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Guide to the Central National Soldiers' Home
Dayton Manufactures

DAYTON MANUFACTURES.

 

Dayton Buggy Works.

 

The following illustration shows the extensive new works of L & M. Woodhull. They are of modern design, having all the latest improvements, and equipped with first-class machinery. Adjoining the railroad, and having a private railroad switch in their yard, their facilities are unsurpassed. Elegant new catalogues illustrating their work are furnished on application.  Their new and original designs combine durability with low cost. Visitors to the city are always made welcome at the shops of L & M. Woodhull.

 

The National Cash Register Company.

 

One of the most prominent concerns in Dayton is the National Cash Register Company on South Brown Street. The factory, three stories in height, is a handsome brick structure 350 feet long and about sixty feet wide, with various outlying buildings; the whole covering an entire square. This company inaugurated the use of the Cash Register, and were the first to manufacture a practical machine for the purpose for which it is used. They employ 650 hands in the factory alone, and have an outside force of 312 salesmen, who devote their entire time to selling their machines. Eighteen different kinds of registers are manufactured, consisting of detail adders, total adders, registers recording on paper, dial registers, etc., etc. Through the courtesy of one of the officers we were shown from attic to cellar, and witnessed the making of a register from the time it comes in at one end of the building in the shape of raw material, to the time it is shipped from the other end, a finished and beautiful machine. One entire floor is devoted to machining stock; nearly 400 employes being engaged on this floor alone. The latest improved and most elaborate and expensive machinery is gathered on this floor. The Company state that the total number of registers in use is over 26,000, and the sales are now averaging nearly 900 per month.

The officers of the Company consist of John H. Patterson, President; F. J. Patterson, Vice-president; Henry Theobald, Secretary; and P. J Fowler, Treasurer. These gentlemen have, by rare executive ability and sound business sense, built up one of the largest business institutions in the country. They employ the most competent men it is passible to secure; pay them liberal wages, and treat them kindly. One of the features of their advertising is a paper they publish, called the "Hustler," which is handsomely illustrated by the highest priced artists, is carefully edited, and issued monthly. The American issue is about 250,000, and the combined issue of the foreign "Hustler" about 50,000. The institution is a model one and a great credit to Dayton. It is well worth a visit.

 

The Davis Sewing Machine Company.

 

This mammoth concern was organized and made its first machines at Watertown, New York, in 1866, since which time it has twice enlarged its factory at that place. The largely increased business of the past few years has exceeded the company's ability to supply the demand from the old works, making it necessary to abandon them and build others on a much larger scale. The new factory is located at Dayton, Ohio, and is the most complete as well as the largest sewing machine plant, except one, in the United States, its capacity being over four hundred machines per day.  It has over four acres of floor space, requiring a walk of more than a mile to go through the building.  Is not this proof of success, also proving conclusively that the success is founded on the superior merits of the Davis Vertical Feed Sewing Machine?

The Davis has no competitor in range and quality of work.  It has the finest and best finished wood work in American walnut, French walnut, antique oak, mahogany, Hungarian ash, and French walnut inlaid with mahogany and maple, that can be produced, and it possesses more completely than any other machine offered to the public all that can be desired in a family sewing machine. The company, whose offices are at Dayton, Ohio, Chicago, London and Paris, solicit correspondence with interested parties.

 

The Stoddard Manufacturing Company.

 

As you cross the railroad tracks driving out East Third Street, to the right rise before you the extensive works of The Stoddard Manufacturing Company. It is now twenty years since the business was founded, but the present stock company dates from November, 1884. This is one of the largest manufacturing establishments in Dayton, and few houses in the country make more agricultural implements than the Stoddard Company. With a capital stock of $500,000 and a plant covering two blocks, they have all the facilities for successful competition. Their power is furnished by steam engines of 250 horse power, and they give employment to over four hundred men.

The chief implements made by the Stoddard Manufacturing Company are mowers, hay rakes, Press drills, and Disc harrows. Perhaps the best known of these are the famous Tiger Rake, Tiger Hanow, and Havana Press Drill. The sale of the Tiger Rake has exceeded the enormous figure of 200,000. Their distinctive brand of "Tiger" has become a standard mark of excellence in agricultural machinery the world over. The officers of the company are: John W. Stoddard, President; W. A. Scott, Secretary; and W. J, Jones, Treasurer.

