114
COLUMBIA AXD MONTOUR COUNTIES
firm being Carlton A . Caswell. T his plant has (wiee met with misfortune, once by fire, and again in 1896 by a cyclone which destroyed the upper part, leaving only the first story standing. In spite o f this it recovered from the loss and has prospered, being one of the leading industrial establishments o f Hlooms burg. It has seldom been shut down for lack o f orders since its founding. From 1887 to 1901 J . M . Stavcr had an interest in the busi ness of the factory. In the latter year his interest w as purchased In- Carlton A . Caswell, who was already a halt owner of the plant. M r. Staver died in 19 12, E . C. Caswell died in February, 19 14, and C. Caswell is now sole owner.
his home in Italy in the spring, as w as his custom, and became ill white there. In (he fall news o f his serious condition reached here, and Mr. Y orks, already a laige stockholder, made a flying trip to Italy, where he secured a m ajority of the stock by an agreement with M r. Ratti. T he death of the latter occurred on Oct. 25, 1906, at Rogeno, Italy. Under M r. Y o rk s’s guiding hand the mills continued to prosper, and arc now among the largest employers o f labor in this section. The dress silks made at the Bloomsburg mills have at tained a higli standing wherever they have lieen introduced, and that means over a laigc por tion of the United States. On the morning of Sept. 12. 19 13, M r. Y o rk s died suddenly a fte r but a few hours’ illness. T hereafter the The Dloomshurg School Furnishing Company management of the mills passed to his son, Mihon K . Y o rk s, who had been an able assist w as an im|>ortant industry for some years. It ant to his father for several years. At present was incorporated Ju ly 17, 1885, " fo r the pur he is the general manager. pose of manufacturing school and church fu r niture. and doing general planing mill, foundrv P o tlery and machine work.” The officers w e re : C . W. Miller, president; W . S. M oyer, D r. D. J . The Hyssong Pottery w as started by Rabb W aller. J r ., A . Schoch. W. M. Reber, & Rehm about 1874. T h ey were succeeded by J . C . Brow n, directors. It was successfully A . L . Hyssong, wlio carried on the business operated until February, 1899. when it was until 19 13 . when he w as succeeded by his son. sold to the American ^ h o o l Desk Company. C. A . Hyssong. T his is the only pottery in this T he plant w as operated by them fo r several section of the State and has been located at years, when, largely by reason ^ f troublesome the same spot in the west end o f Bloomslnirg strikes, it was shut down, and the machinery ever since the beginning. T he clay is procured removed to other factories of the corporation. from New Jersey and the product is stone Bloomsburg thus lost an industn- that em ware. jugs, poultry fountains, water coolers, lazed flower pots, jardinieres, dipping cups ployed many skilled mechanics. On Aug. 30, iS S t. the factory was destroyed by fire, the or the dye works, drain tile and sewer pipe. loss on buildings and finished product being about $60,000, with insurance o f less than half T h e M agee Carpel Company that amount. It w as rebuilt. About 1909 the American School Desk Company sold the plant is the outgrowth o f a small plant o f twentyto the Fred F ear Match Company. five looms which were run in Philadelphia by Jam es Magee & Co. at T u lip and Palm er T h e Hloomsburg S ilk M ill streets. M r. Jam es Magee comes from a fam ily o f carpet manufacturers, his father having was founded in 1888 by Joseph Ratti, and in started in Philadelphia at the close of the C ivil 1890 was incorporated as a company. A t the w ar with four hand looms. In those days the branch factory in I^jck Haven the company modem mill was unknown. A m anufacturer manufactures dress silks, linings and tic silks. used the lower rooms o f his home or else an T he Bloomsburg plant is o f commodious size, outsiile shed in which to carry on his w ork. having 45.000 square feet o f fioor space, which Jam es Magcc started In his father's m ill, in all its appointments is most modemly fitted sweeping the floors. From this he passed for convenience, and over three hundred looms through the various departments, s p i t i n g , arc installed. TTic company gives employment winding, weaving, fixing, until he became the to three hundred and fifty skilled operators. superintendent of the mills in Philadelphia, During M r. Ratti's lifetime he w as ably a s moving the machinery from a crowded, ill sisted in the management of the mill by Mr. F. a d a p t^ milt to one of the best appointed in G . Y o rk s, a gentleman o f wide experience in that city. In 1885, on his return from a ye ar’s silk manufacture. In 1906 Mr. Ratti went to experience in the West, feeling that there
?
