Andros B. Stone was born in the town of Charlton, Worcester county,
Massachusetts, June 18, 1824. He is the youngest son of Mr. Amasa Stone,
(now a hale, old man, ninety years of age, in possession of all his
faculties,) and brother of A. Stone, Jr., whose biography has been
sketched in an earlier portion of this work. Mr. Stone's boyhood was
spent in the various occupations of country farm life, where he received
in common with other boys the advantages of a public school education. In
his sixteenth year he left home to try the world for himself, and for a
year and a half worked industriously at the carpenter's trade with his
elder brother, to whom he was apprenticed for four years, to receive
thirty-five dollars the first year, forty the second, forty-five the
third, and fifty the fourth. An unconquerable desire for a better
education forced him to leave this occupation for a time, and enter an
academy, the expenses of which he met in part by teaching a public school
in the winter season, and which left him only five dollars with which to
make another start in the world.
In the meantime, Mr. Stone's brother, to whom he was apprenticed, had been
employed by Mr. Howe, the patentee of the "Howe Bridge," and to Andros was
assigned the keeping of the time of the workmen, and other similar duties,
instead of the more direct labors of the shop. In the autumn of 1842, Mr.
Howe purchased Mr. Stone's unexpired time from his brother, advanced his
pay, and kept him in the same employment as time-keeper, and adding to
this duty that of making estimates, drawing bridge plans, etc., allowing
him in the winter an opportunity of increasing his finances by teaching
school. Subsequently, Mr. A. Boody and Mr. A. Stone, Jr., purchased the
Howe Patent for building bridges in New England, and A. B. Stone, then
about nineteen years of age, made an engagement with the new firm. At
first he was given the charge of a few men in framing and raising small
bridges, but an opportunity soon occurred which enabled him to exhibit his
capabilities in a most advantageous light. Messrs. Boody and Stone were
constructing a bridge over the rapids of the Connecticut river at Windsor
Locks, about fifteen hundred feet in length, in spans of one hundred and
eighty feet. One day the superintendent, who had the immediate charge of
the work, went to Mr. Stone and complained of being so ill that he was
obliged to go home, and desired him to take temporary charge of the men.
Mr. Stone alleged his unfitness for the duty of taking charge of so many
men at the commencement of so important a work, but as the superintendent
said he could not stay longer, Mr. Stone was compelled to assume the
responsibility, against his wishes.
On examining the condition of the work the cause of the superintendent's
severe illness was made manifest. The lower chords or stringers, of about
two hundred and sixty feet in length, had been packed without being
placed opposite each other, one being placed several feet too far in one
direction, and the other about the same distance in the opposite
direction. Here was a dilemma and a difficulty, and an ability in the
mind of the young mechanic to meet it, so that, in a very short time, the
chords were properly adjusted. He then proceeded with the work, and in
three days had nearly completed the first span, when his brother paid a
visit of inspection to the bridge. Not finding the regular superintendent
in charge, he naturally inquired the cause, and when the circumstances
were explained, examined the work very minutely. Without any comments
upon what had been done, Mr. Stone left the place, leaving his younger
brother in charge, a tacit expression of confidence which was most
gratifying, and gave him a self-confidence he had not previously
possessed. About this time Mr. Stone was advanced to the general
superintendence of construction, which position he retained between two
and three years, when his brother admitted him as his partner in the
construction of the bridges on the Atlantic & St. Lawrence railroad. A
year was successfully spent in the prosecution of this work, when a
partnership was formed with Mr. A. Boody for constructing the bridges on
the Rutland & Burlington railroad in Vermont, which, although accompanied
with grave difficulties, resulted in success.
