The News, Saturday, June 24, 2006 A-7
A Book in Search of an Author
Staff Photo by BRYAN LITTEL
(Above) Arthur Cox tours Ferracute as it appears today. (Left)
A view of the Ferracute office building when it was new.
by some to be one of the best Industrialization,” Philip
books on the subject, and “Tho Scranton called Smith one of
Material, Why Not Immor- three men who were noted fig-
tal,” a metaphysical writing. ures in the development of
He belonged to many metal forming machinery,
organizations and societies making mass production and
and was president in 1890 of mass marketing possible. The
the American Society of book devotes space to a brief
Mechanical Engineers. A biography of Smith.
member of the American
While Bridgeton may not
Institute of Electrical Engi-
neers, the American Society of have appreciated him, Smith
Civil Engineers, the Franklin was constantly looking for
Institute, the American Auto- ways to improve his commu-
mobile Association, the nity. He was active in estab-
Philadelphia Art Club, the lishing the YMCA, the coun-
Luther Burbank Society, the try club and the library. He
National Geographic Society promoted paved streets and
and the Advisory Council of sidewalks and the purchase of
the Simplified Spelling Board, the land for the city park.
to name only a few. He also Gandy also believes his
had served as vice president importance was trivialized
of the Men’s League for because Smith was removed
Woman Suffrage. from the products his presses
“He was not only a member produced.
of these organizations he was “When you bought a Model-
a founder and key member of T Ford, you saw the Ford, not
many,” Cox said. “He ranks the parts that were made by
high in South Jersey history
Ferracute presses,” he said.
and how many other people
have their lives so well-docu- “His presses produced any-
mented? He was the real glue thing you could think of that
that held together the coun- was stamped from metal,
ty’s contribution to science from frying pans to belt buck-
Ferracute shop floor, with rows of machinery ready to be shipped out to major industries. and industry.” les to coffins, to artillery
So why has there not been a shells for the Spanish Ameri-
Smith biography of a man of so
many talents who was one of
the keys to the industrial rev-
can War. He was important to
the whole history of the
industrial age, to the assem-
(Continued from Page A-6) 1869 and in 1874 test drove and his ballroom had a disap- for Northrop automatic loom
olution? The full story never bly line.”
many areas of manufacturing an auto powered by a marine pearing stage. Clocks popped parts for the Draper Corpora-
would have been apparent Cox had a further explana-
so parts were interchangeable engine, which went out of con- out of the walls to announce tion, for the New England tex- without Gandy’s years of
trol and docked itself in East the time. As fascinating as his tile trade, and designed a key- tion.
and advocated simplified work in gathering and pre- “There were many pub-
spelling. Lake. life and the man himself less lock, always alert for serving the record. Years of
He designed elaborate gar- were, it was for his inventions some new challenge. lished stories, but they were
Oberlin Smith was not just lunch hours were spent copy- fragmented,” he said. “No one
an inventor who spent all his dens for his home, including a of dies and presses for metal- He saw a “traveling side- ing articles from old newspa-
sunken garden created from working that he was best walk” at the Columbian Expo- ever put together the whole
time hunched over a drawing pers at Bridgeton Public story.
board or tinkering. He was a the site of the original factory known and it was his work at sition and soon had a letter Library, one of which told of
buildings, which had burned. Ferracute that kept him from from the builder naming him Cox, a retired educator and
multi-faceted individual, who Smith being presented to
liked to entertain and had a The home itself did not escape pursuing many of his ideas for the eastern representative. curator at the Lummis
King Edward at Buckingham
reputation for being an expert his continuing efforts to other inventions. He had invented one himself Palace, along with other Library of the Cumberland
dancer up until his death of a improve everything that cap- He designed and built more 18 years earlier. members of the American County Historical Society,
heart attack, at age 86, in tured his fancy. Ideas were than 500 types of presses, Smith was a frequent Institute of Mining Engi- would like to hear from any
1926. He also enjoyed swim- constantly being conceived, including machines to make speaker and a prolific writer neers, in 1905. qualified person with an
ming, rowing and golf and then reworked, before his items ranging from the first of articles for trade journals, Smith’s era has passed, but interest in writing the biogra-
driving one of the first motor interest turned to something cans for the packaged oil both here and in England, but interest in the man has not. phy. He may be contacted at
propelled vehicles in the area. new. trade to presses for manufac- he wrote only two books dur- As late as 1997, in his book, (856) 455-6329 or by calling
Smith had invented a A button on his bedpost turing Chinese coins. ing his lifetime: “Press Work- “Endless Novelty: Specialty the Lummis Library, (856)
steam-powered auto before closed the bedroom window He designed improvements ing of Metals,” still considered Production and American 455-8580.
(Above, left) Probably the last photo taken of Oberlin Smith, shown with his improved version of the autofono, similar to a jukebox but invented by Smith years earlier. (Above, right) View
of the Chinese National Mint, Chentu, China, with Ferracute coin presses.