The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-29
OLD OFFICERS OF CONCERN TO RESIGN PLACES May Be e-eIected to Desks or Advanced By Di-
 rectors
DETAILS OF CHANGE
 ARE KEPT SECRET
Scope and Business of High est Taxed Local Plant
 to Increase


 f7argest assessed domestic corporation lin the city Of Bridgeport. is to be merged directly with the Crane Com lpauy of Chicago Steps to consurn- Innate this project have already abeen made during the past two weeks re- isuIttng. 1t is saids in all the local off fhcfa1s Of the Crane Valve Company retiring. at least temporarily Until Itheir successors in this anu other sub lsfdiary concerns of the Crane Com- lpany can be made in Chicago under Ithe laws of Illinois.
 At the present time. and until the fmeeting Of Saturday, the local con- cern is said to be in the odd position of not being officered in this city, though the retiring heads are still ful- ldIIing the duties of the positions from which they have retired
 The Crane Valve Company, Con- knecticut corporation was established i1n 1888 or 1899 and as such as pays Itaxes in Bridgeport upon the assessed valuation of $z.s63, 96e. It IS believ- cd. under the Cfane Company. of Illinois of which 1t now becoraes a interested as indicated by the large iadditioug recently Ynadet tf1 Rtrtt West End piait. which are said to have had fhe sanction of the Chicago heads and Ito have resulted in an estimated i'm crease of business of between forty A
 Though no official of the old Crane Waive Company could be located xo- day who would authorize the figures or. confirm the rumor, it is reported about the plant of the Crane Com kpauy here today, that at the ending conceded that. from the gross profits made by the concern during 191S-14, the annual dividend next January will gprObably be nearer 1O per cent. of the l1ndivfduaI salaries of the employees khan the per cent which has been the recent custom Of the company.
 It is known that c. R. Crane, head fof the big industry, has been in this city during the past two weeks talk ling personal supervision of the con- Ifemp1ated changes. He was here fagain yesterday accompanied bv R n Crane. 2nd, also an offlcial in the Crane company.
 At this time the resignations of the officials here were rendered to take effect at the Chicago meeting. when it Is believed that they will be either treappofnted or elevated from their. present capacities. Among those who R1Ff1I be aRected by the change are A. F. Bennett, general manager: C. v Burlington secretary; R. H. williams. treasurer, and A P. Mcdonald, as- isistant secretary and treasurer
 While no official could be located today who cared to make public the full plans of the com pany or the req son for becoming unit in the Crane company, the fact that the changes as indicated in The Farmer were about Ito take place were confirmed.
 Edward G. Burnham, the founder of what is now known as the Crane Com pany. came to Bridgeports in 1860. where he established his deep knovl- ledge of the brass industry as it re- 1zted to casting and foundry purposes. q O e firm of Beiknap & Burnham. which 1ocated itself in a small building Etandfng where the Wakeley's stables now are seen on Cannon street. They had a. small brass foundry and man. klfaotured brass valves, hose fitting and sother small brassware.
 The business prospered and in 1875 9hey moved into bigger quarters where hhe Adams Express office now stands near the depot. Eaton & Cole. large Robbers of brass ware in New York cfty with whom MT. Burnham had eEted in the factory and a few years latsr the corporation of Eaton. Cc1e & l8urnham Company was formed.
 The corporation purchased the property now known as the South End plant of the Crane Valve Company 3ocated on Main street. They put up a building, thought to be large at that time but which now is occupied mere 1y as the boiler room to the larger IedifIces that surround it. Under the lname of Eaton, Cole & Burnham, the Factory made rapid strides in the brass world. their product going to every country in the world and they were a powerful factor in the supIy of valves
 Edward c. Burnham retired from active business life in 1902 but was Succeeded in the business by his son. ] ETI1ldam F. Burnham, who continu ed ms vice president and general man nEer until May, 1905, when the cor I,oTation now known as the Crane l Waive Company took over the opera tion of the former company. This l company. though associated with the Crane Company of Chicago since 1 P so9-s ha been known locally as the Crane Valve Company.
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