The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-08-03

understand the mod,4s oDcranh Of Hat man
ufacturing, and read an account of the
largest establishment of the kind in the
United States, will find this article worth
a perusal We visited the factory of
Messrs. DURYEE. JAQUEs & Co., during our
late trip to New-Yor ork, and can vouch for
the correctness of what the writer says:
Hats, Caps and Straw Goods.
DURYEE, JAQUES & Co,
Late Rankin, Duryee Il Co.. Manufacture
ers and Wholesale Dealers.
WAREHOUSE. p Chambers Street, y. y
Factory, Beaver Street, Newark, \. j.
When we claim for this extensive hat
manufacturing establishment the credit
of being undoubtedly the oldest and lar
gcst in the United States, and probably
the largest in the world, we may be
thought TO incline somewhat to exaggera-
ton. by those who are not familiar with
the statistics of the Hat trade, but those
who are posted up in this particular will
concede with readiness, that our premises
are true.
The founder of this immense concern
was Mr.. William Rankin, Of Newark, y.
j., who commenced the business about
fifty years ago. in Newark, where he still
resides, though, many years since, he re-
tired from active life; and where he lives
in the retirement of a green old age, an
unblemished reputation and vast for
tune. Mr.. Rankin Is, we believe, about
seventy-tive years of age. The manutac-
/ tory has always been situated in Newark,
where originally all the sales were made,
( but as the excellence of the manufactures
/ became known. the trade so extended as
to induce the proprietor to establish his
! main store in Maiden Lane, New York.
/ In 1885 the name of the house was
4 changed to William Rankin a Co. In
/ 1910 1t was again altered to William Ran
! kin. Duryee n Co, and in 1856 to the
\ present title, Duryee, Jaques & Co. In
the course of time the location of the sales
! in New-Gor was removed from Maiden
Lane to the Washington Stores on Will
liam Street, and from there, where they
remained for several years, they removed
/ to the new, spacious and costly ware
| house. p Chambers Street. where they
| were the first tenants of the building and
have remained about five years. This
| warehouse is one Of a splendid block at
the head of the street, presenting an iron
| columned stone front. and constructed in
the most approved modern style of whole
sale warehouses, comprising long, broad,
and lofty apartments, richly and commO-
| dious!v finished, and furnished with am
PIE light from both ends, and the most
convenient modern fixtures, etc Some
idea Of the magnitude of the salesrooms
may be had from the fact that they com
prise four lofts, one hundred and tifty-one
feet long by thirty broad. the lower floor
Il
vast display of specimen stock, the others
being crowded with piles of cases and
other wholesale packages of finished and
unfinished goods, legitmately pertaining
: to the trade of Hats, Caps and Straw
Goods Of every current variety.
In the second loft is the Bonnet Depart
ment, where a large number of female op
eratives are engaged in the manufacture
Of the richest and most fashionable varie
ties in this department. and where may
be seen a large and valuable supply of al
the most approved Paris. London, anc
New-Yolk styles, together with a choic,
/, assortment OF umbrellas, parasols, trim
mings, &c.
Interested in obtaining an exact knowl
edge OF the u,od,lS opcrdHdt of the hat trad
, in all its branches, we not long since pai,
a visit TO the factory of Messrs. Duryee
Jadues 4 Co, in Newark. and paSse,
| through nearly every apartment in all tn
buildings it comprises and we can Civ,
r / no better idea OF the amount and variet1
, Of the inexhaustible supply of goods a
their warehouse in Chambers Street. thar
by relating what we saw at the factory.
