The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-19
CAREER READS
LIKE ROMANCE
Colonel A. A. Pope a Soldier
Who Won His Way From
Ranks in Civil War.
MADE FATHER OF ALL BIKES
FIRST FACTORY LOCATED A
GARRETT.

Hartford, Conn. August-The name of
POPE has been associated with the modern
bicycle since its inception. The Pope
business dates back to the close of the
civil war and was started with the money
saved from his pay by A. A. Pope, SOL
der who won his way through the ranks
IN the war or the states, and who was
prevented lieutenant colonel for meritor-
lous conduct in battle. The business was
started in Boston. at Dock square, and
dfterWard was continued in Pearl street
and at 45 High street.
The Pope Manufacturing company was
organized in 1876 and was first Interested
in the handling of small patented articles.
with the air pistol as the leader. Just
az the time when more business was
heeoeo the company stumbled, as if by
miracle, on the bicycle idea. In 1877 the
first wheel was built under the suner-
vision of Colonel Pope and his English
friend, John Harrington. and cost 1913
ms bicycle was the father of all bikes
ana was lost and never recovered al
though the company repeatedly offered
rewards for it, to keep II as a relic
Though only 5000 in cash was paid in
as working capital the start was a Wig
orous one, and at 81 Summer street up
room, the business received its first i'm
petuS. The entire force comprised Colonel
A A Pope, the president; his cousin.
Edward w. Pope and two bows. They
and were statesmen, bOokkeepers and cor
responding clerks.
Started in a Garrett.
The factory and offices were in loft.
or garrett Pine homemade desks com
prised the principal office furniture IN
FEBRUARY, 1873, the concern feeling the
need Of association with an organized
turing orders with the Weed Sewing Ma
chine company of Hartford Conn, and
soon became its largest customer The
next move was to buy the stock of the
weed concern, which it finally absorbed
and assimilated into the Pope company.
Owing to complications over patent
rights, the company was confronted by
Richardson x Mckee of Boston. who de
manded royalties that would have been
extremely burdensome Negotiations were
taken up with that firm to give the Popes
an exclusive license to manufacture in
the United States. but this had already
been offered to Cunningham. Heath &
Co. a rival firm in Boston. This concern
failed to take up its option, and in the
meantime the POpes were so pushed that
a compromise was effected and Joint Ii
cense was issued to the two concerns
II was then discovered that though
Richardson & Mckee managed the en-
tire patent right they owned only half
of it outright. and the other half was
owned by the Montpelier Manufacturing
company in Vermont. Another diplomat
ic campaign followed, which led to Rich
ardson & Mckee selling to the Popes one
half of their interest. or one-quarter Of
the patent right The Pope company has
always maintained that IN selling this
fractional share, Richardson & Mckee
intended to take the considerable amount
paid them and purchase the half inter-
est held by the Montpelier company and
thus control the situation. This was the
crisis of the life of the young Pope COM
pany, and Colonel Pope saw it.
Pope Was ShreWd,
No sooner was the deal with Richard
son & Mckee closed than Colonel Pope
took the first train to Montpelier, arriv-
ing twenty-four hours before the letter of
their offer Had they sent a representa-
tive instead of trusting to the mails the
whole history of the Pope company would
have been changed, perhaps never writ
ten.
On Pope's arrival a meeting of the d.
rectors of the Montpelier company was
held in the parlor of the hotel. The bat
tie was not won without a struggle. The
but Colonel Pope was eloquent as well
as shrewd. At the end of his talk they
sold him their interest. Next day the
& Mckee offer came, but It
was too late The Richardson q Mckee
people realized their defeat and sold their
share to Pope, thus giving him entire
control.
The Pope company, however, was lib
eTal, and instead OF DOIIllnS up the pat
ent licensed all reputable concerns, even
Its old competitors, Cunningham, Heath
& Co.
After this the company was assailed by
patentees who owned rights essential in
their manufacturing, but the company
laid down the policy of buying, or other
wise absolutely controlling every patent
bearing on its business.
The company had meanwhile increased /
it's capital stock to 100000. After the
capture OF the patents it raised this TO
81 10000 One plant followed another as
business increased, until in 1892 the COM
pany moved to the home it constructed
at 219-22S Columbus avenue.
When the financial and physical af-
fairs of the company were well in hand
Colonel Pope turned his attention to good
roads in the interest of his product, and |
from that time on was q consistent ex-
ponent of the policy of good roads. In |
1892 department of the business was |
for the good roads idea, with |