New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-02
THE KING or THE COKE REGIONS
BUSINESS CAREER OF H. c. FRIcK-HIs EIGHT
THOUSAND OVENS.

THOUSAND OVENS.
! Pittsburg Sept (speciaD.-Twenty years ago
Henry CLAY Frick was a poor bookkeeper in houring
mn ard distllery at Broodford. Fayette County 10
day he is the king of the Connelsvnie
coke regions. lie deserves the title because the
IT. c. Fricl Coke Company 5000 Of the 13,ooo
ovens In the territory BY the recent purchases ol
! tho plants of the j. NJ. schoonmaker Company ana
Moore & Co.. Mr.. Frick will be enabled control the
coke market of America and make his own prices
lie VIII turn out FIVE times the amount OF cohe
| that will be turned out by the Mcclure Company.
which Is tho second largest in the region
Tho purchase of the two big plants referred 70 oc
| CURED last week. The Scboonmaker Company was
the second largest In the Connesvile region, ana
the transfer Frick included 5000 OF valuable
coal lands 1900 ovens. 400 freight cars ard ali con
| tracts franchises. etc. The Moore Company bad 9's
ovens.
Mr. Frfck will celebrate the forteth anniversary
OF his birth next December and is the son OF
farmer who lived near West overon. Fayette County
lie attended the county schools, and before ne was
engaged a. bookkeeper az the Droodf0d Distlery ne
served time clerk In dry goods store at MI
Pleasant. which Is situated In tho centre OF the
coke district in which he figures 50 prominently
Young Frlcl had not long been employed at Brood
ford until he took small interest In some aVallaDIe
coal properly near the town, and IN company win
partners built fifty ovens tho capacity OF the
modest plant was doubled and when the panic oil
1873 came the partners had 200 ovens and had in
creased their coal territory considerably. MI FITCH
WIS now only twenty four years Of age His partners
fell into difficulties through Inducements and their
interests were sold. b. the aid OF friends cmei
among whom was exJudGe Thomas Mellon. the pit's
burg banker Mr. Frick enabled 10 purchase these
interests and take complete control OF the pant
From that time onward he kept building and buying
ovens. When he could not buy he leased. Inc
boI cIyo1 4ha oattO ~
left many a firm in corner While unwilling to
SELL through hope of better times, they leased their
works to Frck Old men wagged their heads soiemniy
and pitied the young man he had been lucky ana II
he had or would listen 10 inc
advice of older men, he might live in
comfort all the rest OF his life But he was making
a fool of himself and one of these days we would
see what would see. Well, the boom IN COKE
came The yearly profit Of his leased works were
more than the value of the works themselves. Ana
those who had prophesIed his ruin can see him any OF
these days-stlll young only forty-thc king OF the
coke trade. Mr. Frck conducted the business in his
until 1873, when he sold an interest 70 f.
/ VI. Ferguson. of Ncw-York City. The firm or IL. 9
Frick q Co. continued In that form, an addition
to the partnership being made IN the person OF MI
Walter Ferguson also OF New-IOrh. and brother 10
the gentleman named above. In 1882 the II. C.
Prick Coke Company organized and large interest
therein sold to Andrew Carnegie and his iate
brother, ThJnas NJ Carnegie. The company has
eleven stores which supply ITS many thousand en-,
No expense has been spared 10 produce the best
coke that can be made and in order that the purest
water free from sulphur and other impurities. should
be obtained. the company erected az cost OF Sloo
OOO system OF water works. at the beginning OF the
line Of it, ovens, on the Houghiogheny RIVER, rom
which all the are supplied.
The COnnelsvle region i wonderful feeder 10
the industrial interests OF the world. In relation
thereto few years ago Pttsburg writer penned The
following: suppose fork together the coke made
during the last twelve months In the Connellsville
region the popular for the black strip OF coun
Try about forty miles long by three miles wide, when
|. les northeast and southwest across Westnoreand
nd OF
hitch them together I'm continuous train. start the
train going al the rate Of twelve miles an hour, which
is about fair for freight trains, ard rue u
day and night without a moments stop TO cool vt
boxes. or the slightest Stacking upon still grades
stand beside the track and watch the train roll by,
day after day. hour after hour. Night after night
listen 10 the cank clank of the wheels over the joned
rails "a every hour 5000 tons Of coke whlrled
past you Toward morning OF the ninth day the
Signal lamps on the last will mark the end 90 the
train and you will begin to have a dreamy sort OF
notion Of the magnitude OF the coke Industry that Is
blazing and smoking within two hours ride OF PITTS
burg The headlight Of the train VIII be 2,4OO miles
away.r This was written several years ago; and the
coke trade Is a good deal larger now.