 

Dayton Paper Novelty Company.

 

The extensive works of the Dayton Paper Novelty Company are on the Canal at the corner of First and Mill streets. Their business began in a small way seven years ago under the firm name of Shoup, Hughes & Co. The style of the firm was afterward changed to Laubach & Hughes, and still later to Laubach & Iddings.

The present stock company was incorporated January 1, 1889. The officers are; President, H. H. Laubach; Vice-president, A. H, Iddings; Secretary, Chas. W. Bell; Superintendent, Theo, F. W. Schmidt. During the past two years the business has developed remarkably, the annual output in that short time having increased from $50,000 to $250,000 in value. This wonderful growth has taken place since the organization of the present stock company.

Until two years ago the Company occupied only a small part of its present quarters, renting this small space from the general lessee of the building. Its power also was rented. They now occupy the entire building, almost a block in extent.  They manufacture patent paper packages exclusively, and their output is shipped all over the United States. Quite a proportion of their product is shipped to the New England States, the recognized home of the business, where they compete successfully with the original manufacturers on their own ground. Much also goes to the Pacific Coast.

The specialties of the Dayton Paper Novelty Company are candy packages for pails, cracker boxes, clothiers' and milliners' boxes, and a popular line of oyster, ice cream, and berry pails. They make also an extensive line of knock-down or folding boxes for all purposes. This Company were the originators of paper packages made in such shape that they would fit compactly into pails, thus enabling manufacturers to pack their products in wooden buckets instead of square boxes.  This is an important advantage. The specialties above mentioned are all controlled by valuable patents.

In these days of trusts and "combines" a point in favor of the Dayton Paper Novelty Company is that they refuse to enter into any combination for control of prices. They make their own prices, based upon a fair profit above cost, and stand strictly upon their own foundation, receiving dictation as to prices from no higher power. This manly, independent course has doubled their business the past year. Their capital stock ($200,000) is ample to meet their present requirements, and there is no predicting to what this business will grow.

 

The Dayton Globe Iron Company.

 

This large manufacturing enterprise was incorporated May 1, 1890, with a capital stock of $200,000. Though the present organization is so recent, the business dates back to when it was founded upon a very modest scale by Mr. Thomas Clegg. In 1853 the well-known firm of Stout, Mills & Temple was organized, the predecessors of the Dayton Globe Iron Works Company.

The officers are: E M. Wood, President and Treasurer; W. M. Mills, Vice-president and General Manager; R. R. Dickey, Jr., Secretary, and F. M. Hiester, Assistant Secretary. Their works on South Ludlow Street, whose extent may be judged from the accompanying engraving, occupy five acres and employ over one hundred and fifty men. Among the buildings, substantially constructed of brick, are the machine shop, the foundry, the wood shop, the blacksmith shop, cleaning house, draughting department, a two-story office, and commodious warehouses. Most of the machinery in operation was specially built for their use.           

Their methods of manufacture are the result of years of close application j and a thorough knowledge of the wants of the trade. One of their specialties is the New American Turbine Water Wheel, possessing double the power of ordinary turbine wheels of the same diameter, and much more durable. These wheels are made in one casting without a bolt or rivet in any part. They are manufactured over dry sand cores, which produce even surfaces and strong castings.  In case of accident they can be shut down instantaneously.  They are of various sizes from six to sixty-six inches in diameter, and are in use in all parts of the United States, as well as in Europe, South America, Australia and Japan.

Another department of their work is paper, mill machinery, among which we might mention the Cast Iron Tub Rag Engine. This engine combines strength, workmanship, and durability with beauty of design. It is in successful operation in a large number of paper mills in every section of the country.

Their complete illustrated catalogue tells the whole story.

The business of Geo. Heathman & Co., the leading cracker manufacturers of Dayton, was established in 1869.  Since that time it has been constantly growing.  In the spring of 1870 they built on Nos. 119 and 121 East Second Street, and five years later, erected a large building on their present site, north-west corner of Second and St. Clair Streets. Three years ago the growth of their trade compelled them to rebuild and put on a large addition in the rear. Their capacity now reaches the figure of two hundred and fifty barrels of crackers every ten hours. They also manufacture all kinds of biscuit goods, cakes, and snaps. Mr. G. W. Heathman, the head of the firm, has been in charge of the business ever since its organization.

 

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