In 1850, Mr. Stone extended the field of his operations by forming a new
partnership with Mr. Maxwell, and purchasing the Howe Patent for building
bridges in the three northern New England States. For two years this field
was profitably and creditably filled, when, dazzled by the ample resources
of the West, New England was abandoned for Illinois. Here another
partnership was formed, with his brother-in-law, Mr. Boomer, and under the
stimulating effect of an undeveloped country, the new firm of Stone &
Boomer soon took a high and honorable rank throughout the entire Western
States. The total amount of bridging built by this firm from 1852 to 1858
was not less than thirty thousand feet. They constructed the first bridge
across the Mississippi river, the longest span of a wooden truss that had
up to that time ever been built. This was done under the most trying
circumstances, the thermometer at times marking 30 degrees below zero. The
longest draw-bridge of its period was also erected by this firm across the
Illinois river, it having a length of two hundred and ninety-two feet, the
whole structure revolving on its centre, and capable of being opened by
one man in one and one-half minutes. During this time they built the roof
of the Union Passenger House, in Chicago, which was of longer span than
had hitherto been built. The organization for the carrying on of their
work was so complete, that it was a common remark among the engineers of
western railroads, "If we want any bridges put up on short notice, we can
get them of Stone & Boomer; they have them laid up on shelves, ready for
erection!" In connection with their bridge business the firm carried on
the manufacture of railroad cars.
In the Spring of 1858, Mr. Stone gave up his home and business in Chicago
for his present residence in Cleveland and his present business as an iron
manufacturer. After carefully investigating the advantages which Cleveland
afforded for such a purpose, and realizing the present and prospective
demands for an increased development for the manufacture of iron, Mr.
Stone availed himself of the opportunity of identifying his interests with
that of the firm of Chisholm & Jones, who at that time had just put in
operation a small mill in Newburg. Here at once opened a new and
delightful opportunity for Mr. Stone to develope his natural love for the
mechanical arts. To manufacture iron required knowledge--was a science,
and to be master of his business was both his duty and his pride, and
claimed all his unflagging energy, his undaunted courage and
determination. Thus the small mill at Newburg grew from the capacity of
turning out thirty tons of re-rolled rails to its present capacity of
sixty tons, beside the addition of a puddling mill, a merchant bar mill, a
wire rod mill, two blast furnaces, spike, nut and bolt works. In the
meantime the small beginning had grown into such large proportions, and so
many railroad corporations had centered here, that it was thought best to
form the same into a stock company, embracing another rolling mill on the
lake shore, within the city limits. This was done, Mr. Stone filling the
office of President of the Cleveland Rolling Mill Company. In 1868, the
Company put into successful operation extensive steel works which they
had been engaged in erecting with great care and expense for nearly two
years. During that time Mr. Stone had made two visits to Europe for more
thorough investigation into the process of making Bessemer steel, and the
success of this undertaking so far has been admitted by all who have
visited the works to be without parallel in the American manufacture of
steel. In addition to this heavy and extended business, Mr. Stone is
president of another rolling mill company in Chicago, in which he is
largely interested, also of a large coal mining company in Indiana, and
vice President of a large iron manufacturing company at Harmony, Indiana,
also president of the American Sheet and Boiler Plate Company.
Mr. Stone is eminently known, and justly so, as a mechanic, and is widely
known as a man who crowns his thoughts with his acts. Still in the prime
of manhood, he stands connected with manufacturing interests, furnishing
employment to thousands of men, all of which has been the outgrowth of
scarcely more than ten years. This eminent success has not been the result
of speculation, or of luck, but the legitimate end of his own hands and
brain. Neither can it be said he has had no reverses. At one time the
failure of railroad companies left him, not only penniless, but fifty
thousand dollars in debt. With an indomitable will he determined to
liquidate that debt, and how well he succeeded need not be told. Mr. Stone
at present stands at the head of iron manufacturing companies, second to
none in the country, possessing almost unlimited credit. This
extraordinary success has by no means affected Mr. Stone's modest nature
for which he is so noted. Gentlemanly and affable in his intercourse with
all ranks and conditions of men, he has won universal respect, and an
enviable position in the business interests of our country.
Mr. Stone was married in 1846 to Miss M. Amelia Boomer, daughter of Rev.
J. B. Boomer, of Worcester, Massachusetts.
[Illustration: Yours truly, Henry Chisholm]