Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-10-05
ENTERPRIsE AND PLUCK.
What Peter j. Ford Has Done to I'm
prove Wiimingtou-Siiverb and
the New Morocco ManufActory--Tne
Injunction.

prove Wilmingtou-Stiverb and
the New Morocco ManufActory-Tnel
Injunction.
Only some ten years ago an unpre-l
tenHous corner grocery store was ksptj
ct the fAtiron shaped point at Front
street and Maryland avenue, and the
proprietor Of that store was Peter j. \
Ford. What he owned he made by his |
own individual exertiOn; In short bel
was not born with silver spoon In his |
mouth. Bat at the time referred to,
perhaps some years before, growing
restive behind the counter, weiP hing
ont sugar and drawing syrups, Mr..
Ford's name was occasionally used In
|city contra acts for grading, hauling and
once In particular In exeavating and
leveling the old basin ct Tenth and
Market streets, preparatory to the cree
tion OF new Court House. From that
time onward Mr.. Ford's name was seen
more frequent In pubic contracts, and
soon TIE corner store WAS disposed OF
and the young merchant embarked in
real estate purchases and sales. taking
contracts on streets and railroads and
In the erection and sale Of hou ,ss.
| With keen business eye that saw
Il
purchase where others feared to move,
nor was he ever mistaken. From Eroat
street and Mary land avenue 10 Silver.
brook W here he built the last great mo.
rocco factory of Wilmington, he has
left 10 his trail graded, curbed and paw
Cd streets and new stores and dwellings
almost without number. He has bought
property In the face of the protests of
friends who accused him Of insxouss-
BILE reck lessness, and sold 1t for seven
times what he paid for 1t without hold
ing 1t long. He kept ahead OF the times
and reaped the fret advantage. With
Iout Peter j. Ford, Silverbrook might
have languished - suburban villa oi
Iof tlow growth; with him IL 10 spread
ling into Importance and is bound to be
la manufacturing centre In few short
; years.
A few years ago he bought the Webb
property of sixty acres at Q cost oil
S24. 700; be is now So ling some OF 1t of
ct SIS q foot. Through his exertions,
: lSilverbr0ok has grown into town oi
$50 Inhabitants, with regularly laid out
streets and established grades. and
with Mr.. Ford came the advent of the
Brandy wine water. The Baltimore
and Philadelphia Railroad runs nearly
through the centre Of the village, and
between this great oivilizer and Mr.
Ford 6llverbrook Is bounding intS
business life and activity.
i Excepting possibly the railroad, :ht
new morocco man ufaotory erected by
Mr.. Ford Is the greatest Improvement
, In the place. 1t Is doubtful II there Is &
single morocco mandatory in tb,
> city proper of rs great size ant
which presents such an imposing az
pearsnce. Standing In valley Il
: towers above buildings on the high
lands ad jacent.
1t can be seen from all directions
This building Is 4ox140 feet, six storie
high, and built OF brick except the sixtl
story, which is frame and slated. Th
windows Of the frat ana second storio
: are protected with net work of wire
the two next have no protection and tn
1.-TWO top stories being drying rooms, re
Iglass. The words "Ford s. Ryan Con
Ipsny, morocco manufacturers, o.
TENDS across the ends and along th
whole length Of the sides Of the build
ling. Tho first story is the colorin
house, and to the side Is an engine an
IboIler houss contains o &c evenly. hors'
Ipower engine.
The second story Is the shavers, sew
ling, machine and stock room. I'll
THIRD story IL the finishing room, ii
fourth story the steam drying room an
ttue fifth and sixth stories the dry In
Il rooms without steam. The stories al
reached by easy flights Of stairs, b.
aasier still by an elevator which rur
from the first to the sixth story. Han,
some off ces are constructed In the se
ond story, reached BY an outside fl q
tuf steps.
The bull ling has but lately been con
y pleted, and the manufacture of moro
co is not yet under full head WY. o:
ot has been sent into the market, III
another lot Ia ready. 30 far their m
rocco has been very highly commende,
They have had about 40 hands emplo
ed and turn out 70 dozen skins one ds
and 80 the next. When the mauufa
tory is run to Its full capacity, 1t wi
Gin ploy 225 hands, and turn out Il
dozen skins per day.
Though Peter j. Ford built and owl
the building which cost $50, COO. t!
irm carrying on the morocco manufa
turing In 1t, is the "Ford & Ryan Co.
conn posed of Peter J. Ford, Thomas
Ryan and Thomas Ford. Mr.. Ryan
general superintendent, he being
= practical morocco worker. Mr.. Owe
Dougherty is foreman OF the beamiI
department John Glenn, of the ta
uing department; Lewis Sinex, OF &
\ ma aohine and pebbling department
Hugh Sweeney, of the finishing depar
ment and William Aiken, Of the colc
ing department.
y Now a word about the control of Il
establishment. The general impressi
is, that It is cooperative concern a
A.. run by the Knights of Labor. A rep
sentative OF the REPUBLICAN is assur
that 1t is neither, though possibly t
most of the hands employed are Knigf
of Labor. Mr.. Ryan employees the hant
land after they work week he determin
y what they are worth and pays them
Icording to their work. He never as
them II they are Knights OF Labor or an
thing else. He only wants to know
4, they are good workmen and he employ
- Them. The co operative part of the
- tablishment only extends to the three
Idiyidual members of the firm who get I
profits If there are a7y alter paying t
hands fair, good wages
A word in regard to the litigation
" which the firm is engaged 1t is we
N known fact that some farmers and t
Jessup & Moore Paper Company obje
!. ing to the pollution OF the waters of M
I Creek upon which the manufacto
star ds have got out an injunction To
,Istrain the firm from letting noxious mi
u ter from the factory flow into the cree
THE suit is still before the Court
Chancery. For the present the firm
!. observing the terms of the temporary
'ity ul ction by draining their refuse mat
into we'll II the injunction is ms
rs. perpetual it will not only prove serlt
obstacle to the success of this enterprise