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1919 A.S. Aloe Brass Wye Level Surveyor Transit Tripod
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1919 A.S. Aloe Brass Wye Level Surveyor Transit Tripod
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1919 A.S. Aloe & Co. Wye Level Made in St. Louis by A. Wissler This piece is in excellent condition for its age. Will be shipped in 2 boxes. All of our items come from a smoke-free, pet-free environment.We pride ourselves at being the fastest shippers on eBay! Payment must be received within 3 days. A little info on A.S. Aloe & Company (1860-1959): A.S. Aloe & Company began very modestly as a one-man operation on the corner of Third and Olive in 1860. The company prospered and in 1882 published the following ad: "Largest House in the States....Always on hand a large supply of Engineer and Surveyor’s Transits, Levels, Compasses, Mining Transits and Compasses, Drawing and Profile Paper, etc." The growth did not stop there. A 1905 ad simply stated "...the largest house in the world." Disregarding the advertising exaggeration typical of the period, in the early 1900’s, A.S. Aloe & Company was the largest supplier of surveying, mathematical instruments and allied goods in St. Louis and was probably the largest west of the Mississippi River. The company founder, Albert Sidney Aloe was born in 1841 in Edinburgh, Scotland, son of Sadoc and Nancy Aloe. Albert immigrated as a child, probably with his parents, to New York City. His father, Sadoc, was in business there beginning in 1854 as an optician. The term optician at that time applied not only to those who sold optical goods, but also to those who made them. The elder Aloe probably did both. In 1856 the young Albert left New York. He sailed around Cape Horn working as a deck hand. Albert quit the ship at San Francisco where he remained for a year, probably working in the optical trade as a lens grinder. In search of adventure and fortune, Albert made his way to South America. There he was employed as a mechanical engineer in charge of the construction of a sugar mill. By 1860 Albert had amassed, or so it seemed to him, a young fortune. With this as his backing, he returned to the United States settling in St. Louis, Missouri. Across from the Post Office he established a small business dealing in optical goods. During this time Albert did not neglect his personal life. In 1863 he married Miss Isabella Prince. She came from a notable Belfast family, her grandfather having been a West Indian governor. This union produced four sons: Sidney, Louis, David and Alfred. The oldest three became prominent in St. Louis business circles, and the youngest was a career officer in the U.S. Army. By 1865 Albert and his father, Sadoc, were in business together as opticians in St. Louis under the name S. Aloe & Son. In addition to selling eyeglasses, they also sold opera and field glasses, telescopes, microscopes and magnifiers. This arrangement lasted only a couple of years and in 1867 Albert was in business for himself as A.S. Aloe. In 1876 he went into a partnership with William H. Hernstein. From 1876 until 1880 the company was doing business as Aloe & Hernstein. In 1880 it was changed to Aloe, Hernstein & Company. In 1885 Albert again decided to go his own way and established A.S. Aloe & Company. This was the final form of the company name which was to last 76 years and through two following generations of Aloes. Soon the company had grown to such an extent it was necessary to divide into departments. The surgical department manufactured and sold all the instruments used in surgery. The photo branch manufactured photographers' equipment. The optical department manufactured and sold, at retail only, optical equipment. The exception to this practice would appear to be surveying instruments. It is not known with certainty if A.S. Aloe & Company made any surveying instruments; however, there is ample evidence the company resold the instruments of other makers (a common practice of the period). These instruments were prominently engraved “A.S. Aloe & Company” with the true maker’s name (A. Wissler, for example) hidden on the instrument. The records of the Gurley Company of New York...
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