The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-26
pEArH oF 4 vErErAN rouXDER.
BentRmin FoH, Who Conducted n Foundry
in This City for Fifty Years.

IN This City Tor Fifty Years.
BENJAMIN Fox. who died last Friday. was al
the time Of his death the oldest living brass and
iron founder In this city. For more than nifty
years he had owned and personally conducted
the foundry on West Thirty-fourth street. be-
yond Tenth avenue. which bears his name. II
was the same foundry all the time. but under
different aspects. for II began OH q very small
scale when Mr.. Fox came TO this country from
England in 1S47. being then a young man OF
%. and decided that there was a good opening
for a foundry on West Thirty-fourth street. At
that time there were openings for almost any
thing in that locality, the chief industry being
the raising OF weeds in unoccupicd lots. There
were indications, however. that IL was to be a
growing business district, and the young
foundryman made no mistake in the selection
Of his site.
Being himself a master workman. he was able
to pick out competent men to serve him. Soon
his business expanded beyond the limits OF his
little building. He put on additions. TWAS no
use; the business filed the additions and de-
manded more space. Then he built a new
building. A picture OF this building taken In
1853 shows q locality characterized chiefly by
struggling wooden structures. In the midst OF
which the foundry looks very substantial and
businessllke. In the course Of time that build
ing was outgrown and was superseded by the
present one. Through all these changes Mr..
Fox was the head and centre OF the establish
@SR3 hr eg%ps SR d h tine t To ssuilt Il fhals p SRst iIl IL tSS
office. He was one OF the old style of business
men who believed In the efficacy OF personal
supervision and Of personal relations between
employer and employed.
parts OF o machine to grind out profits. Many
OF them had. been with him for years. Their
personal AFFAIRS were known to him.. and as he
he would mingle his remarks and criticisms
with, questions as to the welfare Of their
families. 1t was a proverb in the foundry that
there was no bit OF. work which the boss"
did 30 choose. for he was not above taking Off
his coat and. plunglnR into the work when it
was not moving swiftly enough to suit him.,
III show you how It ought to be DONE" he
stoutly, set himself to the task.
One day he criticised mildly ono Of the oldest
workmen in the foundry for a bit OF work..
think / could do 1t better myself, JIM"
"Mebbe that's true. Mr.. Fox" said the old
workman but there's no other man in the
To the. people Of. the .neiGhborhood Mr.. Fox
When he reached the allotted three score and
ton years some OF his friends suggested to him
the ,advisability Of retiring and leaving the
0""'%5RSS ssr '0s er sGaf the I'D f iean ne S1rFZE ~ Would you
leave 2 lively young fellow like me kicking
around with nothing to dor tell you, harm
would come Of 1t. When 1 retire 1t will be for
good reason"
1t was for the best reason. when ono day a
short time ago he failed to appear at the foun-
dry. His lie of hard work told on him when
the collapse came, and he, sank quickly. The
5 5IissS%SS West I'll Th iftS -l R5uff6 SG street ron He ne Iea HHaSf 70 70
sons and two daughters. Mr.. Fox was q men,
Der Of the Masonic order.