en Street.

Another old-time New York coffee-roasting business is that of Samuel S.
Beard & Co. This business was founded in 1834 on Front Street by Eli
Beard (father of Samuel S. Beard,) and W.A. Cummings as Beard &
Cummings. In 1872, the firm moved to Duane Street, where it was joined
by Messrs. S.S. Beard and Cottrell, and the new firm became Beards &
Cottrell. Mr. Cottrell retired in 1883, and the firm became Samuel S.
Beard & Co. Upon the death of S.S. Beard in 1905, James H. Murray, who
had been with the concern for many years, became head of the house. Mr.
Murray died six months later. The business moved in 1913 to 92 Front
Street, where it continues as a stock company, with J.R. Westfal as
manager.

Austin C. Fitzpatrick, well known among New York coffee roasters, is a
graduate of the Thomas Reid school, having entered the business of this
pioneer roaster in 1865. He was western salesman for Pupke & Reid until
1871, when he became associated with Rufus G. Story under the firm name
of R. G. Story & Co. Later, he formed a partnership with Howard E. Case,
buying out the old house of Beard & Howell. When Mr. Case retired in
1887, the firm became A.C. Fitzpatrick & Co. This title continued for
twelve years, when the Knickerbocker Mills were taken over, and the
business was incorporated as the Knickerbocker Mills Co., with Mr.
Fitzpatrick as president. The Knickerbocker Mills, acquired by the
corporation, had been founded in 1842 and were for more than forty years
at 154-156 Chambers Street. The business is now at 196-198 Chambers
Street.

[Illustration: JULIUS A. EPPENS, NEW YORK]

Many of the pioneers in the coffee roasting business of this country
were men who came from the British Isles and Germany. A notable figure
from the latter country was Benedickt Fischer, who knew coffee in
Germany before coming to New York in his nineteenth year. He started at
323-329 Greenwich Street, near Duane Street, in 1859. His first roaster
was a primitive affair built under the E.J. Hyde patent by the Coffee
Roaster & Mill Manufacturing Co. of Philadelphia. It was turned by hand
by Fischer and his helper. This was about 1862. In 1864, the business
required larger quarters, and was removed to the corner of Duane and
Greenwich Streets. A new plant was erected at the corner of Beach and
Greenwich Streets in 1894, and the present plant was erected at the
corner of Franklin and Greenwich Streets in 1906. Upon the death of
Benedickt