What little we know about the U.S. Clock

Transcription

1 The U.S. Clock & Brass Co. by Mike Bailey (NE) What little we know about the U.S. Clock & Brass Co., circa , comes from information pieced together by Samuel Jennings, 1, 2 Chris Bailey, 3 and Fred Linker. 4 Jennings established the connection between clocks bearing the label of the short-lived U.S. Clock & Brass Co. and those of Chauncey Jerome of Austin, IL. 5 He also uncovered the apparent role of Jerome as superintendent of the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. 6 Building on the work by Jennings, Bailey, and Linker, but based primarily on three articles in the Chicago Tribune, this article details the short life of the U.S. Clock & Brass Co., the men who founded and ran the company, the company s operations and product line, and the nature of the brief association of Connecticut clockmaker, Chauncey Jerome, with the company. Formation The U.S. Clock & Brass Co. was formed on or about February 19, 1866, and was incorporated in Illinois on February 12, The articles of incorporation describe their business as follows: (of St. Louis) was also a director. 12 The Tribune notes that Greenleaf was from St. Paul and Adriance from New York. 13 The others were presumably from Chicago or Austin. Giles also served as mechanical superintendent, and Edward Church was identified as the case department foreman. 14 Church had been a longtime employee of Chauncey Jerome at Bristol and New Haven and was also employed by the Waterbury Clock Co. 15 Physical Setting The company purchased 40 acres of vacant land four miles west of the Chicago city line in Austin in Cicero Township, IL. 16 The town of Austin was laid out by and named for H. W. Austin, a wealthy hardware merchant who lived in Cicero. 17 The land was situated just north of the Galena Branch of the Northwestern Railway, 18 which presumably provided easy access to markets. Ground was broken on May 1, 1866, for three factory buildings, which consisted The said corporation is authorized to manufacture, purchase and sell clocks, and parts thereof, and materials for the manufacture of clocks; also, to purchase and sell copper, smelt, roll and stamp the same; also, to manufacture, purchase and sell brass and the materials for the manufacture of brass; also, to roll and stamp brass; also, to manufacture, purchase and sell brass and copper wares, goods and machinery, of all kinds. 8 Capital stock totaling $200,000 was issued, with authorization to increase that to $500,000 if approved by a majority of the directors. 9 The management structure of the company included the president, Charles N. Holden; vice president, Weeley Munger; secretary, William A. Giles; and treasurer, James M. Adsit. 10 According to the articles of incorporation, the directors were Holden, Giles, Seth P. Warner, DeWitt C. Greenleaf, John Adriance, Hugh McLennan, and Edward W. Russell. 11 In addition to these, the Chicago Tribune indicates that E. Jaccard Figure 1. Author s conception of the layout of the three factory buildings of the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. as described in the January 9, 1868, Chicago Tribune. Although not indicated in the Tribune, the boarding house and other houses for the factory workers may have been in the blocks to the north and west, as well as the block the factory was on. Lot lines and street layout are based on an 1891 map of Chicago. (Chicago Suburban Maps, Cook County Ill s. Chicago, Il: Central Map, Survey and Publishing Co., August, 1891.) 244 May June 2018 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

2 of two four-story buildings, 100 feet long by 30 feet wide, and one two-story building with the same footprint. 19 The buildings were constructed of wood and were brick lined. 20 Heating was provided by steam. 21 The northern four-story building housed the casemaking shop, and the southern housed the movement-making shop. 22 The two-story western building contained the blacksmith shop, varnish room, engines, boiler, and rolling apparatus used in manufacturing and shaping brass. 23 Based on the newspaper accounts, the approximate layout of the complex is shown in Figure 1. Also constructed were 24 houses for factory workers and a boarding house. 24 About 100 workmen with their families were brought from the East (primarily Connecticut) to build clocks. 25 With the factory workers and their families in residence, the population of Austin was roughly Factory building construction was apparently complete by August of 1866, when manufacturing of the machinery necessary to make clocks started. 27 The factory was inaugurated on February 19, and production officially started. Before this, they reportedly had orders for eight months production. 29 At the time of the inauguration, they had already shipped out about $2,000 worth of clocks and had several thousand clocks ready to be shipped to the market. 30 Figure 2A, left. Ogee clock made by the U.S. Clock and Brass Co. author s collection. Figure 2B, above. Blue paper label with gold print of the U.S. Clock and Brass Co. Printed by the Evening Journal. Figure 2C. Thirty-hour weight-driven movement made by the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. Figure 3B. Label stating, CHAUNCEY JEROME/AUSTIN, ILL. Figure 3C. Spring-driven, 30-hour movement made by the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. Figure 3A. Miniature ogee made by Chauncey Jerome of Austin, IL. COURTESY OF ROBERT MARKOWITZ. NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin May June

