1084
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
and the banking house was founded in
1864 by C. Burruss and William T. Har-
rison, under the firm name Burruss, Har-
rison & Company. Later, on the retirement
of Mr. Harrison from the firm, its name was
changed to Burruss, Son & Company, the
members being Cicero Burruss and Nathan-
iel Burruss, who was admitted as partner in
1866. At that time Nathaniel was vice-
consul of Portugal. After the death of
Cicero Burruss, his son Nathaniel continued
the business under the old firm name, and
later, admitted Mr. George H. Newton as
partner, the name still remaining the same.
At the death of Mr. Newton he became
sole proprietor and continued the business
until 1897. His mind, trained and experi-
enced in banking, held solutions of count-
less financial problems, and the excellence
of his reputation lent strength, stability and
confidence during his business life. He was
a member of the Sons of the American Revo-
lution, of the Virginia Club of Norfolk, and
several clubs of New York City.
Ernest Christian Klipstein. Ernest Chris- tian Klipstein, is a typical American. On his father's side he is descended from Dr. Philip Klipstein, who came to America as surgeon of the Hessian division of the Brit- ish army, and at the close of the war of the revolution, settled in Winchester, Virginia, where he practiced his profession.
Philip Engel Klipstein, one of the five sons of Dr. Philip Klipstein, also became a physician, and pursued his medical practice in Fauquier county, Virginia. He married Sarah Ball, of the well known Ball family of Virginia.
Philip Augustus Klipstein. third son of Dr. Philip Engel and Sarah (Ball) Klipstein, was a merchant farmer at Marshall, Vir- ginia, and served in the Confederate army as a member of the Eighth Regiment, Vir- ginia Infantry, attached to Pickett's divis- ion, and died in 1905. He married Amanda Louisa Hixon, daughter of James and Mary (Hampton) Hixon, of whom the former was of New Jersey Quaker stock, and settled in Loudoun county, Virginia, in the latter part of the eighteenth century ; he served in the continental army throughout the war of the revolution. Mr. and Mrs. Klipstein had children : Ernest Christian, whose name heads this sketch ; James Hampton, still re- siding on the old homestead in Fauquier
county, Virginia ; and William Augustus, a
manufacturing chemist of New York City.
Ernest Christian Klipstein was born in
Fauquier county, Virginia, December 24,
185 1. He received such a primary' educa-
tion as was possible in a country overrun
alternately by both armies during the Civil
war, and this was supplemented by two
years at Roanoke College, Virginia, 1867-
68. His career after this limited education
was also typically American. After teach-
ing school for three years in Virginia and
one year in Arkansas, he entered the retail
arug business in preparation for his intend-
ed course as a physician, and supplemented
the same by attendance at the College of
Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, Mary-
land. In further pursuance of the same ob-
ject he removed to New York in 1875, but
finally connected himself with the house
smce known as A. Klipstein & Company,
pioneer importers of German chemicals and
coal tar dyes. This business, originally be-
gun with France, Germany and England,
gradually extended to the whole world and
necessitated extensive travel, in the course
of which Mr. Klipstein became a fluent lin-
quist, learning to speak and write German,
Irench, Spanish and Italian, besides ac-
C|uiring a working knowledge of Dutch,
.Swedish and Portugese. During his com-
mercial career Mr. Klipstein introduced
n;any new chemical products and processes,
Ihe most notable of which was the use of
foreign materials for tanning leather, such
as Quebracho extract from Argentine, My-
rabolams from India, Mangrove bark from
Africa, thereby revolutionizing the tanning
industry of the United States. More re-
cently Mr. Klipstein has devoted his ener-
gies to the development of the coal tar in-
dustry in this country. He is the author
of numerous technical articles which have
appeared in chemical and other scientific
j.uiblications, one of especial note appear-
ing in 1908 in the "Journal of the Society of
Chemical Industry." His efforts in the
cause of education have borne good fruit,
and he is one of the trustees of the Free
Public Library of East Orange, New Jer-
sey. He is a member of numerous organi-
zations, among them being: Essex County
Country Club, Orange, New Jersey; Ham-
ilton Club of Paterson, New Jersey; Re-
form Club of New York; Chemists Club of
New York; Drug and Chemical Club of
