The Republican journal., 1904-02-04
NOW THE E. D. LEIGHTON CO

NOW THE E. D. LEIGHTON co.
Well Known Firm, After 80 years, Ex,s
tence, Is Merged Into Corporation, A
Former Belfast Man the President and :.
Searsport Man the Manager.
On the first of January, 1904. a firm
which had been for half a century act
lively and successfully engaged in bus
mess in East Boston, was merged into a
syndicate, and the business so long con
Quoted under the honorable name of q.
ID. Leighton became stock company.
with Emery ID. Leighton as president.
Nathaniel Covington as master mechan-
ic and treasurer, and Oscar G Eaton as
secretary and general manager. In 1851
Emery ID. Leighton came to Boston
from Belfast, Me-, where his father
and his uncle had for many years been
engaged in shipbuilding. When nearly
p years OF age, in 1854, Mr.. LeigA atom
went into business for himself. with
Thomas A. Foster, and under the firm
name OF Foster & Leighton located at
Tufts wharf, now known as LON
bard's wharf or the National dock.
The position occupied by Mr.. Foster in
the firm was that of master mechanic
and book keeper. From the first the
financial management and all the out
side business devolved upon Mr.. Leigh
ton. In 1860, the business was remov-
ed to Daiton's wharf, at the foot of
Lexington street, where it remained
until 1871, when it was located at the
present site, 100 Sumner street. The
same year Mr.. Foster was instant
ly killed while on hoard the water
boat Flora, which the firm had Just
launched. The Flora was making her
trial trip, when she collided with the
ferry boat and Mr.. Foster was thrown
in such a manner that a blow over
the heart caused instant death. Since
that time the firm has been known as
that of E. d. Leighton. Mr.. Leighton
attributes his success to honesty, sup
plemented by the fact that he has al
ways employed the best men to be found
and that he has understood and given
his personal supervision to the minutest
details of the work. To this latter he
attributes the fact that many of his best
customers today have been his custom
ers through all the so years, though in
the meantime the heads of all these
firms have passed on, leaving the bust
ness in the hands of sons or younger
partners. Most of the men now in the
same line Of business have at some time
been i'll Mr.. Leighton's employ. Among
these are William Mckie, John Mckie,
Thomas kellough, and Richard F. KEEL
Tough. James Marquand, of the firm OF
Il Bros, was Mr.. Leighton's
foreman for II years. James McPher-
son, one of the first mechanics that ever
came to East Boston, and one of Gods
was also in Mr.. Leightons
employ when he died many years ago.
The late Alden Foster, fine mechanic
and expert accountant, was Mr.
confidential clerk % years,
and Otis Lewis was foreman of cau!kers
for MI Leighton for 36 years, until his
death a few years ago. John Young,
now Marine Insurance Inspector was
foreman for II years, since which Mr.
Covlngton has been master mechanic
and bookkeeper. In 1888, during "a
severe epidemic of grip, Mr.. Alden
Foster, then bookkeeper and contiden-
tial clerk, Otis Lewis, foreman Of caulk-
ers, aud John Young, foreman of
carpenters. were at the same time seized
with the worst form of the disease and
were all for weeks at deaths door. Mr.
Foster never recovered. The others
were i'll for many weeks. Mr.. Leighton
was then left alone with an immense
amount of business on his hands. In
the emergency Mrs. Leighton went to
his assistance and for three months
helped in the carrying on of the bust
ness, until Mr. Young and Mr.. Lewis
had recovered and Mr.. Leighton had
time to gather into his own hands the
lines which had rested in Mr.. Fosters
for more than quarter of century, and
to install Mr.. Fosters successor. The
firm has between times occasionally
built a whaler, tugboat, water boat,
but the main business has been that of
making repairs. All the members of
the new firm come of good old New
England stock. Mr.. Leighton himself
comes of long line of sturdy New
Englanders from the Pine Tree State on
both the paternal and maternal sides.
Nathaniel COvingtOn was born in Ply
mouth, Of old Puritan stock, and came
to Boston when very young. He held
for many years a responsible position
with Paul Curtis, and is considered one
of the best master mechanics in East
Boston. He had been in the employ of
MI. Leighton at intervals for years be-
fore he was called to the position of
foreman. He is known among business
men as a man of sterling worth, OF the
utmost reliability and the strictest
integrity. Capt. Oscar G. Eaton, the
manager of the new company, was born
at Searsport, Me-, and all his forbears
were Maine men and women. At an
early age he began to follow the sea and
before he was 20 was master of ship.
AS a sea captain he had phenomenal
success. Among the later vessels which
he commanded were the brig l.. M.
Merritt, the bark Croteus, and the fine
ship Oneida. Later he built in Maine
the fine bark nobscot, the building of
which he himself superint ended, having
great natural mechanical ability. He
commanded The Penobscot until he
gave it up to his mate when he became
superintendent Of the East Boston dry
dock known as Burnham's Railway,
which position he held for - years.
Under his management the railway
was more successful financially than at
any time in it's history. When the
railway was sold he entered the employ
of Mr.. Leighton. He brings to the
new firm knowledge Of the needs of all
sailing craft and wide knowledge of
shipping interests and people. All men
wish for the new firm the same success
which for half century the old has
maintained in this communicates
Boston Argus-Advocate.