3 In remarks made at the inauguration, Chauncey Jerome is noted as saying that there was not a factory in the United States which turned out better work, and there were several whose work would not at all compare with that of the works at Austin. 31 Factory Operations In the rolling mill building, raw copper and zinc were fired in a furnace to make brass, which was poured into molds. 32 Once cooled, the resulting lumps were put through rollers until the desired thickness was achieved. 33 Out of the brass sheets, plates and wheels of various dimensions were stamped. 34 Not all brass sheets went toward clock production; some brass was apparently sold to others. 35 In the movement shop the wheels were strung together on a spindle 50 at a time, passing rapidly backward and forward through an apparatus which cuts the teeth in an instant, fifty wheels being cogged in nearly as few seconds. 36 Elsewhere in the building, iron wire was turned into pinions, arbors, and movement posts. 37 In the casemaking shop, wood was rough cut to the required size. 38 Veneer was made from cylindrical blocks of walnut, rosewood, or mahogany, which were steamed for four hours and then turned on a lathe, generating a continuous shaving about 100 yards long. 39 The veneer was glued to cut wood and, 100 pieces at a time, put in a press and finally dried. 40 The veneered wood was then polished before being assembled into cases. 41 Product Line Through secretary Giles, the company had a connection to a local sales outlet, 42 Giles Brother & Co. (William A. and Charles K. Giles and James G. Harper), a Chicago jeweler at 142 Lake Street. 43 The American Clock Co. had a warehouse at 115 Lake at this time, 44 and by 1869, the address next door was occupied by a clock warehouse of the Waterbury Clock Co. 45 Eugene Jaccard & Co., a jeweler in St. Louis, MO, also advertised as an agent of the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. 46 Eugene Jaccard, the principal owner of this company, was almost certainly the clock company director mentioned previously. The Giles Brother & Co. inventory included 32 different styles, from massive regulator, nine feet six inches high, with mercurial jar and steel rod, through marble cases, office and cottage calendars, school and cottage strikers, clocks with a fine statue of Lincoln, Greek antiques, cuckoos, school monitors, Jerome columns, marine and street clocks, down to the ordinary mantel. 47 Despite the claim that they were made in the West 48 (in other words, in Austin), most of the clocks described in the inventory were probably made by other makers. Singled out Figure 4A, left. Column and cornice clock made by the U.S. Clock & Brass Co., believed to be the Jerome column clock referred to in the Chicago Tribune. COURTESY OF VERO BEACH AUCTION. Figure 4B. Label of the U.S. Clock and Brass Co. Note that the company name is inside the border, whereas in Figure 2B the company name is outside the border. The font type is also different in A Good Time-Keeper. 246 May June 2018 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

4 Figure 5A, left. Short-drop octagon wall clock made by Chauncey Jerome. Note that the front door is open. COURTESY OF AN ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTOR. Figure 5B, above. Label of CHAUNCEY JEROME/AUSTIN, ILL. Figure 5C. Unusual 8-day movement. was a schoolhouse clock capable of being set to strike at any time, every five or ten minutes, or half hour as may be required to indicate the time for beginning or ending recitations, &c.; saving to the teacher the trouble of watching the clock to determine the length of exercises. 49 From the description, this programmable clock is similar to one reported by Linker and likely invented by Samuel F. Estell. 50 Other known products of the company include 30-hour weight-driven ogees (Figures 2A-C), miniature spring-driven ogees (Figures 3A C), column and cornice clocks (Figures 4A B) (presumably the Jerome columns mentioned above), short-drop octagon wall clocks (Figures 5A C), steeples (Figures 6A B), and small cabinet clocks (Figures 7A B). One patent is believed to have been issued to a company employee. 51 Utility patent no. 84,709 was for improvements to a rack and snail strike system. Clock labels may identify the maker as the U.S. Clock and Brass Co. (Chicago), U.S. C. & B. Co. (Chicago), or Chauncey Jerome (Austin, IL). Jerome labels pasted over the U.S. Clock and Brass Co. label are also known. 52 The Fire On Tuesday night, January 7, 1868, at around 11 o clock, the night watchman discovered a fire in the varnish room of the rolling mill building. 53 The fire consumed that building and then moved to the movement shop and destroyed it also. 54 The casemaking shop was spared. 55 Few of the 12,000 movements, complete or in the process of production, in the movement shop were saved. 56 Total losses were estimated at $150,000 $175, An incomplete tally of losses included $30,000 for buildings and $117,000 for machinery, but these figures were based on original valuation of the property and did not take into account improvements made since the factory was constructed. 58 The property was insured by 37 companies, in amounts ranging from $2,000 to slightly more than $21, In the immediate aftermath, reports indicated that the buildings were to be immediately rebuilt and machinery replaced in time to supply clocks for the spring trade. 60 There is no evidence that the company ever started production again. Total Production The clock production rate was variously estimated at 150/day, 61 1,000/week, 62 and 100,000/year. 63 The latter estimate was the rate predicted at the inauguration and appears to have been optimistic. However, the company planned to expand their workforce from the initial 100 (and peak of ) to 200 workers, 65 which may explain the higher predicted production rate. Assuming a six-day workweek and no more than 48 weeks of production, the most that the factory produced would have been roughly 43,000 48,000 clocks. Jerome s Involvement Chauncey Jerome is mentioned as the superintendent of the company by various sources. 66, 67, 68, 69 Two of NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin May June

