New-York tribune., 1896-05-14

time. and when fourteen years old went into
country store belonging &C. Benjamin +. Wood, at
Duanesburg. six miles from Esperance. He was
clerk for about three years. when he cent by
Mr.. Wood TO take charge OF store at Burton
Vile. In a year two he returned to Esperance
10 another store belonging TO Mr.. Wood which he
managed for year.
At this time he, associated with a Mr.. WIT, went
into the produce business for himself in Toronto
Canada, but In 1862 he came to NewYork. where
he established himself IN tho same business. In
1865 he married Miss Catherine Van Aernann, OF
Duanesburg. In 1876 he bought an interest in
brewery in Wes, Eighteenth-st. and carried on
bualness there under the firm name Of DE La
Vergne & Burr until 1s3. 1t while engaged
I'm the brewing business. In which much Ice Is
necessarily used. that he turned his attention TO
the manufacture o. refrigeratng and ice-making
machinery and designed compressor with
LIQUID sealed piston. which ngenously prevented
the leakage ot ammonia gas through the stuiiing-
box and at the same time fabricated the ma
chinery This invention made IL possible TO put
the pipes containing the ammonia directly into
the rooms that were 20 be cooled instead OF first
cooling salt water ard then forcing that through
the rooms.
The success of this Invention so encouraged Mr. De
la Vergne that he tried ii elsewhere and succeeded
IN securing contracts for refr!geratlng plants from
several large brewers in Brooklyn. Newark. y. j..
and Philadelphia. and IN lNsu he organized wnat Is
noV- known ds the De LII NergUe kcfrlEeratlng Ma
chine Company. A; first the place of business was
In Dank-st but In 1855 the company purchased a
,.rpe trnct OF land IN East One-hundred- thirty
el,,hth-sf port MOrisl. upon which their present
extensive works were erected Al this plant about
eight hundred men are employed. and the company
gives employment to about four hundred more
throughout the c,un;ry az their various ag encies
In Addition 10 his large Interests In the Ketrigerat
irc Comnany Mr. De la Nergnc was president or
,he Arizona Cattle Company. a corporation owning
a In rye ranch In ArZona president OF the Macon Oh
and Ice Company. OF Macon. Ca; president or the
North Side Board Of Trade. OF This city, and d.
rector OF the Union Railway Company. the De La
Vergne Bottle and Seal Company. the New. YORK and
Nevr- Jersey Bridge Company and the New fork
iJyg., Ice Company. Nj De La Nergne was al
v,5,s interested in the improvements of the North
s,Ic and tho concourse 10 be constructed north OF
tre Harlem River one " his Ideas.
Al one time Nj De La Nergne was the president
~ thn Kew York Driving club. Al the time OF his
IN ho was a member ~ the Manhattan. the Ter
-ace Rowing. the Engineers, the suburban Riding
s~d r,riylng the American Yacht and The New YORK
Yarh, cubs an honorary member - the Press club,
go member OF tho AriOn ana German clubs. the
German Techuischer Nerein, the Road Horse Asso-
cIs ion nd the National Horse Show Association.
a. a meeting OF the North Side Board Of Trade.
hold Yesterday. resolutions expressing the deep
senee OF loss felt by the members at the death OF
,.e president oS the organization were adopted.