The Washington herald., 1914-07-28
HISTORY BUILDERS.
How Waterbury Became Brass Man
ufacturing Center.
Cwatten expressly for TAs Herald,
BIZ DR. z. J. EDWARDS.

ufacturng Oenters
Cwntten expressly for Ths Hsraldl
BIZ DR. E. ). EDWARDS.
Gen. stephen W. Kellogg represented
the New Haven Cconn.) district in Con-
gress for three terms In the mid-seven-
ties. The district was normally Demo
cratic, and yet Gen. Kellogg's influence
and popularity were so great that at each
OF the three elections In which he ap-
peared as the Republican candidate for
Congress he was triumphant. Political
life however. did not especially appeal 10
ton when IN Congress. He stood among
the leaders Of the Connecticut bar and
his title Of general was no courtesy title,
for he was the commanding oficer Of the
Connecticut militia for a number of
years.
It was my good fortune to have a pleas
ant acquaintance with Gen. Kellogg, and
ifsI happened to call upon him when he
had a little leisure found him ready,
even willing. to talk reminiscently about
the great development Of manufacturing
industries which at one time made Con-
necticut, proportionateIy to population.
first among the manufacturing States of
the Union
Gen. Rellogg's home was at Waterbury.
and his entire professional life was spent
in that community. He therefore was ia
miliar both as q citizen and also as a law
yer who was retained by some Of the
large manufacturing interests OF that
community with the wonderful growth
OF the brass industry. OF which Water
bury Is the center.
asked Gen. Kellogg one day how II
happened that this community was first
interested in the manufacture Of brass.
since there seemed to be no special rea-
son why II should be established there.
We'll. II IL due almost entirely to one
of those singular and unexpected and
apparently triiing causes which have led
to the development in particular locali-
ties of some Of the other great American
industries" replied the general.
You will be astonished when tell
you that this enormous brass industry
can be traced directly back to the fash
ionAble use OF polished copper buttons
big as a copper cent-for mems garments.
Forty or fifty years ago every gentle
man who had a standing in his commu-
nifty. and particularly every man in pub
lie life. was accustomed TO wear a swal-
low-tail coat all day. It was usually of
dark blue material and there was a heavy
collar attached to II. 1t was adorned
These were purely ornamental. and there
was a very great demand for them. At
first they were imported from Great
Britain. but after a while certain ener-
getic and clear-headed men who lived in
Waterbury were persuaded that they
could make buttons fully as good as the
British buttons and sell them at a price
which would command the market
so they started out in a small way
One Of these men went to England and
induced some OF the skilled buttonmakers
there to come to Waterbury and TO bring
with them the secrets, II there were any
OF the British manufacture
We'll. the venture was successful. Sew
eral factories were established. And these
American buttons after a while COM
pletely commanded the market But
when Webster and Clay and some Of the
leading bankers and great lawyers Of the
time who were accustomed to wear the
swallow-tall coat adorned with brass but
tons passed away the fashion gradually
died out. So then Il was necessary to
supplant buttonmakinE with some other
industry in which copper was used. The
proper alloy of copper and zinc which
makes brass was learned by these men
and they began TO convert their estab-
lishments into brass manufactures. In
this way they got fresh start and never
lost their grip. pursuing the industry un-
til there was established here the chief
and for a long while practically the only
brass manufacturing establishment in the
United States"
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell How
Norman B. Ream Studied a Cyclsne."
tCopyright I9lfl