5 Figure 6A, top left. Steeple clock made by Chauncey Jerome with a 30-hour movement similar to that in Figure 3C. COURTESY OF ROBERT MARKOWITZ. Figure 6B, left. Label stating, CHAUNCEY JEROME/ AUSTIN, ILL. Figure 7A, top right. Small cabinet clock made by Chauncey Jerome, with a 30-hour movement similar to Figure 3C. COURTESY OF STEVEN THORNBERRY. Figure 7B, bottom right. Label stating CHAUNCEY JEROME/AUSTIN, ILL. 248 May June 2018 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

6 these accounts, from James Parton and the Atlantic Monthly (printed in March 1867), date to the time of Jerome s association with the company. Parton s account is firsthand: I saw and talked long with this good old man when he was working upon a salary, at the age of seventy-three, as superintendent of a large clock factory in Chicago. 70 In contrast to these accounts, the Chicago Tribune assigns no role to him, beyond noting that he materially aided the company in carrying out their plans. 71 Considering the detailed listing of the officers and principal factory managers in the February 20, 1867, newspaper article, the failure of the Tribune to identify Jerome as the superintendent is striking and leads me to doubt that Jerome was, in fact, the superintendent. It may be that he oversaw the start-up of the factory, during which time he may have been superintendent, but once the factory was in full production, those duties were handed off to others. Jerome s whereabouts during this period also shed some light on the extent of his involvement in the company. He is listed as living at 2 Wooster Place in the 1866 New Haven City Directory, which was published around July of In the 1867 directory, he is again found in New Haven, but this time living with his son, the Reverend Edward Jerome, at 175 Orchard Street. 73 The 1868 directory, in a listing of old men of New Haven, has him in residence as of January 1, The directory also notes his death on April 20, Although the directories are not clear about this, it seems reasonable that neighborhoods were canvassed during the spring or early summer of the year to collect information for that year s directory. From the New Haven directory information, Jerome could have been in Austin from roughly the summer of 1866 to the spring of (in time to be captured for the 1867 directory). Bearing in mind that Jerome was present at the inauguration of the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. on February 19, 1867, it seems that he must have left Austin within a few months of the company getting up to full production. Conclusion The fortuitous discovery of three articles in the archives of the Chicago Tribune has greatly expanded our knowledge of the history of the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. Although the company was short lived, the newspaper articles make clear the pride felt in the Chicago area that a local business could compete, even if briefly, with the most well-known companies of Connecticut. This history has additional significance, because it represents the final chapter of Chauncey Jerome s involvement in the clock-making business shortly before his death. About the Author Mike Bailey is a senior geologist who has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the last 22 years, with a focus on environmental cleanups at EPA Superfund and Department of Defense sites. Mike s interest in Chauncey Jerome clocks dates to 1995 when his wife, Kitty, bought him his first Jerome ogee clock. Shortly after that, Mike joined the NAWCC. He is a past president of Mount Rainier Chapter 135 and current treasurer of Great Plains Chapter 58. He is also a member of Cog Counters Chapter 194. Mike has contributed items published in the Cog Counters Journal and in the Research Activities & News column in the Watch & Clock Bulletin. His current research projects include labels used in 30-hour, weight-driven Jerome clocks; evolution of the Jerome factory in New Haven; and evolution of movement plates in the Jerome patent movement. Notes 1. Jennings, Samuel W. Chauncey Jerome, Austin, Illinois. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 21 (December 1947): Jennings, Samuel W. Some further notes on Chauncey Jerome, Austin, Illinois. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 193 (April 1978): Bailey, Chris. From rags to riches to rags: the story of Chauncey Jerome. NAWCC Bulletin Supplement No. 15 (Spring 1986): Linker, Fred. Another chapter in the United States Clock & Brass Co. story. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 267 (August 1990): Jennings, Samuel W. Some further notes on Chauncey Jerome, Austin, Illinois. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 193 (April 1978): Jennings, Samuel W. Chauncey Jerome, Austin, Illinois. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 21 (December 1947): Chicago Tribune, February 20, NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin May June

