Ernest C. Klipstein
ADISTINGUISHED leader in the forward movement in the dye and chemical trade is Ernest C. Klipstein, long prominent in the chemical business. He was born in Marshall, Fauquier County, Virginia, December 24, 1851, and is descended in the fourth generation from a Dr. Klipstein, born in Germany, who came to America as a surgeon of the British Army in the Revolutionary War. On the maternal side, his grandfather fought through the same war in the Continental Army under General Washington.
Mr. Klipstein was educated in Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia, from which he was graduated with the degree of A.M., and after leaving college engaged in teaching for a few years and began the study of medicine and at the same time worked in the retail drug business in order to gain 2 more complete knowledge of therapeutics and rhe materia medica.
He came to New York in 1875 to complete his medical studies, and while there he became ac-quainted with A. Klipstein, of Frankfort-on-the- Main, Germany, who came to America as a rep-resentative of the then almost new aniline dye in-dustry. He became associated with Mr. A. Klipstein in that business and abandoned further study of medicine in order to take up the work of developing the coal-tar dye and chemical industry, in which he has ever since been a prime American ractor. The dyes were then procured from what -s now the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle, Switzerland, and the chemical end of the business nsisted chiefly in the handling of potash salts from the potash mines of Germany, then being newly exploited in this country. The business de- ""rloped steadily, and in 1894 the house, which nad been conducted under the name of A. Klipstein. Was incorporated as A. Klipstein & Com- 7my, of which Mr. E. C. Klipstein became treasurer.
In the last decade of the Nineteenth Century :ne tanning industry had grown so large that the native supply of tanning materials became a great drawback to its adequate expansion. Mr. Klipstein found practical solutions to this problem by mporting tanning materials from foreign countries which before that had been unknown to
American tanneries, including quebracho from South America, mangrove bark from Africa, my- rabolams from India, and mimosa from Australia.
The introduction in quantities, making it avail-able for economic use, of tetrachloride of carbon, was one of Mr. Klipstein's achievements. It had been known as a laboratory product, but he, be-cause of its value as a non-inflammable solvent and fire extinguisher, imported it for use in manufac-ture of munitions, rubber and fire extinguishers. It was chiefly a German product, and when the war cut off that supply he established its manufacture as the Warner Klipstein Chemical Company, Inc., of South Charleston, West Virginia, where he manufactures it in quantities adequate for American demands.
Mr. Klipstein was one of the first to face the war-bred shortage of coal-tar dyes by establishing a domestic manufacture of them. This he began six months after the war was inaugurated, and he is now supplying black, blue, brown, and red dyes in quantity sufficient to meet all demands. He is also prepared, through his Swiss connections, to fill orders for synthetic indigo.
His manufacturing connections are numerous and important President of E. C.. Klipstein & Sons Company, Chrome, N. J., Custer City, Pa., and South Charleston, West Virginia; Warner- Klipstein Chemical Company, South Charleston, West Virginia Carbona Products Company, New York City; and the Manette Company (mangrove products), Shark River, Florida. He is treasurer of A. Klipstein & Company, New York City; Bull's Ferry Chemical Company, Shady Side, New Jersey; director of the Mineral Products Company, Marysvale, Utah.
Pie is a member of the Reform, Drug and Chemical, and Chemists Club, New York; Essex County Country Club, Orange, N. J Hamilton Club, Paterson, N. J Baltusrol (N. J.) Golf Club; Society of Chemical Industry, London- American Chemical Society, Verein Deutscher Chemiker, International Association of Leather Trade Chemists, Merchants' Association of New York, Manufacturers' Association, Chamber of Commerce of the United States, National Marine League.
