Swinburne, Smith & Company

Allgemeines

NameSwinburne, Smith & Company
OrtssitzPaterson (N.J.)
Art des UnternehmensLokomotivfabrik
Anmerkungen1843 - 1844 unter der Firma "Beggs & Smith" mit Samuel Smith und Thomas Beggs als Inhaber. Vergl. auch "William Swinburne" (s.d.). Insgesamt 104 Lokomotiven gebaut. Erster Kunde war die Erie Railway, weitere waren die Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad und die Chicago and Alton Railroad. Fortsetzung ab 1851 "Swinburne Locomotive Works" und "The New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Company" (s.d.) mit Samuel Smith (Inhaber der "Samuel Smith's Boiler Works") als Vizepräsident
Quellenangabenhttp://www.nber.org/data/industrial-production-index/tech.pdf [Trumbull: History of industrial Paterson (1882) 88] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swinburne,_Smith_and_Company




Unternehmensgeschichte

Zeit Ereignis
1845 William Swinburne, vorher Modellmacher bei "Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor" gründet seine eigene Lokomotivfabrik
1857 Die Lokomotivfabrik vom Swinburne scheitert in der Wirtschaftskrise von 1857




Produkte

Produkt ab Bem. bis Bem. Kommentar
Dampflokomotiven 1848 Beginn 1857 Ende (gesamt: 104 Loks) Vergl. auch "William Swinburne" (s.d.). Insgesamt 104 Lokomotiven gebaut.




Produktionszahlen

von bis Produkt im Jahr am Tag Einheit Kommentar
1849 1849 Lokomotiven 6      
1850 1850 Lokomotiven 10      
1851 1851 Lokomotiven 14      
1852 1852 Lokomotiven 23      
1853 1853 Lokomotiven 31      
1854 1854 Lokomotiven 22      
1855 1855 Lokomotiven 9      
1856 1856 Lokomotiven 11      
1857 1857 Lokomotiven 8      




Firmen-Änderungen, Zusammenschüsse, Teilungen, Beteiligungen


Zeit = 1: Zeitpunkt unbekannt

Zeit Bezug Abfolge andere Firma Kommentar
  dort tätig danach William Swinburne  
1851 Trennung, Namensverlust danach New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Works  




Allgemeines

ZEIT1844-1857
THEMABeschreibung
TEXTAll the locomotive-building establishments thus far described, though they originated many years ago, having each been born of some other form of industry (their several proprietors' firm names, or company organizations having changed, too, from time to time), are still in full operation and are increasing in importance with each passing year. But there was one locomotive shop, which in its time ranked among the first in Paterson, that has been blotted out of existence entirely. William Swinburne's locomotive works were located at the corner of Market street and the Erie Railway, the present site of the Erie repair shops. They were erected in 1851 by the present Paterson City Comptroller, William Swinburne upon his retirement from the N. J. Locomotive and Machine Company, as already noted. The size of the main building was 200x10 feet, two stories, and there was beside a blacksmith shop 200x25 feet, one story, both of brick. Here Mr. Swinburne, the pioneer locomotive-builder of Paterson, firmly established himself, and here, being remote from the water power used by all the other locomotive works and most other manufacturing establishments, he took the initiative in the use of steam-power for driving heavy machinery. This was the first large concern in Paterson the machinery of which was driven by steam-power. The engine, which was built some time before by Mr. Swinburne, when he was still with his old partners, on the raceway, and which was taken by him when the affairs of the concern were settled, was 25 horse-power. He soon found that he needed a more powerful one and purchased a Burden engine of 40 horse-power. At the new works business was prosperous and orders plenty. From 200 to 300 men were employed. The product was solely locomotives. The capital invested by Mr. Swinburne at first was about 30.000. The product for the five or six years of its operation averaged about eighteen finished engines each year, or upward of 100 engines in all. For a time the business was all that could be desired, and then the panic of 1857 came and this prosperous industry, sharing the fate of many others of all classes, was swept out of existence. At the time when the storm broke Mr. Swinburne had six engines on the floor, and one had been run out for shipment. He picked up a paper one fine morning and read of the failure of the "Ohio Loan & Trust Company", on which institution the Western railroads were largely dependent, the very closest financial connections existing between the company and the various railroad corporations. For instance, Mr. Swinburne was building five of the engines for the Ohio and Mississippi Railway, and the money, 50.000, was on deposit with the collapsed company. It was the same with the Marietta Railway, and others. Most Eastern locomotive and machinery builders had the notes and bonds of the "Loan & Trust Company" in greater or lesser amount. The other Paterson locomotive builders also suffered, the Rogers Works to the extent of about 30.000. Mr. Swinburne has thousands in the worthless paper yet. Of course this, and other losses of that time, crippled him, and he discharged
his employes, save enough to finish up the engines on hand. Then he set to work to get what he could out of the wreck. Engines shipped before the collapse and not paid for, seeing the bank of deposit had failed, were seized by creditors on the way to their destination. Finally, Mr. Swinburne went West to try and collect what he could of about 80.000 secured by bond and mortgage on Western farms. He, in some instances, offered to take 80 per cent, on these and cancel them, but the money could not be had, and his success was poor. While engaged in this hopeless task Mr. Swinburne fell into the hands of a slippery Western lawyer. By Judge Diekerson's advice he sent 15.000 worth of the best of the securities to a Milwaukee attorney to collect, and this course promised well at first, for remittances came in sums of 600, 500, 300; then they suddenly stopped and nothing more was heard. It was afterward found that the lawyer had
collected about 90,000 for different parties and had then decamped. Mr. Swinburne was not compelled to close up business, but he was weary of the struggle. At the time he took the last Western orders he could have retired worth 100.000, and he was in a great state of uncertainty as to whether or not he had better touch the engines, but finally decided to chance it. The Danforth and the Rogers Works each had ten engines to build for the same company. Among the crippled railroads was the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis, and Governor Mattison of Illinois was President and held 300.000 worth of stock. Mr. Swinburne had about 60.000 against the road and he applied for his money to Governor Mattison, who received him suavely enough, and, as there was a plan of reorganization on foot at the time, referred him to Superintendent Spencer, at Bloomington. Mr. Spencer said he would settle if Mr. Swinburne would throw off 10.000 and take 3.000 notes due at intervals of 30 days and payable at the office of "Clark, Dodge & Co.", New York City. All this was agreed to, gladly. The first note was paid when due, the second was all right, the third was presented and Mr. Swinburne was met with the startling announcement, "no funds". The notes were carried on until at last Mr. Swinburne, wishing to pay claims against his business, bundled up 30.000 worth and took them to New York. He visited one Hendricks, a copper merchant, whom he owed a bill of about 3.000 for flues, etc., which was not yet due. Mr. Swinburne offered 150 cents to the dollar in Chicago, Alton and St. Louis paper. "I'd rather have the account stand" said the merchant decidedly. " Aye, returned the debtor, " but I don't know where I'll be when the bill is due." Finally, the man accepted the paper. Another bill of about 4.000 was paid with 6.000 in the same paper, endorsed by Spencer. Mr. Swinburne succeeded in paying all out at 150 to 200 cents to the dollar. Afterward he sold his buildings, the Bank of Jersey City becoming purchaser, and the tools and plant, retiring from business honorably, but with very little to show for the labor of a lifetime. He had been nearly a quarter of a century employed in locomotive-building exclusively, and nearly all was swept away. The total number of locomotives turned out by Mr. Swinburne was 104, and of these 23 were completed in 1852,31 in 1853, 22 in 1851, 9 in 1855, 11 in 1856, and 8 in 1857. Then came the end, and one locomotive-building establishment - and the only one that has become extinct since the business was undertaken in Patersom in 1835 - was blotted out.
QUELLE[Trumbull: History of industrial Paterson (1882) 145]