7 8. Private Laws of the State of Illinois, passed by the Twenty-Fifth General Assembly, Convened January 7, Springfield, IL: Baker, Bailhache & Co., Printers, 1867: Ibid. 10. Chicago Tribune, February 20, Private Laws of the State of Illinois, passed by the Twenty-Fifth General Assembly, Convened January 7, Springfield, IL: Baker, Bailhache & Co., Printers, 1867: Chicago Tribune, February 20, Ibid. 14. Ibid. 15. Jerome, Chauncey. History of the American clock business for the past sixty years and life of Chauncey Jerome. New Haven, CT: F.C. Dayton, Jr., 1860: Chicago Tribune, February 20, Chicago Tribune, December 25, Chicago Tribune, February 20, Ibid. 20. Chicago Tribune, January 9, Chicago Tribune, February 20, Chicago Tribune, January 9, Ibid. 24. Chicago Tribune, February 20, Ibid. 26. Chicago Tribune, September 27, Chicago Tribune, January 9, Chicago Tribune, February 20, Atlantic Monthly, March 1867, Vol. 19: Chicago Tribune, February 20, Ibid. 32. Ibid. 33. Ibid. 34. Ibid. 35. Ibid. 36. Ibid. 37. Ibid. 38. Ibid. 39. Ibid. 40. Ibid. 41. Ibid. 42. Chicago Tribune, September 27, Bailey, John C. W. Business directory of Chicago. Chicago, IL: John C.W. Bailey, 164 Clark Street, 1867: Ibid. 45. Edwards, Richard. Edward s director. St. Louis and New York: Edwards & Co., 1869: Daily Morning Herald, St. Joseph, MO, October 4, Chicago Tribune, September 27, Ibid. 49. Chicago Tribune, February 20, Linker, Fred. Another chapter in the United States Clock & Brass Co. story. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 267 (August 1990): Bailey, Chris. From rags to riches to rags: the story of Chauncey Jerome. NAWCC Bulletin Supplement No. 15 (Spring 1986): Jennings, Samuel W. Some further notes on Chauncey Jerome, Austin, Illinois. NAWCC Bulletin, No. 193 (April 1978): Chicago Tribune, January 9, Ibid. 55. Ibid. 56. Ibid. 57. Ibid. 250 May June 2018 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

8 58. Ibid. 59. Ibid. PLANTING TIME 60. Ibid. 61. Chicago Tribune, September 27, Chicago Tribune, January 9, Chicago Tribune, February 20, Chicago Tribune, January 9, Chicago Tribune, February 20, Parton, James. Captains of industry. Boston, MA: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1888: Atlantic Monthly, March 1867, Vol. 19: Hill, Thomas E. Hill s album of biography and art. Chicago, IL: Hill Standard Book Company, 1882: Bailey, Chris. From rags to riches to rags: the story of Chauncey Jerome. NAWCC Bulletin Supplement No. 15 (Spring 1986). 70. Parton, James. Captains of industry. Boston, MA: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1888: Chicago Tribune, February 20, Benham, J. H. Benham s New Haven directory and annual advertiser for New Haven, CT: J. H. Benham, 1866: Benham, J. H. Benham s New Haven directory and annual advertiser for New Haven, CT: J. H. Benham, 1867: Benham, J. H. Benham s New Haven directory and annual advertiser for New Haven, CT: J. H. Benham, 1868: Ibid, Bailey, Chris. From rags to riches to rags: the story of Chauncey Jerome. NAWCC Bulletin Supplement No. 15 (Spring 1986):129. Image above right: Burpee Centennial Clock. Printed on paper face is, "Time to Plant Burpee Seeds." Colorful paper dial shows planting seasons at the bottom below time dial. Maker: Mechtronics Corp. Place of Origin: Stamford, CT. Courtesy of the National Watch & Clock Museum. It is common in springtime But few people know Planting grass You need hands And a spirit Like a farmer who loves the earth As you loosen the ground And add topsoil Then scatter some seeds And rake them in Three times Making sure They are nestled like friendship (The last time more a sprinkle For the birds) Then wait a while and keep them moist Until fuzz That is Nature's and your Green infant Comes out Ray Comeau is a former associate dean in Harvard University's Division of Continuing Education, where he still lectures on French literature and management. He is a member of the two Massachusetts NAWCC Chapters, 87 and 8, and an avid fan of watch history. The poem above was inspired by the unusually lush spring of 2017 in the Boston area. It emphasizes the patience and passage of time involved in the simple act of planting grass. Raymond Comeau May NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin May June