The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-15

chartered at Albany, n. Y. This Is the
company that is to succeed the Lacka-
wanna Iron and Steel company, which
is now erecting a plant at stony Point,
near Buffalo.
The company was chartered to manu-
facture iron, steel and other metals: to
operate mines and lumber lands: to
erect and operate furnaces, forges,
mills, foundries and other manufacture
ing establishments: to construct and
operate bridges. ships, engines, cars
and other rolling stock; slips, elevators,
WaterWorks, viaducts, aqueductS and
canals, and to transact such other busi-
ness as may be incidental thereto. The
capital is divided into 100000 shares of
the par value of $100 each.
The directors are: Fl. Nick. Twom-
bly, and d. o. Mills. OF New York:
Henry A. Taylor, of Newport, r. l.; j.
G.. Mccullough, of North Bennington,
VT; III. Walters, of Baltimore, Md, and
Samuel Mather, of Cleveland. The Buff
falo Commercial said recently about
the work the company is doing at Buff
falo:
AT STONY POINT
The person who goes out to Stony Point and
sees there the cxpansc of structures, the cnor.
nous concrete piers, the towering gantrics, the
massive handsome office building the railroads,
the bridges and the army of workn,en, swarm
ing lake ants about everything, concludes that
Aladdin and his lamp weren't SO wonderful a
pair after ALL Every Buitalonan should go out
to stony Point. lie should take a day out of his
lAsincss. The trip will do him good. lie will
see a great city rising out Of what lie will re.
member as great stretch Of uncultivated ground
dotted with swails and ragged slribbery. lie
will be bewildered by the preliminary hum of
industry, awcd by the magnitude of the enter.
prise.
II lie be so fortunate as to get inside the big
fence and past the nHcSiblc watchmen he will
iind himself amid a wilderness Of enormous me-
chanical appliances, travelling cranes which will
crush him If he does not keep sharp eye small
locomotives which dart hther aud tllither. draw
ing long snake.like trains; massive buildings
tceming inside with industry, but glistenng
without like fine residences; hundreds of men
moving to and fro in bands of 100 or more, or
working in deep excavations which are being
made, seemingly, in all parts of the vast nclos.
ure lie viii see much else and note much else;
for instance the endless number of 'No Admit
tance' signs and the absolute indifference of
every one TO his presence or to his queries il
he have the tenerity to venture question.
Tie office is a three story, gray brick structure,
about 20 feet long, beautifully finished and having
granite steps leading to the main door There is
probably no finer office in this country than this
one. 1t is spacious, perfectly lighted and flaw.
lessly arranged. Here are the heads of all the
departments; here is telephone exchange larger
than the exchanges in many small cities, giving
connection not only 10 every office but every
part of the immense plant and attended usually
by two persons; here also is the sumptuo,s office
OIL. Wchrum, the general manager, WHO knows
every detail OF the gigantic establishment and
who ranks with the biggest steel men of the
world.
Mr. Wehrum is comparatively unknown to Buf.
falo, which will be his permanent home and
among whose commercial representatives lie will
take high rank. lie has been steel man since
he was boy and his appearance indicates that
that was about forty.fvc years ago. He learned
the beginnings OF his profession in Germany and
perfected himself while in the employ Of the
Lacklwanna Steel company From one position
he rose to another, earning his promotion by in.
deiatigablc industry and the keenest application
OF unusual abilities. From foreman to assistant
general manager and then TO the position of gem
eral manager lie ascended; and now he is the alb
souc executive head of the greatest individual
steel plant on the face OF the earth.
\ QUIET MAN
lie is quiet man with sharp eye, a neat.
of genius a thick light beard in which there is
a generous sprinkling Of gray, and brevity Of
speech quite in keeping with his general char.
acter. lie does not waste words. lie is explain
atory and polite in short sentence and Ia as
decisive as steel trap. When one considers that
scores and scores OF men call every day to see
him it will be understood why he must be la.
comic. lie doesn't see them all; bat he sees a
good many, and minutes are dollars to him and
l,. lie bn u-.p
Judgment, who decides everything OF importance.
He is in constant touch, both fgurutively and
literally, with every department OF the big cou.
Germ, with every part OF the enormous plant.
All the superntcndents and contractors report
to him; all their work must be approved by him.
His duties are multifarous. endless. 10 perform
them in the careful manner which has always
characterized him. he has TO spend twelve ana
fifteen hours day at his desk. He lives in the
building and is in his office before the cheapest
clerk has arrived is still there after the most
ambitious employe has started home. Supervis-
ing the construction OF S400000O0 steel plant is
task which few men are competent to performs
it requires great physical force, unusual fertility
executive ability and genius, and Mr.. Welrum
has them ALL
The largest and tile best eoupped individual
steel plant in the world--that's what Buffalo will
have; that's what is rising now along the shore
OF the lake at Stony Point. Few Bufalonans
know it; none doubt il who have paid a visit 10
the region, The failure OF most Buiialonans TO
grasp the Importance of the enterprise or to real.
l|e the stupendousness Of the undertaking is due
IN great measure to the deliberate retieence
OF the steel plant officials, and to the natural
tendency OF people to absorb great things slowly.
The steel plant men are naturally taciturn
about their affairs, as are all good business men,
and when they have time 10 talk. which is not
often, they tOlk about other peoples business
and give rest TO their own. or course, il is easy
10 understand why corporation with SiOOOO 600
capital, doing business independent of the steel
combine and erecting The most modern and per.
feet plant in the world, should not care TO raise
the curtain on its methods Of construction.
BIG FORCE OF MEN.
More tllan 1900 men are working every day,
and good many men every night, TO erect this
Sl00OO,OOO plant The work may be said to be
only started The average person who knows
naught about steel plants is likely 10 think af,
ter gazing upon what has already been accom-.
plished that the work is weil,nigh completed;
but 1t is far, far from il. True there are build.
ings $50 feet in length, two OF them; there are
any number OF structures POO and 800 iet long;
in short, theye are more buildings and bigger
than may be found in most manufacturing cities
OF 10000 Inhabitants and the construction work
on the real big buildings has hardly started. The
biggest building now up is the foundry building,
which is $50 feet long and about 90 or 20 feet
high 1t is an arelled structure, with root
studded with glass panes, one side literally in.
laid with windows-in this side there are exactly
IL, ,20j panes OF glass--and cleanliness OF as.
pect seldom noted in manufacturing buildings.
The roll shop standing near by, and running par
allcl to Il. is about the same length, but is
lower and not quite so wida. The pipe shop, the
boiler house, the power house, the carpenter shop,
all stEn and oil Ia