Craft Masonry in Albany County, New York - Onondaga and Oswego ...
Craft Masonry in Albany County, New York - Onondaga and Oswego ...
Craft Masonry in Albany County, New York - Onondaga and Oswego ...
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experiment<strong>in</strong>g with little or no practical results, until the formation of the present Company, s<strong>in</strong>ce which time, by the use of<br />
perfected processes <strong>and</strong> mach<strong>in</strong>ery, the <strong>in</strong>vention of J.W. Hyatt, the Company has succeeded <strong>in</strong> produc<strong>in</strong>g billiard balls that<br />
are more perfect than ivory balls, while at the same time they are far less expensive.<br />
The management of the Company is <strong>in</strong> the h<strong>and</strong>s of the follow<strong>in</strong>g named officers: Peter K<strong>in</strong>near, President <strong>and</strong> Treasurer;<br />
J.W. Hyatt, Vice-President; Lewis Dietz, Secretary; <strong>and</strong> B.P. Wayne, Super<strong>in</strong>tendent; all gentlemen closely identified with the<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustrial advancement of this city. Mr. K<strong>in</strong>near's identification with this enterprise dates from a time when failure <strong>and</strong> disaster<br />
had stripped it of the confidence of most of the capitalists of <strong>Albany</strong>. He had faith <strong>in</strong> the scheme, <strong>and</strong> unbounded faith <strong>in</strong> Mr.<br />
Hyatt, through the utilization of whose <strong>in</strong>ventions he was certa<strong>in</strong> success would be won for it. At considerable personal trouble<br />
<strong>and</strong> no small temporary sacrifice, he <strong>in</strong>vested <strong>in</strong> the enterprise, tak<strong>in</strong>g risks which made some of his friends tremble for the<br />
results; <strong>and</strong> he <strong>in</strong>duced others of <strong>Albany</strong>'s progressive men to take stock <strong>in</strong> the Company. The result has more than justified<br />
his most sangu<strong>in</strong>e hopes. The enterprise is one of <strong>Albany</strong>'s notable successes."<br />
The Bonsilate Company, at the corner of Church <strong>and</strong> Pruyn streets, was organized <strong>in</strong> 1878. "The factory is four stories, brick, where<br />
20 workmen are employed. This company produces bonsilate <strong>in</strong> bulk <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> manufactured goods . . . Bonsilate is the discovery of<br />
John W. Hyatt, the <strong>in</strong>ventor also of celluloid. it has been improved by Charles S. Lockwood. it is already used <strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g many<br />
articles of utility <strong>and</strong> ornament, for which its qualities of hardness, elasticity, susceptibility of tak<strong>in</strong>g any color <strong>and</strong> a high polish,<br />
render it very valuable. It is also a non-conductor of electricity, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>combustible. It is valuable as a substitute for ivory, jet, coral,<br />
celluloid <strong>and</strong> all like substances." It was widely known as the Bonsilate Button Company. The president of Bonsilate was <strong>Albany</strong><br />
Saw <strong>and</strong> <strong>Albany</strong> Emboss<strong>in</strong>g's Robert Pruyn, the president was Peter's son David K<strong>in</strong>near, <strong>and</strong> Peter K<strong>in</strong>near was a director.<br />
John Hyatt, long decamped to <strong>New</strong>ark, was listed as a board member <strong>and</strong> "Expert." The company only lasted until January 1888,<br />
when the <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> Times noted its closure:<br />
"The <strong>Albany</strong> Bonsilate Company, one of the largest concerns of the k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> the country, to-day concluded to w<strong>in</strong>d up its affairs<br />
<strong>and</strong> close the bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Among the stockholders is John W. Hyatt of <strong>New</strong>ark, N.J., the <strong>in</strong>ventor of bonsilate <strong>and</strong> celluloid. The<br />
company has been do<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess s<strong>in</strong>ce 1881, hav<strong>in</strong>g been organized <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong>ark with a capital stock of $100,000. It was<br />
believed that there was a great future for the company, but it has steadily lost money."<br />
Through 1899, at least, <strong>Albany</strong> Billiard Ball Company rema<strong>in</strong>ed on Gr<strong>and</strong> Street, at the corner of Pla<strong>in</strong>, a site now covered by the<br />
South Mall Arterial. It's the close of the century <strong>and</strong> we're still nowhere near Delaware Avenue. But at some po<strong>in</strong>t there was a move<br />
to Delaware Ave., for by 1928 (there's a big gap <strong>in</strong> available directories onl<strong>in</strong>e), ABB was f<strong>in</strong>ally at our "historic" site at 483 Delaware<br />
Avenue, with Ronald K<strong>in</strong>near as President <strong>and</strong> Treasurer, <strong>and</strong> Kenneth C. Ogden as vice president <strong>and</strong> secretary.<br />
And there it sat, quietly mak<strong>in</strong>g billiard balls miles <strong>and</strong> miles from the orig<strong>in</strong>al site of the manufacture of celluloid, decay<strong>in</strong>g, wait<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for redevelopment <strong>and</strong> the placement of a marker that commemorates an important event <strong>in</strong> <strong>Albany</strong>'s <strong>in</strong>dustrial history <strong>in</strong> exactly the<br />
wrong place. You could make an argument for putt<strong>in</strong>g the marker <strong>in</strong> front of the vacant lot at 795 Broadway, or as close to the<br />
corner of long-gone Pla<strong>in</strong> Street as you can get, but celluloid was not <strong>in</strong>vented way out on Delaware Avenue.<br />
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