Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-23

ALLEN JOHNSTON.
! chine; Allen Johnston was the demon
strator and salesman, and it is fact
that Allen Johnston, although fifteen
or twenty pounds lighter than at the
present time, after selling a party re-
siding on Fifth street, a sewing ma
chine, carried the machine on his back
and shoulders from the Office on Main
street to the home Of the purchaser
on Fifth street. | merely cite the fore
going fact to show that Mr.. Johnston
at that time was strong in body as we'll
as in inventive genius and was willing
to do most anything to help the sale
Of sewing machines along from an
economical standpoint.
At the time I went to work for John
ston & Co., they were getting the brass
used in the construction Of rufflers
from the Waterbury Brass Co., Water
bury. Conn; it came C. O. D. which
fact fully demonstrates that the firm
was not oppressed with idle funds
Later on in the business, brass was
purchased from the same people by
the carload and it was not sent G. 0. D.
Early in the summer Of 1871 it was
apparent that more money must be
raised from some source to take care
of the increasing business, and with
that end in view on July 13, 1871,
three twenty-fOurths or e-eighth In
terest in Johnston G. Co, was sold to
!. T. Hackworth and J. G. Hutchison
who were. at that time, the leading law
FIRM of Ottumwa, for the sum of $4,000
which amount was to be used by John
ston & Co., for the purchase of new
machinery and additional material to
enlarge the then rapidly increasing
business.
. In August. 1871. the business was
moved to Court street into the two
story building recently occupied by
, Pixley's Candy Kitchen, both stories
being occupied by the firm. An upright
Baxter boiler and engine were +, pur-
chased in Cleveland. Ohio, for which
$1.1OO was paid; after its installment
the business went forward in leaps and
, bounds as the power so much needed
was at hand to get out the goods.
Sewing machine agents at that time
were not as a general rule very re-
sporsible financially and we used to
! send out rufflers, C. 0. D. to them,
charging 5000 for one-half dozen and
$500 for full dozen.
/ One day in the summer Of 1871 there
came an order from Johnson, Clark Il
! Co., ST. Louis, for one gross of Gold
Medal sewing machine rufflers; they
said to send them G. o. D. by express,
which we did and when the $144 we re-
ceived for them came back, there was
much rejoicing. The Gold Medal sew
+ ing machine was made by company
/ at Orange, Mass, and was the fore
runner Of the new Home sewing ma
chine which is now sold the world
over.
In the winter OF 1S7172 Daniel f.
Morey, the present president and gen.
eral manager of the Ottumwa Brick
plant worked for Johnston & Co., for
. 500 pc rday of ten hours. He got up
at five o'clock in the morning and
helped w. S. Leas, who was the en-
gineer and fireman, clean out the
ashes from under the boiler and
, wheel same out, and for this extra
physical effort on his part, he received
ten cents per day extra.
Mr.. T. B. Trotter, successful com
mercial tourist, now In the employ or
pallister Bros was another one of OF
tumwa's prominent citizens who, work
ed for Johnston 4 Co. during the Win
ter of 1S71-72 Also the late Joseph
! l.. Hartman. who in after years was
couspicuous fire insurance agent IN
our city.
In the winter of 1S7l-72 w. T. John
ston sold his interest in the business
to the other members of the firm.
One of the wisest and best acts IN
the life of Allen Johnston occurred on
the 9Th day Of February in 1872 when
he was united in marriage to Elizabeth
Wiley, daughter Of DR.. and Mrs. }. n.
Wiley, at OskalOOSa, Iowa. FEBRUARY
was always a dull month in the run
Ter business, and just before Mr. John
ston departed to get married, he in
structed the foreman to manufacture
and place on the shelves in the office
for stock. A. B. Howe rufflers. until
his return from his wedding trip to
st Louis. which he said would be in
= few days but he and his fair bride
were so happy in each others society
tina. the passing Of time was perfectly
oblivious to them and before their re-
tvru home we had made up enough A.
p Howe rufflers to last for one and
One-half to two years.
In the summer of 1871 Charles w.
Handy a commercial tourist for the
wholesale hat and cap house OF George
II. Clark &, Bros, Of $50 Broadway
New York anne to OttumWa on his re-
ouar trip. Some Of his friends here
were telling him of the wonderful in
vuntion known as the Johnston ruffler,
he became greatly interested after see
ing it work and upon his reutrn
! to New York induced his employer
Mr. George II. Clark. who was a
wealthy man, to invest some money in
a firm that was at once organized and