by Laurel | March 26th, 2013
26 March 1896
Thomas Relph on The Keating
Keating Company to Leave Holyoke — The Keating Wheel Company has had many offers to induce them to leave Holyoke when the lease of its building on Dwight Street expires in the fall, but so far no definite agreement has been signed. But it is definitely settled that the concern will move out of the city before another year. The rumors about the matter have been to the effect that the company would move to Middletown, CT, and offers have been received from capitalists of that place. The negotiations between the company and these people will probably end satisfactorily, although some other town may step in and get the concern. The company wants a much larger building than it has now, and it is unable to get the proper place in Holyoke. Middletown offers superior advantages to a manufacturing concern, as it is on direct lines of railroad and steamers to New York. Thus is is easy to ship in large amounts from there. The Keating Wheel Company is doing a lot of work, and its payroll is about $12,000 a month. For some time the mill has been working nights. Word was sent out from Middletown yesterday that a fund of $100,000 would be raised for the company, and with it a building 900 feet long would be put up. The amount is to be secured by bonds on the building. The company has been investigated by the people who are said to be ready to invest this money.
[Side note to the Keating snippet: in the image, above, we see Thomas Relph, a well-known British bicyclist, posing on a Keating Wheel. What is interesting in relation to Keating and the development of the bicycle in general, is some people / companies that were involved in the development of the bicycle — the Wright Brothers and Glenn Curtiss to name the most notable — began with bicycle repair shops, developed and raced bicycles and later entered the field of aviation. In 1903, Glenn Curtiss managed to attach an 8 cylinder engine to a bike and raced it at Daytona Beach where he held the record of being the “fastest man in the world” nearly 25 years. I believe these days Curtiss is most known for his development of the sea plane. I’ve seen references to Keating motorcycles, and it makes me wonder if the Keating Wheel Company did anything at all in other areas. Sorry for digressing, I live very close to the Glenn Curtiss museum and it is fascinating to see parallel development.]
At the police court — yesterday morning Mrs. Louis K. Clement was allowed to retract her appeal from the sentence of imprisonment for two months for assault on Gilbert Potvin and was fined $5. She was charged with assaulting Mr. Potvin when he asked for rent money and it required an examination by physicians before a warrant for her arrest could be served on her. She claimed to be sick when the officers went after her, but two physicians agreed that she could be taken to the police station. In her testimony she charged indirectly that the assault had been provoked by the actions of Mr. Potvin. In addition she paid a fine of $5 and signed an agreement not to prosecute Mr. Potvin. Michael J. Rock was fined $5 for drunkenness and Michael O’Connor paid $5 for assault. Patrick W. Sweeney was fined $18 for using bottles that are protected by the register of designs stamped on them. He was prosecuted by the bottler’s association.
James S. Nash, bookkeeper for Lemuel Sears & Co., has resigned and will move to North Hatfield soon.
Baggage Master’s Foot Crushed — David Keefe, baggage master at the Boston and Maine depot, sustained a serious injury yesterday afternoon by two trunks falling on his foor. The foot was totally smashed. He was taking the trunks from the 3:53 train when they slipped and fell on his foot. He was attended by Dr. Curran and was taken to the House of Providence Hospital.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
