: erected a building and moved the carpet machinery into it,
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: and conducted this business until eighteen sixty one, when he
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: disposed of the stock and machinery to Stephen Sandford. In
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven he formed a partnership with John MacDonald
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: for the manufacture of knit goods in the brick building
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: which is now the center of the immense plant of
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: the Green Knitting Company. This partnership was dissolved in a
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: year or two, and mister Green conducted both mills alone
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: until eighteen sixty one, when having disposed of the carpet
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: business to mister Stephen Sandford, he turned his whole attention
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: to his hosiery business. Or of the Rebellion, having commenced
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: a great demand for nitgood sprung up. The factory was
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: run to its full capacity with great profit, and soon
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: it was necessary to enlarge the plant. Building after building
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: was erected as the business increased, until the whole of
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: the present large mill was completed. Mister Green did not
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: live to see it, however, as his health failed, and
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: he went to Europe in eighteen sixty nine together with
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: his wife and Miss Bennett, in hopes that he might
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: derive some benefit from a change of climate and freedom
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: from business cares. The change, however, did not have the
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: desired effect, and he gradually grew worse, and, while sojourning
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: at Rome, died January twenty second, eighteen seventy. The body
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: was placed on board a sailing vessel and arrived at
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: his home during the spring of the day eighteen seventy,
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: his family having previously arrived by steamer. During the absence
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: of mister William K. Green in Europe, the business under
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: the firm name of William K. Green and Son was
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: conducted by the junior member of the firm, mister Elijah P. Green.
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: After the death of mister William K. Green and the
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: return from Europe of his youngest son, Henry E. Green,
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: the style of the firm was changed to W. K.
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: Green Sons and so conducted until the death of Elijah PA. Green,
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: when it was changed to W. K. Green's Son and
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: Company and continued under that name until the death of
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: Henry E. Green, when the present firm, the Green Knitting Company,
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: was organized. During the administration of Elijah P. And Henry E. Green,
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: the business was enlarged and made many improvements made. W. K.
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: Green has not only the honor of being the first
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: manufacturer of knit goods in Amsterdam, but the founder of
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: what has grown to be one of the largest hosiery
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: mills in the city. It is about forty four years
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: since William K. Green and John MacDonald inaugurated the knit
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: goods industry in Amsterdam with what was called a three
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: set mill. At present there are twenty three knitting mills
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: with about two hundred sets of machinery and an annual
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: output of about twelve million pieces. In eighteen fifty, William McConnell,
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: who had been employed as an overseer in the Old
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: Yellow Mill, secured an old building on Spring Street in
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: the rear of the building now known as Number twelve,
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: and started the manufacture of tufted rugs with four looms.
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: He subsequently moved to the lower story of the US
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: Frame building on Livingston Street spoken of before increasing his
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: plant to twelve looms. Somewhat later he removed to the
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: old post office building on Church Street, the property of
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: mister Sandford. Still later the looms were purchased by mister
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: Stephen Sandford and used for weaving ingrain carpets. I remember
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: well the Livingston Street mill, as I had occasion to
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: pass it quite frequently in those days. Nearly all the
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: hands that were employed were boys from twelve to twenty
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: years old, and they always seemed to have a good
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: time at their work, and some of them were always
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: ready to play with the passers by the names of
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: some of the boys will be recognized as well known
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: residents of Amsterdam. Among others were Samuel Ward, Hiram Simmons, Fountain, Ward,
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: Edward Fosmyer, Frank fodd Meyer, Dennis Garrigan, James Faulds, Walter
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: mc cowitt, David mccowitt, Daniel Muttimer, Walter Mitchell, Tuonis Peck,
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: John Nevins, James McNally, James Mailer, William Mayler, and Puffy Clark.
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: Puffy was a little barefooted Irish lad, generally clad in
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: a cotton shirt and a pair of trousers with one suspender.
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: He was a bright little fellow and was much interested
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: in the prize fight between Tom Hire and Yankee Sullivan,
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: which was fought about that time, and was ever ready
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: to stand up before any boy of his size to
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: show his knowledge of the noble art of self defense.
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: Quite a friendship sprung up between Puffy and myself, something
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: of the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry finnkind. I remember that
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: I admired him and was proud of his friendship, and
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: envied him his accomplishments, which, in addition to his willingness
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: to fight with or without provocation, consisted of the art
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: of swearing like a trooper and chewing tobacco like a sailor.
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: Although only fourteen years old, what became of Puffy in
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: after years I do not know, but I have always
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: remembered his little pale face and ready fist. A desire
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: to emulate Puffy's virtues and to be more worthy of
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: his notice, led me to try and learn to chew tobacco.
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: My father was quite a smoker and kept his tobacco
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: in his office on a high shelf out of my reach,
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: but I was frequently sent to the store for a
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: fresh supply. Having decided to learn to chew, I boldly
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: went to the store one day and bought a paper
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: of tobacco and had it charged to my father. Remember
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: that the tobacco was enclosed in the dull blue paper
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: used in those days, with the words ben Pain smoking
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: tobacco and two crossed pipes printed Thereon. In the rear
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: of the store was a pile of lumber, back of
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: which I went and put some tobacco in my mouth,
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: hid the paper under the boards, and chewed my quid
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: like a little man. It was not long before I
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: felt that I did not like the weed as well
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: as I thought I would, and was glad to throw
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: away the nasty stuff. By the time I arrived at home,
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: I was pale and dizzy, and soon attracted the attention
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: of my mother. Those who have had a similar experience
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: will appreciate the various degrees of misery through which I passed,
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: and the anxiety of my mother over the strange symptoms
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: that successively presented themselves. The throes of if the stomach
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: were augmented by the stings of conscience when I thought
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: of the whole wretched business, and I was willing to
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: vow that I would never look at a bit of
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: tobacco again as long as I lived. Thus ended my
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: attempt to become a tobacco tour and not even Puffy
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: Clark was told of my failure. It was many long
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: years before I again touched tobacco in any form. William
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: Connell is remembered as a scholarly man, a great reader,
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: and a profound thinker. He married Miss Nancy Merrill, a
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: sister of the late Missus Tunis I Vanderveer. After selling
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: out his rug business, he opened a small store on
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: the north side of Main Street, near the creek. This
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: store became the resort of many of the intellectual residents
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: of the village and was often the scene of many
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: spirited debates. He died in eighteen sixty six at the
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: age of fifty nine. In eighteen eighty six, John Howgate,
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: William mc cleary, Samuel Wallen and David Krouse, former employees
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: in the Sanford and Sons carpet factory, formed a co
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: partnership for the manufacture of rugs, securing a building on
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: the east side of Bridge Street in Port Jackson. During
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: the same year, the building was destroyed by fire, securing
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: a building at Rockton which had formerly been occupied as
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: a shoddy mill. They moved what was left of their
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: plant and were soon in order for business with twenty
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: five hand looms for weaving rugs. From that time to
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: the present, the enterprise seems to have been a continued success.
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: During eighteen ninety seven it was found necessary to erect
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: another large, three story brick building some distance from the others.
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: This building is fitted with power looms which are run
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: by electricity transmitted by cable from a large dynamo situated
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: in one of the older buildings. This method of transmitting
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: power on a large scale is new in Amsterdam and
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: is interesting in the perfect success of the enterprise. It
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: will probably surprise most of my readers to know that
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: at present the factory is fitted with one hundred eighty
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: five Looms employs three hundred and twenty hands and manufactures
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: three thousand rugs per week, or an annual output of
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: over one hundred fifty thousand rugs, valued at about three
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: quarters of a million dollars. End of Chapter eighteen. Recording
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: by Roger Molin