The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-26
ANOTHER.
John A. Sher-
man Resigns.
WHITC0MB SHOPS
Lose Him on Account of
Recent Combine.

Company, which is one of the staunch
concerns of Worcester, has rendered
his resignation to the United States En-
velope Company, the corporation which
controls the Whitcomb Company, as
we'll as nearly all other envelope manu-
factories in New England.
Mr.. Sherman rendered his resignation
Monday afternoon, and gives the Unit
ed States Envelope Company until No
Yember to either accept or refuse to
accept the document
The superintendent has been in the
company's employ continuously for 15
years. He was boolSkeeper and clerk
for a year and a half previous to the
time he became general superintend-
ent.
The employees of the Whitconb
Company got wind of their superin-
tendent's intentions yesterday after
noon, and there was CONSERVATION in
their ranks during the rest of the day.
Mr.. Sherman is liked by all who have
worked under him so many years
Mr., Sherman forwarded his resigna-
ton to the executive committee by
mail Monday afternoon, few moments
before that committee, accompanied
by the managers of the different divis-
ions of the combine made their appear
ance at the Whitcomb factory to make
eall lilSpeClIOu VI the property.
James Logan, chairman of the execu-
tive committee, and the other members
of the committee, were informed by
Mr.. Sherman that he had forwarded
his resignation, and they expressed
| deep regret and surprise.
Supt. Sherman was interviewed by a
| Spy representative late last evening He
would not say what his reasons were
| for rendering his resignation, and
would not disclose his intentions for the
future He was very affable but de-
clined to discuss details of the affair
He said
Il rendered my resignation to take
effect on or before Nov. 1. My reasons
for so doing / do not care to state. 1
did it of my own volition."
Coming, as it does, on top of the
resignation and withdrawal of Capt w.
p. Lewis and A. A. Rheutan, it seems
to be the prevailing public opinion, Mr..
| Sherman, said the reporter that
things are not as pleasant now that the
combine has control of the envelope
business, as they were before. Does
any unpleasantness exist between you
and the United States Envelope Com
pany, or the Whitcomb Envelope Com
pany division?''
| My relations with the United States
Envelope Company are of the pleasant
est kind" replied the superintendent
By that may it be inferred that the
differences lie between you and the
/ Whitcomb division2" ars
! Il said that my relations with the
| United States Envelope company were
exceedingly pleasant The company
had not asked me to resign. I wish to
/ to sever my connection with corpora
! ton and declared myself"
Are things as pleasant now as they
might be for the heads of departments?
| Did the appointment, some time ago,
| of Henry E. Whitcomb effect your po-
| sition?"
II have not found my position any
thing but congenial. I was told at the
time Mr.. Whitcomb was appointed act
| ing manager that for the present my
position would not be affected. i can
not at this time say anything farther"
| 1t is said that the combine" quietly
| gave out the information some time
ago that entertainments would be
made and the new order of things
would affect nearly all the heads OF
| the different divisions
| Mr.. Sherman is a particularly valu-
| able man to the Combine. He would
| not say that if the combine insisted
upon his withdrawing his resignation
| that he should refuse to listen to their
| request.
Mr.. Sherman said that he was very
ears Of the outside world. He expressed
a, desire to have the facts kept quiet
until a decision was reached. Mr..
Sherman did say that as far as he and
the help were concerned, he was eX-
ceedingly sorry to leave the Whitcomb
| division. Said Mr.. Sherman:
During my long years of service the
employees and I have never had any
| differences. There have been no strikes
| and no reductions of wages, and very
| few reductions in the number of en-
ployees. My life in the factory has
been happy one, and l really hate to
/ leave my friends"
| John A. Sherman resides in a pleas
| anty situated villa at "a Dean street,
| with his wife and son, T. Edward
| sherman. He is quite prominent in
| church circles. He has been superin-
tendent of four Worcester Sunday
| schools, and at present is superintend-
ent of the Sunday school of Belmont
| Church.
| He came to Worcester in 1877 and has
| resided here almost continuously since
that time. His native town is Brim-
| field, Mass. For four years previous to
| the time he entered the employ of the
! Whitcomb Envelope Company he was
| bookkeeper at the works of the Ames
| Pillow Company. Mr.. Sherman was di-
rectly instrumental in founding the
/ Belmont Church and Bethany Church
at New Worcester
Superintendent Sherman is an invent
or of ability. His first patent was an
| air door check which is now found up
on the doors of factories and mercan-
| tile establishments in America and in
England and on the continent. The
patent was sold by Mr.. Sherman to the
Norton Door Check and Spring Com
pany, who now control this valuable
1 article.
| He also owns and controls the patents
on two very valuable envelope making
machines. One machine, which is al
most Indispensable IN the business, and
three of them are now used at the
/ Whitcon1b factory; 1t is called the Uni
yersal This machine will make 1900
different sizes of envelopes, making all
kinds of odd sizes.
Another machine Mr.. Sherman pat
ented will make over 10000 envelopes
per day.
| Mr.. Sherman and his associate, Clar-
ence w. Hobbs, have lately been grant
ed English patent rights for these ma
chimes, and several are in course of
contraction at the works of the Hobbs
Manufacturing Company.
| Mr.. Sherman has taken out ten pat
ents during the past ten years, and is
still at work upon improved machinery
| for the making of envelopes.
| 1t is reported that other men who
hold responsible positions with the
Worcester divisions of the envelope
combine will soon present their resig-
nations
MIR Sherman would mot either affirm
or deny that he knew of any coming
changes.
Mr. Sherman's friends think that the
| combine" will refuse to accept the
resignation. But Mr.. Sherman last
evening seemed to be determined to
make his contemplated change.