The age-herald., 1901-01-06
JACOB ROGERS OF
 LOCOMOTIVE FAME

The agitation of the question of moving the Rogers Locomotive Works from Pater- sen, N J to this city and the possibility that the big industry may be secured to the district gives special interest to the follow ing story Of Jacob s. Rogers, the head of the concern, who is among the richest men of the State, and who has a knack of keep ing his affairs to himself:
 MT. Rogers has recently been in the pub lie eye far more than he usually Is because he shut down the Rogers Locomotive Works, which had been turning out good locomotives ever since the machines were built in this country.
 Jacob s. Rogers is great at minding his own business. Some folks say he is worth S0,000,000. Others say that he is worth only $7,0OO,000
 Thomas Rogers, the father of Jacob 5. Rogers went to Paterson in 1874. He had just been discharged from the United States army in which he had fought through the war of 1872. For a time he earned his nv ing as a carpenter. With a capital of $50 he started a machine shop. Twenty years later the first steam locomotives were brought to this country from Europe. The machine shop was then running under the firm name of Rogers, Ketcham & Grosve- nor One of their men said he could build a the engine waas built. It was called the Sandusky. The railroad that ordered the engine would not take it, and the machine was sold to the Madison River and Lake Erie railroad. The roadbed had not been laid at the time of the sale, and so the road was built to fit the engine.
 In 1856 Thomas Rogeres died. By that time the works were making locomotives as fast as machinery could turn them out. They were good locomotives, and they had a character of their own, so that there came 10 be known among railroad men quality known as the Rogers style. It did not re- fer to the mechanical pecuiarities Of the machine, but to the way in which they were finished and the general clean-cut lines which gave them a dandified appear ance among the rather clumsy proauctH oi other works.
 After Thomas Rogers death the style or the business was changed to the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works. Jacob ;. Rogers was made president of the operae- ing company. In the war years the com pahy made money at rate that started the present stories about Jacob S. Rogers $S0 0OOO 900 fortune In 1860 the company made ninety locomotives in one year. Since then its capacity has risen to one locomotive day. The factory has always made money
 In burst of confidence MT. Rogers once told a man who was talking about buying the works that there was profit or about $l00O or $500 on each engine turned out. Pat erson went to figuring, and decided that the profits on the 5645 locomotive engines the factory had made must have amounted to about $s,OOO,000. Hence, the lowest estimate that has been made of his fortune
 Ten years ago MT. Rogers retired from active participation in the management ot the works. R. S. Hughes, who had been closely associated with MT. Rogers since they went into the works together as youngsters, Hughes as an office boy ano Trnsnectiua took com plete charge. Laast summer MT. Hughes died No one had been trained up to take his place in the management of the works No one had been trained into MT Rogers confidence to such an extent that MT Rog- CTS would trust him with the management of the works Mir Rogers let it be known that he was going to close the works as soon as the unified orders were completed At first Paterson hardly believed him. Then as the work gradually decreased and as one gang of men after another was released from employment, it was realized that MT Rogers meant exactly what he said.
 Meetings of prominent citizens were held It was urged that MT Thomas should be told that the city did not want the works closed He heard the message, and an swered that he guessed he owned the Works. He was then asked if he would sell the works Now, that was request that made MT. Rogers rather uneasy. He never sold anything but locomotives and butter In ms life so far as his fellow citizens know. He did not want to sell the locomotive works. But the citizens were very urgent. One ot MT. Rogers few intimate friends was per suaded to lay the matter before him, ano - the old gentleman said that he would thinh 1t over After due reflection he announced that he would sell the works but only or his own terms. These were that board O appraisers should be appointed, one to b' named by himself, another by the intended purchaser and a third either by both par ties to the transaction or by the two ap praisers already selected. Then the pur chaser was to put up bond of S20o,oVO tS accept the factory at the appraisers valua ton.
 There were negotiations that lasted near ly half a year. There are rumors now thai MT Rogers has relented, and that he has seen his way to making some other ar rangement than that he first suggested.
 MT. Rogers home, dingy and loosely built as 1t may seem to be on the outside, is as comfortable a place as an old bachelor could have for his declining days. He i constantly entertaining in the most libera fashion. It Is noteworthy that he seem particularly to like to have young peopl around him. Almost the only intimate friend that MT. Rogers ever had in Pater son was the late Henry V. Butler. MT. Rog eers used frequently to go to MT. Butler home, and the Buffers frequently visited him. They spent days on his Pomptol farm. Sometimes they lived there the whol summer through This friendship between MT. Rogers and the family has continue