ZEIT1882
THEMABeschreibung
TEXTIn that portion of this work devoted to machinery it has been shown that in 1843 Samuel Smith, his brother William Smith, Judge Whitely and Thomas Beggs started a machine shop in the Franklin Mill; also that a short time afterward James Jackson and Patrick Maginnis bought the interest of Judge Whitely and William Smith and became partners, the firm name being "Beggs & Smith", until 1844-45, when, Thomas Beggs dying, William Swinburne, City Comptroller of Paterson, whose distinguished career has been followed during his connection with the "Rogers Locomotive Works", as Superintendent, became one of the company, the name of which was changed to "Swinburne, Smith & Company". Samuel Smith, who is a prominent figure in the history of several early enterprises, and who is still actively engaged in the iron business, had been a moulder at the Rogers Works; James Jackson and Patrick Maginnis, both very active and prominent citizens of that day, were the "Company", and were more especially noted as cotton manufacturers. The location of the works was just off Mill street, between John - now Ellison - and Van Houten streets, fronting the race; the size
of the building 60x40 feet, two stories, of brick. For one or two years after the organization of the firm of "Swinburne, Smith & Co.", however, they occupied the lower story of the "Jackson & Maginnis" factory. This old building, afterward burned, was immediately adjoining the new building erected to accommodate an extension of the business. A general machine business was done by the firm until 1848, when, on the opening of the Eastern Division of the Erie Railway to Owego, they gave up jobbing and machine-building and began to build locomotives. This locomotive works is consequently the second in order of establishment in Paterson, "Danforth, Cooke & Co." not beginning to build locomotives until 1852. There were about 150 men employed during the first year of their locomotive-building by "Swinburne, Smith & Co.", and five or six engines were completed. The first engine built at the works was for the Erie Railway Co. and was finished in May, 1848. In 1849 the firm removed their plant to what is now the main building of the Grant Locomotive Works, which was very much the same in appearance then as now, only that it bears the marks and stains of about thirty years' use and action of the elements. The size of the building was 60x150 feet, three stories. The after extensions have been made toward the West. Here from 250 to 300 men were employed, and the firm conducted the locomotive industry with great energy, despite the fact that "Swinburne, Smith & Co." endorsed heavily, to the extent of $20.000 or more, for their two partners, Jackson and Maginnis, as manufacturers of prints, which brought the firm into great embarassment. However, they weathered the difficulty and still prosecuted the business with vigor, turning out many locomotives, receiving three orders from the "New York and Erie Company" for ten engines each in close succession, also from other roads, until, in 1851-52, a charter having been obtained, the concern was incorporated
under the name of the "New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Company". Mr. Swinburne was opposed to this change and marked his disapprobation by a withdrawal from the new company about six months later.
QUELLE[Trumbull: History of industrial Paterson (1882) 128]