The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-02-08
OUR INDUSTRIES, No. 4.
Lehigh Stove and Manufacturing
Company.


Co., better known as the Lehighton Stove
Works, located in this borough, was incor.
porated about ten years ago. by Messrs. G
b. Linderman, Charles o. Skeer, Robert
Klotz and VIM. Lilly. The conception o.
the founders Of the enterprise was to make
a specially Of the manufacture Of cooking
and heating apparatus, adapted to domestic
use. And it is a voucher of the wisdom o
these enterprisng gentlemen that the works
have been kept steadily at work on orders
even through the past years Of business de
preston and commercial panic. But thi'
has been largely due to the good fortune o
having, in addition 10 the orders for cooking
and heating stoves, standing contract with
the American Sewing Machine Co., Of Phil
adelphia, to furnish the bulk of the casting.
used in their machines.
The officers of the Company are G. b
Linderman, president, with power to act
and Hon. Robert Kotz, treasurer. The
principal business office is located in Bethle
hem, under the direction of the president
its finances are managed in Mauch Chunk
by the treasurer, while the'mcchancal oper.
ations in this borough are carried on under
the direct superintendent of Mr.. A. C
Brodhead, who, thoroughly practical
man, has for the past seven years given
the most minute supervision to all bus.
incss and mechanical details of the works
a practice, and most excellent one, inau.
gurated at the works has been to pay the
twenty or moro employees their salaries
every Saturday, and it is compliment to
the financial management of the company
that no failure in this direction has ever
been made.
Soon after the organization of the compa.
ny, in order to enlarge its working capital
without increasing its capital stock, the
stockholders decided to create bonded in
debtedness of So, 600 bearing per cent in
terest, and secured by a first mortgage on
the corporations real and personal estate
Since then, instead OF using the annual earn
ings to pay dividends, has sunk them in lioui-
dating these bonds, $4,000 worth of which
having been cancelled, while it is said that
the managers are able and anxious to pav
the remaining $4,000 on demand. As a
financial measure this plan was a good one
as 1t was an equivalent to adding the earn
ings of the enterprise to the face value of the
stock, instead of paying it out as dividends.
When these bonds were issucd no doubt the
company received nearly their face value
in cash; if on the other hand an effort had
been made to increase the stock its value
would have deprecated, and the company
in order to realize the $25 900 needed would
have been driven to the necessity of nvolv-
ing itself to perhaps twice that amount
There is every promise that in the near fl-
ture the company will commence to pav a
dividend upon its stock.
The iron used in the castings made at the
works is procured wholly from the Crarc
Iron Works at Catasau1ua, and the sand il
brought from Albany. The splendid polish
and great smoothness that are a noticeable
feature of the castings turned out from the
Stove Works foundry are due to three
iacts-the best quality of iron is used, the
Albany sand is the best known for impart
ing an even surface, and only skillful ant
experienced workmen are employed in tn,
/ foundry. The celebrated "Gold Medal
and "Silver Medal" cook stoves and range
are made inthis establishment. 1t lis prepared
to do much larger range of work in th
line than it has ever done; but it is another
evidence of the wisdom which called thi
! establishment into existence that larg
/ portion of its wares are consumed at or nea
home, The company have never put for
ward any spcca! efforts to compete will
their goods in the markets of the country
/ This remains to be done, and no doubt will
be, when the present business depression
has been lifted and our commere is nowinl
in smooth channels. 1t is a certain fact tha
there is no locality on the face of the eartl
where iron can be converted into utensil
for mans use more chcOply than in the lie
high valley, where stratas of rich iron or
and anthracite coal lie side by side or in
terlap each other.
Every work-room in this well appointe,
enterprise is marvel of system and order
and the business department is conducte,
on the same principle. BY and by it is saf
to predict that the Lehigh Stove and Manu-
featuring Co. will take its place among tn
first establishments of the kind in this Dor
tion of;he State. And it is hoped that,
new spirit of enterprise animating our ris
ing young business men, other manuiactur
ing enterprises, on small scale at frs
will be commenced under the shadow c
this one, and with the same purpose-tha
OF converting the raw material into article
which are needed and used in this commu
nifty, and therefore may enter as articles {
trade into the markets of other localities.