This establishment is situated on Bea
yer Street in Newark, and comprises hal
p a dozen large brick buildings, with man
minor ones, the whole covering an area O
, ! about three-iourths of an acre of ground
The firm are the largest real estate own
eTs in the city OF Newark. They Civ
T employment, in the various department
T. of their mammoth establishment. to abou
. six hundred male and female artisans
and we are assured that theirs is the onl
y place i'm the country where the manufa'
y ture Of hats JeqiHS ,ctth the beginning; tina
a is-where the fur Is first taken from tn
. skins Of the animals-the beaver: the NJ
tria an amphibious South American an
NAL. closely resembling the beaver, an
+ the fur of which is finer, and next
+, merit 10 that of the beaver and sea otter
II the sea otter; sheep, from all parts of tn
d.. world-Spain, SaXony, South Americi
Cape Of Good Hope, Australia, etc, an
$ after being, by chemical and other mean
d removed from the skins, is put throug
= all the various processes which eventual
in the production of multiiarious cove
ings for the tastidious head of man.
Passing up the yard. from Beaver Stree
we entered a five story brick buildin
throughout which we observed numerol
groups of men and boys, busily plyir
their trade amid clouds of vapor and dus
and the deafening whirl and racket an
Jar of various machinery.
FIRST FLooR-This was the formir
room for hats, and contained two Fl
forming machines, driven by the II
horsepower steam engine, which driv
all the machinery Of the Factory, and 8
tended by some ten men and boys.
SECOND FLooR-This Is called the wo
department. and in it are engaged abo
eighteen men. Large piles of wool Ii
bodies, and no less than five wool forl
ing machines were the characteristics
this room.
THIRD FLooR.-Three fur blowing N
chimes are here kept in operation for t
purpose of separating the hairs (whi
are stiff and worthless) from the fur.
About two ounces of hair il separat
from every pound of fur.
FOURTH FLooR-This comprises t
gcnious machines for that purpose. a
also another for dressing the wool.
rear apartment on this floor is termed t
Err pomring room, where pouncing Il
no chine serves the purpose of powderiI
,ut and where a large beaver machine is e
his ploved in dressing the beaver fur.
,at Firm FLooR.-In this loft. which Is
pss served for drying wool, are some tweI
As larger bins of black and white wool,
nd dergoing the drying process, and alsC
he pressing machine foF the compact pa
he ing of bodies of hats The black-dy
Ild American wool is for a coarse kind of
me hats.
vas In a shed attached to the ground fl
di- | Of the building is the woOl-harden
in room, whore a hardening machine is u
ant for pounding the bodies. which are pre-
md ously placed in steam boxes, and steam
of through. Adjoining is a wool-wash
Ids room, where are cleansed piles of WOO
Ter it is taken from the sheep. Here also
noticed a steam pump and well for 5
-;da plying this building with water.
kes On passing through several of the
,ce buildings, we noticed the plank sh
his for wool hats, laboratory in which W
wife seven large kettles, where a number
workmen were engaged at that branc
the business. Here were also three
tent sizing machines, and one unpat
uch ed, besides a blocking kettle, etc.
avs Adjacent is the wool hat drying 70
5 of occupied by long rows of hat-racks, wi
the hundreds of hats were undergoing
we, drying process, which is performed
1n't gradual heat. The carpenters shol
the close at hand, as also the blacksmi
spo- shop and the stables, where are sta
rev nine or ten horses belonging to the es
ling lishment, used for drawing loads of %
one from the factory TO the warehouse in
n to city, and for conveying supplies of co;
lom the coal yard from the city.
eer- We next visited a three-story b
Ible building, the basement of which cont
the ed the
soul Fur VAULT.-This is a subterrar
way apartment, appropriated exclusively
av- the storage of Furs of all kinds use
ther the making of hats. 1t is a large
ther proof cavern; and is valued as a place
but the safe-keeping of this important pa
US. the stock of the Factory, which not
.'Al long ago suffered a heavy loss by fire.
greatest precautions against the re
man Occasionally in this article the number Of q
and uves W. saw in the shops is specified. 1t shou
- understood, however that ordinarily full doubl
"S' number are employed; and that notwlthstai
~ temporary abatement in that number. NJ
Duryee Jaques a Co transact by far the largest