New-York tribune., 1889-10-21
A SKETCH OF HIS CAREER,

'i''N'l9 VI BdUDittS Ille IN inc history OF the
sroWh OF the manufacture Of soap in America. That
INDUSTRY IS not popularity regarded as ranking among
the foremost pursuits TO which men devote their
energies yet to manufacture soap successfully,
"hen following IN the beaten paths Of soap0re re-
qu'rcs much skill. For tho materials are rarely OF
exactly the qualities and the process cannot be
reduced TO the nice eXactness of other Cynical manp-
uiauons, and much depends upon the judgment and
experience Of the OperatOrs AS in every other line of
business, there Is always individual who takes
thc lead Of his competitors and maintains It, so in
thS the name of B. T. Babbltt IS more widely known
perhaps than any other, and his manufacturing
taeishment in this city probably the largest in the
United States, II not in the world devoted to the pro-
ducton Of soap as specially. It's yearly production
reaches twenty TO twenty-five million pounds Of soap.
When Mr.. Babbtt entered in the business most of
the soap used In this country imported from Eu-
rope, and his entire plant was contained In two
story building, twenty five by one-hundred feet He
lived 10 the trade revoufonzed and his gigantic
establishment cover twenty three CITY lots with a
hoor space Of 100000 square feet One of the sights
of NewYork to people interested IN its manufactures
has long been Mr. Babbitts six immense kettles made
of heavy boiler iron their aggregate capacity being
3,5OO000 pounds, while the value of the material
II takes to FIJI them before boiling is $4,000. What
do you think it costs Babbitt to keep the kettle boil
ngl' was long a venerable joke in the trade. Most
Of the machinery employed In the great factory IS
Vi DdDDllIS OWL blNcHlbH. nc Was pO>ScanCb
OF high order of inventive genius, and great part
OF his success In the business OF manufacturing I'm
which a small proportion OF those who engage sue
ceed due 10 his ability when new idea struck
him to "urn I'm" himself and make the machinery
necessary TO carry It out
lie was born on a farm at Westmoreland, n. Y,
in 1909, and had little opportunity IN his early
days for acquiring an education. His boyhood and
youth were spent in farm drudgerv, but when his
frame became we'll knit and able endure the harder
toll OF blacksmith, he left the farm and began TO
learn that trade moving from westmoreland To Utica
Here he first discovered that he had mechanical
genius and acquired village reputation as an apt
mendcr OF farm machinery, such as there was Of 1t
- 1, those days. Saving his earnings here, he moved
TO Little Falls. Herkmer County and began to
manufacture farm machinery on a small scale, with
considerable success, making a speciality of the con-
structon of thrcshing g-machines Here his inventive
ability brought him into prominence, for he manu-
factued tho first moving g-machne that would NOV
ever made in the world. Having accumulated about
$4,000, he desired to extend his operations so.
placing the management of his business IN the hands
OF friend he thought he could implicitly trust he
came to New York in 1e43 and began tho manu-
factme Of salcIatus at No. 60 WashlngtOn-st.
He had not more than got fairly started when he
met with a crushing blow Ills manager at Little
Falls proved recreant to his trust, and Mr. Babbtt
was left literally without dollar OF capital. Moth
ing daunted, however, he worked away all the harder
at his new enterprise He met with keen compcti
tion and added the production of soap powder to his
business Still, he was making little progress when
a fortunate discovery by him effected complete
revolution in the manufacture of saeratus. Hitherto
it had been made only from pearl ash, but ne man
aged produce the same results with sOda-ash, a
saving in the process of at least so per cont This
valuable invention gave him the control of the trade
in sacraus over the whole country, and his wealth
began to accumulate rapidly
About 1888 lie began to manufacture the various
brands of soap for which he is best known ard which
have made his great fortune. All through his life
his inventive faculty was busy with some new me-
chanical problem In order to have scope for thcs,
ideas he erected extensive works in 1871 IN the village
Of WhitcsboIO, Oneida County, ~ " on the line Of the
Erie Canal. Not less than 100000 was expended on
these works. They were devoted principally to the
construction of the boilers engines and machinery re-
building OF the various mechanical appliances WHICH
are Mr. Babbitts own invention. Among these may
difficult problem Of how to use a steam vessel In canals
without endangcrnG the safety of the BANKS T.! @ ln3
vessels wash, rotary stram engine Wluou'
piston, cylinder valves. and combined steam gen
orator, condenser and stcamhcatcr -
ME EaObltts iundueSs fUr invention, ana the dlo.'
OF IIne ne devoted u H. made II Necessary ~ - e,
render much Of the management of his business 10 eh
pM{es, lie had Startcd 70 nanuiag,GI abt hin, ont in
WIN partner T. Fare, but bought nm tant "ut M
sJ2, and never took another. His trusted accouat
for mahy years, C. Il. Bcckwith possessed SO ennTG ensG
the old mans confidence that by res oi cHDtl-
Elements, he secured S23j, 900 of his employers mong
without Mr. Babbtt even suspectng II. Inc I'M unlEi
was Unmaskcd by detective who came upon be'h.
wl's trail by accident. and the accountant server ou'
a t'lm in sing sing for his crime, but riu'eu u
give up the money. ,o,ooo l.,
Mr. Babbt's fortune Is valued at So0OOoVo' IN
vest d IN his business plant heH, Ms DidHv"cs III
Philadelphia and Cincinnati a number OF houSen III
New York his own fine home No 30 west ihrV-
fOurih-st and his country home ana good neal or
village proucrty about IL at Eaycn'wOOd /. !. Ills
fine farm 81 100 acles in Westcheser County IS also
fL. lilo prrbcrnn horses that drew hi, heavy vans
through tbc streets Of the city. In appearance Mr.
Ilabbitt was tall and commanding; fine, open face,
,lcar b..J with percng eyes and hooked nose. was
with a great shock Of tightly
hair jet-back In his youth Dut l3r lons time snowy
'anor,r which he personally superintendent a swallow
alled dresscoat OF black broadcloih and high hat
-.... r-rrn pnnnTNn TILE u.Ecr1.nN r,,-rn,r