The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-04
HO0DOOED FACTORY.
Unfortunate History of the
Old Watch Company's
Building at Marion.
MANY COSTLY BIuKDERs MADE
An Electric Company Occupies 1t
and More Millions Go Under
-For Sale Now.
COSTLY BLuNDERs MADE


Everybody who has Travelled between
Newark n New York over the Penn
syivania Railroad has felt something OF
an interest in the big iron factory build
ing on the south Of the railroad. Just
west Of the Marion station. and those
who have watched it for a quarter of a
century or more, are prepared at any
time to see a new sign upon its front as
they go down to the big city in the
morning or come out at night. The sign
upon it now is: For Sale-Apply TO
Samuel rockingham Of some number
in some downtown street in New York.
It does not nak any difference in This
sketch. says the Newark Sunday Call"
Just where Mr.. rockingham is located.
for It Is not likely that any Of IT'S readers
will Be moved by old associations. desire
to possess white elephants or any sentf~
mental considerations so far as TO pur-
chase the structure. especially as the I'M
preston has gone abroad that the build
ing IS hoodooed. That is what they say
about 1t in Marion. and they seem to
firmly believe It which. under the cir
cumstances. seems excusasse, as what
follows will show.
This handsome building was begun in
1866 and finished IN 1867. Since then moth
ing has met with permanent success
there. although nearly a dozen attempts
have been made to establish a iourishing
business within its four iron walls.
In the early days Of the manufacture
of watches in this country by machinery,
Giles Wales & Co., Of aid lane, es-
tablished the United States WaHeh
Company and built this fine structure to
carry on the manufacture of just such
watches IS have made the work turned
cut At Walrham and Elgin famous
throughout the world. The industry was
unen in an experimental stage, and many
costly plumbers were made, hut thousands
of coed watches were turned out. and
some of them are still carried with pride.
The work was carried on with VARYING
success until 1873, when the nee in
The money market, due TO the Wall street
panic, coupled with a deelfne in the repu-
tation Of rhe watches, owing to the Inn
polite sale of a lot Of movements which
had been discarded fer a fault in con-
struetion- brought about the winding up
OF the business in a raanner disastrous
% everybody concerned, from the
humblest workman up.
They We're great days for Marion when
the watch company located there. The
place was known merely as west End
up to that time, but this title was too
commonplace and Marion undoubtedly
StQ1uSQ DcLtGf.
Intimately connected with the watch
company was the Marion Building Assoc
citation, which PLANNED to make the place
a thriving town. The company bought up
all the available land south of the rail-
roairead for nearly q quarter of q mile
in breadth and half a mile or more in
length, and while the factory and it's
numerous outbuidilgs were going UP in
the block they naw occupy. other blocks
were divided up into scanty building lets.
70 feet by 100 feet. and half a DOZEN ows
for the workmen- Then there was an
enormous hotel erected nearly opposite
the factory. 1t was in fact two hotels
in one with two scales Of prices. One
wing was known as the Marion House
and the more imposing part of the strue
ture was called the ST. James Hotel.
People VIII stopped at the latter place
were supposed to have more money than
those who pat up around the corner in
the other wing and they were expected
to- spend il. Both houses ffourished for
to pieces from neglect. although some Of
the rooms are occupied as cheap tene-
ments. There were some lively auctions
of building lots In the first two years of
ground at q price which made each lot
cost about SO, but with the aid OF glib
bands Of music and liberal luneheons, so
much of a frenzy Of enthusiasm was
worked Up that corner lots sold for 81, 100
and less desirable selections went OF at
riIo Z a3No. ~ Ldl6G hlQ(hE III tl1ISf
property could BOW be purchased for
from s2ee to $500 a lot and the owners
would not hesitate a moment If such an
offer were made. The tract is only
sparselv settled nav and the tenants Of
the few houses are apparently all wage
earners. There are no homes Of luxury
ia be found on the land covered by the
map made at the time OF the boom. and
there IS but one stately old mansion,
which has evidently been there since the
early part Of the century. That part Of
Marion Is far from being an inviting place
for a home When the west winds Of
trimmer blow over the meadows they
become heavily laden with the mtlsty odnr
Of Shanley's reeking MANURE piles, the
oppressive smells from the hog Slaughter
house and the disagreeahle scents from
the several places upon the H2ekensaek
meadows. where dead animals are eon-
verte5 into merchandise Still people 1--we
there and raise fat, dirty and necessarily
healthy children.
Of the iron factory huiidfng there is
more to be said After the United States
Watch CoMpany sAccuTnbed, Elias Bros,
of New YORK essayed the manufacture
of waIcnes OF Z low grade to fit the
otaide cases. This venture lasted nina
months or SO, and then the machinery
was sold. much of 1t going fer Junk.
After an idle spell Of several years there
was a sudden hustle observed In the irur-
rallied Enclosure. and It was learned that
the New York SILK Manufacturing COM
pany had secured the factory and would
give employment to a thousand opera
tives. more or less. This company spent
a great deal of money for machinery.
foored THE big building anew. and built
a big brick wing on the south side. hut
the enterprise failed in its second year,
and there was another soeH of rest, after
which the Manhattan Knitting Company
tried to remove the increasing had repu-
tatien Of the buili ngs and gave it IN
after a. few months. Some time after
ward Leo Daft secured a fresh lot of in
vestrrs IN his electrical schemes and
tine Daft Electric LIGHT Company secured
the building. but the enterorise had no
greater success than Dafts preceding
Ventures. and the UIlited Electric Trac-
ton. Company took the p-lace-machinary
and alto evolve an electric railway
system. An elipacal track was laid in
the enclosure, trolley poles were erected
an an old herse car fitted with a motor
made experimental trips around the
course. Four years z this venture was
given ID. and now the building stands
as a. monument of the millions that rave
been wasted in and around 1t and as a
temptation to small boys with a pTe6ilee-
ton for throwing stones at windows