The Press., 1903-09-17

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woolen machinery Later he did
business at various periods in Roch-
ester, Troy, Schenectady and Worces-
ter. In 1857 Mr.. Washburn increased
his Worcester works so as to furnish
other iron products for the railroads,
constructing two rolling mills 400 by
% feet and foundry 15O by go feet,
and other buildings, in all covering
about four acres. The plant produced
about 450 tons of iron rails a week
In 1858 he invented machine for
rolling locomotive tires without bor-
ing them out In 1859 iron works
were built by Mr.. Washburn in To-
ronto, Ont. At one time the Worces-
ter plant did a large business in the
manufacture of rolled gun barrels.
For time the gun iron was imported
from England, but Mr.. Washburn soon
discovered a process of pudding the
steel whereby he could produce gun
iron superior to the English make.
The product of the iron mines were
insufficient for his demands. In 1865
he entered with w. g. Barnum and
others into the purchase of iron lands
the mining and preparing of the
iron for commerce and the manufac-
ture of chilled steel wheels and loco
motive tires. He established blast
furnaces in Caanan and Salisbury,
Ct., and at Spuyten Duyfel, near Yon-
kers, N. Y. In 1867 he began the
manufacture of steel locomotive tires
at his Worcester plant, and was the
first to satisfactorily put steel tire
on locomotive wheel. About five
years ago Mr.. Washburn returned to
his home town. The problem of i'm
proving car wheels still interested
him, and he set up a small furnace at
Fox Village to continue experiments.
He finally produced steel wheel
which he considered the crowning
achievement of his life. It is too
early yet to know what the opinion of
the busy world will be on the latest
invention of this notable man, and it
does not matter to him. His busy
arm is at rest. The sweets of success
and fortune, and the bitterness of de-
feat and unavailing effort-both of
which he had tasted in his time-are
all one to him now. He enjoyed his
good fortune in princely manner,
and was undaunted in the periods of |
adversity which he encountered. Mr.. |
Washburn at an early age married |
Miss Eliza Young, who died about a
year and half ago. He leaves one |
daughter, Miss Clara Eliza, who re-
sided here with him. He leaves also
one brother, Thomas Washburn, who
resides at Fitchburg. The funeral
was held yesterday afternoon from his
late residence, Rev. VIM. Morrall of
Grace church officiating. The burial
was at the Stafford Street cemetery. |
The bearers were Frank Willis, Miner
Fairman, Henry Fiske, Everett Fiske, |
Lewis Fiske and Henry Hyde.
WALES. |
A petition in bankruptcy was filed |
at Boston last week by Joseph III. Lou
don, proprietor of the Golden Rod |
woolen mill at Wales and the Branch |
mill at Monson. The total liabilities
as shown by the schedules, amount to
1921, 963, with nominal assets of 1916, :
III. The unsecured claims amount to |
1914, 972, distributed among about 100
creditors, including the First national
bank of Worcester, ,Southbridge nation
al bank of Southbridge, Stevenson & |
Craft of Philadelphia, Fisk manufac- |
turing company of Springfield, Uncas
dye wood and extract company of |
Montville, Ct, Langdon Cambria coal
company of New York, Jerome Marble
of Worcester, Thomas Lee & Co. of |
Philadelphia, John H. Lyon & Co. of |
New York, William Sibley of North |
Windham, Ct, Benjamin Simons & |
Sons of Philadelphia, and Garfield |
woolen company of Garfield, N. J.
Wales has had a lively week, owing to |
Some parts of the story reminds one of |
the middle ages. The mill has been |
in a state of siege, and with it's bridges |
and the stream which has answered |
for a moat, very creditable imitation
of former days has been given. The
first move in the game was the arrival
of men representing Treat & Converse
of New York, who attempted to take |
possession of the stock in the mill on
a bill of sale. Work was discontinued |
and the visitors announced their inten-
tion of removing the stock to New
York. The employees, who claim they
have due about four weeks pay, did
not propose to have anything taken
away. The mill is cut off from the
highway by a stream, over which
bridges have been built. The mill /
was locked against the intruders and
the bridges were cut away. The
workmen stationed guards night and
day to see that nothing was taken
from the mill, and the New York men
kept guard, outside, also. Sentinels
have been posted at night to give the
alarm in case there was any signs of
the removal of property from the mill,
and the rumbling of the wagon COM
ing toward the mill was the sign for
extra vigilance. One night an ap-
preaching wagon resulted in the ring
ing of bell and the gathering of the
Wales boys with as great alacrity as
the Hminuto men of '76 ,, tt was A. |
false alarm, however. So many
guards, guarding each other in the
same mill yard, could not fail to make
attempts to enliven the monotony for
each other. The Wales boys seem to
have had the best of it in any of the
passages which are told. A few
evenings ago the local men became