New-York tribune., 1909-04-19

was stricken with pneumonia. He was born at
Saxtons River, VT. in 1913.
The funeral will be held Tuesday morning
at II O'Clock at ArdsIey Towers. Additional ser
vices will be held in Washington on THURSDAY ana
the BODY will be buried there. Mr.. Barber leaves
his wife who was Miss Julia Louise Langdon OF
EImira n Y. a cousin of Mrs. Samuel L. Clemens,
and two daughters, Mrs. Samuel T. Davis. jr, o!
bridgeport Conn. whose husband is president Oh
the IocomobIla Company. and Mrs Charles 81. Cldii
Vance who lives in washington His only son.
lie Droit Iangdon Barber, died about four years
ago leaving a wife and daughter, who have
since lived with Mr.. Barber.
Anzf Lorenzo Barber, pioneer in the asphalt
business Of this country. founder and hghter Oh
the Asphalt Trust" during the last ten years.
was the centre of the long drawn out warfare OF
the asphalt interests in which he was accused OF
eonspiring with President Castro of venezuela 10
wrest from the combination the famous haIufei
pitch lake of Bermudez-
Hts connection with the asphalt business began
in 1878. when he took contracts for laying pave
r,onts IN the District of Columbia. The new ma
terial proved popular and his operations extended
to other cities III 1888 he Incorporated the Bar
Der Asphalt Pavng Company. and soon began ne
gotiations with the British government 1or ,He
Trinidad lake He got forty-two-year concession
in 1887. This reservoir of 100 acres contains a
practically inexhaustbIe supply Of asphalt
The next year after getting this concession MT.
Barber organized the Trinidad AsphaIt CoIhpaiiS'
nd of corporations, with an dSSIS@e'NN
canitaI Of "a OOONoD he became president and cher
stockboIder In 1894 he acquired the New York and
Rermudez Company which held extensive prop
critics In Venezuela, including the Bermudez pltch
lake. Then. five years later, came the beginning u
the so-caIIed trust with the founding OF the
Asphalt Company ci America. In this concern ME-
Barbers companies and several other paving ana
supply companies we're included. Mr.. BARRIERS
friends declare he opposed the formation OF tlls
company but that the aiortty interests forced
him to join them o. give up his holdings. Inc year
before he had reincorporateu his companies In Eng
land under the name of the New Trinidad Lake
Asphalt Company. Ltd.
In 1900 the brewing storm began to break when
the Asphalt Company of America was sold TO the
National Asphalt Company Philadelphia CAPT
taliss under the leadership of John NJ. Mack,
were the ma joriy stockholders. Mack and Barber
disagreed to policy. The quarrel grew bitter
and finally. I'm January, 1901. Mr. Barber resigned
the presidency and all connection with the trust
The next year the National company weDt into re-
ceivers' hands and in 1903 was reorganzed as the
General Asphalt Company. only 'b4 original Barber
companies remaining intact.
But Mr. Barber remained in retirement only
short time. Going 70 Mexico. he took up asphalt
properties there and with Ambrose Howard Carver
organized the Pan-American Asphalt Company
The Mexican claims were never worked. however
Carver had been managing director Of the New
York and Bermudez Company, which held the
Venezuelan concessions.
TROUBLE IN NENfLJ Ella
In 1904 shortly after this new alliance trouble be-
gan in Venezuela President Castro accused the
New York and Bermudez Company OF financing A
revolution against him. He conhscated the Ber-
rnudez pitch lake and began two suits against the
trust one for aiding revolutionists and the othe7
for falling II live up to the terms OF the conces-
sion Mr. Carver Mr.. Parber's partner was ap-
pointed receiver of the lake. Then Mr., Barber or
ganfzed the \. l. Barber Asphalt Company, and
his new concerns became the American agents or
the Bermudez lake receiver and handled its output
here
The trust was fined 10000 in the suit brought
bv President Castro justify the ouster- The case
was fought all the way up through the courts. and
appeal finally made TO the United states The
State Department took 1t up. but under the Castro
regime no satisfaction obtained With the
overthrow Of Castro however. the case has at
last been won by the trust which viii be allowed
by the new government to take back the lake on
payment of $4,000
Mr.. Carver died in Trinidad n few months ego.
and now with the death OF Mr.. Barber. the lives
Of both partners have ended almost simultaneously
with the victory Of the combination they fought
A year after the founding oS the A L Barber
Asphalt Company its founder got together some
twenty-five companies, including his own. under
the name OF the Indepcndent Asphalt Association.
Then began bitter controversy between the trust
officials and Mr.. Barber The latter was accused 10y
his opponents of forming the new combination 20
raise the price of asphalt paving.
1t further charged that Mr.. BARRIERS methods
while president the trust had been responsible
for the receivership in 1901. and that he had en-
tered into conspiracy with Castro 20 deprive the
combination of its Venezuelan property. Mr.. Bar
Der denied that he knew Castro or had any
dealings with him. and said his successors had
been responsible for the trouble in the trust
LIBEL SUIT AGAINST MACK.
The controversy came 10 climax when in June
of 1906 Mr Barber brought suit for 100000 for libel
against John W. Mack. This suit was later
dropped.
In addition to his career in the asphalt industry
AIr Barber was pioneer in other lines The Loco
mobile Company founded by him in 1897 and
was one of the first TO produce automobiles As a
yachtsman Mr.. Barber was always prominent He
was the first to utilize the turbine steam
Yacht His Sapphire III sold to the govern
ment at the time of the Spansl-American War
and is now the Yarkton- The Atalanta. owned by
George J. Gould was formerly the Lorena. built
for Mr.. Barber and named after his daughter. Mr..
Barber was real estate operator on a lage scale.
holding much valuable property in Washington.
Staten Island and Ardsley.
Mr. Barber born in the village OF Saxton's
River Vt. son of Amzi Doolittle Barber. a Con-
Gregational clergyman. Bent on a professional
career he went 20 Oberlin College. from which ne
was graduated in 1867. After few months study
in the Oberlin Theological Seminary he took up
teaching head OF the preparatory department of
Howard University, in Washington. and later
professor of natural history in that university. In
1872 he resigned to take the real estate business
in Washington. soon afterward entering the asphalt
business
In 1868 Mr. Barber married Celic NJ. Bradley. of
Geneva. Ohio who died in 1870. In 1871 he married
Julia Louise Langdon, daughter OF ]. lie Droit
Laugdon. of Belmont N y.
Oberin University gave him the degree OF mas
ter Of in 1870, and in 1876 Columbian Univer-
sity conferred him the degree of bachelor OF
la He a member of the Royal Thames
Yacht club, OF London; the New York. Seawan-
aka. Corinthian and Larchmont yacht clubs. the