Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-12-25
TWENrY-r1rrn .AxNirERsARY.
The Delaware Terra Gotta Compan,
tJames II. Beggs g. Coz Celebrates II,

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The Delaware Terra Gotta Company
(James II. Beggs g. Coz Celebrates It's
silver Anniversary.
The reunion Of the members of the
Delaware Terra Gotta Company (late James
"a. Beggs ~ COD and its employees with q
large number of business men and repre-
sentatives of the city press, at the com
panys works on Vandever avenue, Mon
day, will long be remembered as one Of the
plehsanteSt memories among business
circles in this city.
The occasion represented the 18th ami
yersary of the year when the firm first
went into the business of brick manufac-
turing. AT that long past date brick max
ing was i'll very crude state compard tu
what is accomplished with all the mechati-
zeal improvements of the present day. The
head OF the firm, James III. Beggs has
sunk $4,000 in experimental work in one
department of the business, architectural
brick alone. The expenditure was not lost.
The firm now sends its products to half the
states of the Union.
over $50 guests and employees were vel
coined by members of the firm and cs-
cortcd to capacious frame structure,
where Caterer Graves had spread an ele-
giant repust A long table was laden with
dainty edibles iii generous proportions
Palms, p0tted flowers and bunting adorned
the huspitable board. The apartment
walls and ceiling was garanded with
Christmas green and American flags
Guests, employees and members Of the
firm comingled in the heartiest fraterniza-
ton as dozen colored walters kept them
additionally busy in discussing the appe-
ti1ing menu. There were no set speeches
or programme for the repast. Stories Of
old times i'll which incidents Of the build
ing interests of this city Of a quarter of a
4 . ..s.I.s
IL, BegSS pointed out the stalwart form of
sheriff William Simmons as one of his
iirst apprentices iii the trade. The patri-
arch Of Wilmington hrick-makcrs, William
a. Murphy, of the old firm Of Murphy &
Cowperthwait, told anecdotes Of early
days. Numbers Of employees who have
been with the firm for years were present.
Among those noticed were: James II.
Beggs, Dr. II, G. Shortlidge, John Z. ALI
mond, Samuel w, McCaulley, j. A. Nc
Caulley, Philemma Chandler George r..
Townsend, II. i. Rice, Jr,, II. s. Christie,
A. 81 Reed, John Reed, w. ii. Foulk, r..
9. Simpson, Thomas H. Melvin, Candy
Cox, George IL. Tindall, ,Ir., w. A. Muir
ply. W.. q. Tindall, Isaac s. Elliott,
Charles Tindall, w. i. Lenderman, W.
Stewart Almond, Isaac NJ. Lenderman,
Mckee, J. y. oberley, Harry Beeson,
James @ ADAMS, James IL. Beggs, Jr,
Frank McCloskey, John Carey Of Balti
more, Archibald Given, Sheriff William
simmons, Eli Mendinhall, l.. T. Grubb,
William Hicken, Alvan Allen, John
,lacoby, Joseph w. Pyle Albert Beggs, J..
y, Winslow, Scott Beggs Il. w. Murphy,
Calvin / Swayne, w. b. Austen, W. g.
Pierce, ]. b. Johnson, Edward Jefferies,
Samuel Floyd, Benjamin Davis, John
Edwards.
Among the employees were Foremen
Samuel Lewis Of the old yard and Joseph
button of the new yard, both % years in
the company's service; Moulders William
Miles, William Wiley, William Caldwell,
Jr,, Charles View, Elijah Black, Daniel
Caldwell, John Raikes, David jackson,
Bacchus, Samuel Brown, Kennard Moore,
Frank Caldwell (now turnkey at city hall);
Engineers John Groscup and Thomas
Stringfellow; Burners William Lewis,
George and j. Lewis; Jacob Ward, grinder;
Sylvester Solomon, assorter; Carriers Will
liam Hartman, Jerry Bacchus, William
Griffin, John Banks, Frank Goldsborough,
George Washington, Charles Flamer,
Alfred Andrews, Amos Collins.
Ii was learned that the company's
capacity is $4,000 bricks per day. The
record this season has been $1,000 and
$4,000 hand brick. II has sent out as much
as 100000 a week, and always keeps a
supply of from 100000 to Loo, 600 bricks
OH hand. The yards ut Vandever avenue
cover 30 acres and the others 76 acres. The
former property is part Of the. Thatcher
estate and was purchased by Colonel Will
liam Thatcher from L. +. Bellah for
$4,000. James II. Beggs offered $500 an
acre for it 90 years ago. The firm has
manufactured 10000, GOD bricks, 100, 0OO, 900
on the Thatcher property. Both yards are
now run by steam, a Chambers machine at
the latter place and Penfeld at the Clay
mont street yards. This seasons output
will he about 14,0O0,000 bricks. Business
on the Thatcher premises was started Feb
ruary, 1866. John L. Almond Joined the
the firm in 1881. The pipe department
was added three years ago and since July
LIST, 1890 the firm has been Incorporated as
the Delaware Terra Gotta Works, when the
younger members were taken into the
firm. The present number of employees
ranges from 200 to 225.