The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-08-21
John FRITZ CENTENARY
BEING OBSERVED TODAY
Scientist. Engineer, Father Of
Steel Industry, Born 100
Years Ago Today

hundred years ago today, in a little
farmhouse in Chester County, this
state. occurred the birth Of John Fritz
scientist, engineer and creator Of
industry, the man who has been call
ed the father of the steel industry
in. America, and one who certainly
revolutionized the iron business in
this country.
Until he was sixteen years old
John Fritz worked on his fathers
farm, picking up a knowledge Of
everything that came his way. Then
he decided that the steam engine was
going to be the great factor in the
building up of America and made up
his mind that, he was going to take
part in that development. So he set
himself to learn the smith and ma
chinist trade.
For eight years he worked as an
apprentice in machinist shop near
his home, picking up all the odds.
and ends of the trade and good,
deal more besides. After he learned
all there was to be found here he
cast about for a new field of know
ledge. So he put the little money
he had saved up during the years of
his apprenticeship into his pocket
and went to Norristown and asked
for work at the Norristowne Iron
Works. He was started as machinists
helper. In ten days the. foreman
found. out that Fritz knew about the
machinists trade and, with that John
Fritz became full fledged machin-
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Immediately he began the master
ing of the iron trade, working BY
day and studying by night. One
morning, about a year after he had
entered the works, he was; called to
the office. The shrewd old Quaker
who owned the works told. the young
man how he had been. watching him
as he worked day and night trying
to- master the iron business. He now
wanted him to- take the position of
night superintendent. Six months:
later Fritz was in charge of the whole
works. ~ ...f, ..y!....-... :.
When he, left .Norristown it was
to take position at Lancaster, where
he could gain. practical. experience
in rail making. He became. possess
ed of the idea. that England was
making too many of the rails used:
on American railroads. He master
ed the business Of making rails and
then sought another position where
he could learn all about blast furn-i
aces. With this his education in the
fundamentals of the iron business
was completed, after thirteen years
of incessant work. :
It was in 1854 that he began to
put his knowledge to use. David
Reeves had made him superintendent
of the Cambria Iron Works, and
Fritz at once began to cast about to
improve things. He reconstructed
the entire rolling plant from ideas
he had picked up in his experience.
His work gained him a wide reputa-
ton as an organizer and manager
Of men and in 1860 he was selected
to build the plant of the Bethlehem
Iron Company. Here it was that he
worked out the problem Of the Bes-
semer process. Later he was selec-
ted by the government to build the
first armor plate plant in America.
In 1902 the captains of industry
celebrated John Fritz eightieth
birthday with a banquet at the Wal
dorf-Astoria in New York; The ban
quet also signalized the successful
founding of the John Fritz gold
medal for achievement in industrial
sciences to be awarded annually by
committee of the American Society
of Civil Engineers. the American In
stitute of Mining Engineers and the
American Institute DE- Electrical
Engineers. The meday was designed
by the American sculptor, Victor d
Bremen, and. was first con3Meed on
John Fritz himself. . q 2 ,sES-s,2 '-@>7