The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-12-11
ENDS HALF CENTURY SERVICE
Retiring superintendent Went to Work
For Company at the Age of IL Years
and Fought His Way to One Of the
Highest Offices in Great Industry.
(From Thursdays Daily.l


Matthias Werye, general superinten-
dent and director of the great plants
Of the ~ r.. Allen s Sons Company, was
sixty-nine years old today and the
event was quietly celebrated at the
Werve home on Deming street. The
feature of the day was the announce
ment Of Mr.. Werve that he was plan
ming to take a long vacation and on
the first Of next January Mr.. Werve
will give up his position at the big
tanneries and retire For fifty seven
years he has been one of the most ac-
tive Of the men connected with the big
Allen tanneries and he has contributed
much to the growtA of this great in
dustry in Kenosha. Starting work in
humble capacity he has worked his
way up until he is now a director Of
the great company and the most active
manager of the operation Of the plant.
am just going to quit, was the
way Mr., Werve made the announce
ment of his giving up Of life work.
~ have been at it now for fifty seven
years and just feel like giving it up
and resting for while. l shall sever
my relations with the company entirely
giving up the work as superintendent
of the plant and my place on the board
of directors as we'll Its little hard
for man to quit after fifty-seven years
but / guess that can find some way
to amusc myself and allow the younger
men to take up the work at the
tanneryp
AS yet no one has been named to
succeed Mr. Werve as superintendent
of the big Kenosha plant, but it is I'M
derstood that some one will be sent
from one of the eastern plants Of the
Central Leather Company to take up
the work.
The retirement of Mr.. Werve is
notable event iii the world of leather.
Few men connected with the industry
in the United States were more widely
known and no one at present in Keno
sha had SO much to do with the up
building Of the great Allen business.
Mr.. Werve was born in Germany but
he came to Kenosha with his parents
when he was eight years Of age and
four years later he gave up his school
work and went down to the tannery to
go to work. 1T was the beginning of a
life work for since that time he has
ct,ant oil of bic +iYnn ia +bo ,,,o,,,, G / -
ure of leather Few men in the nation
are better versed in the tanning indus
try. For a number of years Mr. Werve
worked out his apprenticeship in the
beam room of the company but his
genius for organization was early
recognized by N. r. Allen, the founder
Of the company and he was rapidly adj
vanced. In 1880 he was made super
intendent of the plant. With the in
corporation of the company he was
named as one of its directors and when
the Central Leather Company was or
ganized, Mr.. Werve was AIMED to
represent the Kenosha plant as one of
the members of the board of directors
oil tins great organisation.
Featured in the development Of the
life work of Mr.. Werve was his visit
to Japan in 1872. For years the
Japanese people had sought to learn
better methods of tanning and finally
at the request of the emperor Mr..
Werve went to The Far East to teach
T., A
tanning. He lived at great English
hotel during hts stay in Japan and it
was during this time that he had d
chance to give expression to his
patriotism as an American. He tired
of living under the English flag and
when the Fourth of July came along he
climbed to the roof of the building aud
raised the Stars and Stripes in celebra-
tion of the day of independence of his
adopted nation. The English people
were aroused to the fighting point and
declared that the flag must come down
but with an old Spencer rifle Mr.. Werve
stood guard all day long and the Stars
and Stripes were not molested and wav-
ed uenantly over the British holstery
during the celebration of independence
day.
In his busy working life Mr.. Werve
has not been forgetful of his duties as
citizen. He has taken great inter
est in the advancement of the city.
Politically he has been a leader among
the democracy of Kenosha. The only
public office that he ever held was serv-
ing term on the board of education,
but he rendered excellent service as. a
member of the board
lie has been actively connected with
the social life of the city and is a mem
Der OF many kenosha organizations in
GLIDING the Elks. Knights of Pythias,
the Country Club and many other
organizations