The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-29

the whole state, when In lay, 1913, an
nouncement was made of the sale and re-
organization of the Corilss steam Engine
Co. for the purpose of revivii4g the worid
famed industry known as the Corllss En-
CINE Works, which had been practlciny
Idle tor two years on account Oh the oeath
of its honored founder ana prohoter,
George IL. Coriiss. IL was in1eed OF more
than the interest of any In dividuals or
any CORPORATION that the fire s were to be
again lighted and work r@iume Ia TINS
great plant, with its capi city or four
hundreds OF tons OF produs q Week, ana
furnishing employment 10 upward OF
1000 wage earners when running "full."
And coming as il did In the midst OF a
season OF unparalleled Business and In
dusrial depression, when mills all over
the State were shut down or were running
on short hours or with greatly reduced
help, when thousands of able and honest
workers could not find employment in
their respective trades, the announce
ment that "Corliss' " was TO be started
up was everywhere hailed as a matter for
public congratulation and universal re-
joieing. The Corliss Stea On Engine Go.
purchased from the heirs all the real es-
tate, buildings. machinery, tools, MIXTURES,
patterns, quick assets, and an assignment
for exclusive use OF the patents OF Mr..
Co'liss, and in a word everything CON
neeted with the gigantic enterprise that
was at that time lying dor mant help
less, awaiting, as many feared, the pro-
cess of disintegration or possibly 10 Dc
eventually broken up and It's surprising
assemblage of tremendous machinery,
tools, patterns and the entire plant, the
concentrated product OF years OF labor,
genius and money, TO fe scattered 10 the
four corners of the earth. Fortunately
for Providence this was not 10 be. Inc
great works were to be started up at once,
ouerated and improved. There was TO be
no backward step. The new corporation
had little to say hut 1t began WORK at
once. operating at first with a small num-
Der OF employees; those who watched the
progress of the works saw the force grad
tmliy increased until today more than 500
hands are employed in all departments.
They saw material bought and stored that
srgued a bright business prospect. From
pattern shop to assembling points II was
early evident that everything was awake,
that business was being done. The huge
machines In Shop No. j were shortly
running day and night, the foundry was
ablaze and the hammers beat merrlly IN
the big boiler shop. 1t IL an open secret
that in the Is months since the new cor
poration took hold of the Corliss works
orders amounting to considerably more
than a million of dollars have been taken
and executed or ere now IN process While
the outlook for the future Is most encour-
aging. That this has been accomplished
in such an amazingly short time indicates
A tremendous amount of hard work, in
defatigable watchfulness, business enter
prise and a sure talent for mechanics,
and that IL was exempliied on the tremen-
dous scale that distinguishes the Corliss
| works need hardly be said The new cor
poration upon taking possession OF its
purchase found that they tad on their
hands something more serious than a
plant that was merely idle. They found
a great industry that was not only making
no money but was actually losing IT. 10
gather up the loose threads, sop the bus
mess leaks, r~eorganize. rehabilitate, and
set on its feet this big Industry was a
more appalling JOB than even the promot-
ers OF the new company who realized the
value inherent in the splendid works had
counted on. Ii Is known that a large
amount has been expended on the plant
for nothing else than putting 1t into
working shape, and that IN the line or
progress and Improvement, undertaken
promptly on coming into possession OF
the work, large appropriations have been
made for new patterns alone. The result
of the prompt reorganization, the aggres-
sive energy, the liberal but not wasteful
expenditure OF money and the far-seeing
sagacity, which, while taking heed for
the present, looked ever TO the future, Is
the splendid record of the first year and a
half In prosecuting interests of such i'm
mense proportions, prior 10 when they
were threatened with disaster for many
reasons and at a time when all over the
country industries were shutting down.,
new operations were not ventured upon
and those begun were suspended, that even
the most cordial friends OF the Corliss
Steam Engine Co. and the great public
who watched its enterprise with almost
fereHIsA eoncerl-feared for its success.
The executive officers ana directors of
the Corliss Steam Engine Co., as appeared
In their reorganization. were: David Nj.
Thompson, pres. and treas. stephen A.
JencKs, vice pres. William u. sherman,
sec. Charles Il. Giles, agt. Directors: ).
AIn,n trnaa HnlUnka A1anhIna Ia
Worcester, Mass. Gen. W. 4. Draper,
treas. Hopedale Machin Co., Hopedale,
Mass. /; William III. Bent, treas. Mason Ma
chine Works, Taunton, Mass. Stephen A.
Jencks, treas. Fales & JeDck Go Central
Falls X. l.; Haven G. Perhum, treas. Kit
son Machine Co., Lowell Mass. =. w.
French, New England sales mgr. National
Tube Works, Boston, Mass. David Nj.
Thompson. NJ. T., formerly gen. mgr L. b.
& X. Knights mills, Prov, II. l.; George
X. Babbitt. Pres. American. Oil Co., form
erly supt. w. A. Harris Steam Engine Co.,
Providence X. l.; Charles Il. Giles, form
erly with Corliss Steam Engine Co. as
supt. and sgt., Providence Il. i. In the
active management OF this tremendous en-
ter prise the lions share of its promotion
has been assumed by the pres. and treas.
of the corporation, Mr.. David NJ. Thomp-
son of Providence, whose name Is prob
ably as well known wherever there is a
factory chimney in this broad land as hero
In the city OF BTOVluence Wnere ne Is es-
teemed and respected by his fellow citi-
gems. Although somewhat past middle
life Mr.. Thompson irnpresses one as being
at the height OF his mental and physical
powers with years OF experience and train
Ing at his command, such as are available
to few men, contributing to fit him for
the CONDUCT OF this great enterprise which
he has now undertaken. 1t may be said of
Mr.. Thompson, and literally said, that
he does not know how to make failure.
Trained in a school where hard work and
a trade were not thought unbeftting TO
young men OF good families, Mr.. Thomp-
sons lire has been a succession o. aggres-
sive activities. He early acquired a knowl-
edge OF the details of manufacturing and
of the mill business, and mill engineering,
learned how to command men as well "a
machinery, pursuing with the practical
work In the shop from the numblest To
the highest positions his studies of me-
chanics, ana yearly adding TO the store
which he was unconsciously laying up for