The following information is from a book by William J. Simmons which can be found at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/simmons/simmons.html Page 405 XLIX. RICHARD MASON HANCOCK, ESQ. Foreman of the Pattern Shops of the Eagle Works Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Illinois. Mathematician--Carpenter--Draughtsman--Foreman of the Liberty Iron Works Pattern Shop. TO speak of one who has made a success in this department is indeed a pleasure, for in this work he has had the honor of showing Negro talent and also overcoming those obstacles that defeat success in many men. It used to be that only white men could do the "bossing," but the bottom rail is on the top, and Mr. Hancock is now doing such work as guides over seven hundred white employees and gives satisfaction to his generous employers. We have said elsewhere that brains will tell, and here is an indisputable evidence. Do you think he would be employed if he could not do the work? No, indeed, not a bit of it. He is competent, and that indeed is the reason. Why should the firm trust him with the disposition of their thousands unless he could make them thousands? The truth is they do not know his superior, and hence employ him. It is a praiseworthy thing that his employers could see the man, the artist, the draughtsman, and be influenced neither by the color of his skin nor the drops of blood that may be ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Page 406 in his veins attributable to black parents. I am indebted to a sketch, which appeared in the columns of the Detroit Plaindealer, May 14, 1886, for many of the facts which appear here. Mr. Hancock was born of free parents at Newberne, North Carolina, November 22, 1832. His father, William H. Hancock, is a hale old gentleman, still alive, residing at Chicago, Illinois. At an early age Richard was sent to a private school in his native town, the public schools of which, and indeed the laws of the "Old North State," being then opposed to the education of Negro children. Here he mastered the rudiments of a common school course, and when thirteen years old began as a carpenter's apprentice under his father. He worked nine years at the bench; by that time having gained a thorough knowledge of the trade, and attained his majority, he left North Carolina and went to New Haven, Connecticut. He soon found employment at his trade with Messrs[.] Atwater & Treat and Doolittle & Company, two white firms that were not slow in recognizing him as an efficient workman. "Joinering" was the particular branch of the trade at which he had been engaged up to this time. He finally drifted to Lockport, New York, where he followed ship carpentry two years, building canal boats, after which he was taken into the employ of the Holly Manufacturing Company, with whom he remained four years. While with them he learned pattern-making, a branch of the trade that requires first of all a complete mastery of carpentry, besides an acquaintance with higher mathematics, a knowledge of draughting and the constant Page 407 exercise of the very best judgment. For four years he worked and studied to make himself proficient, and at the end of that period had mastered all the theory and much of the practical details of that branch of the trade. In 1862 he came to Chicago, and shortly after was given employment as a pattern-maker in the shops of the Eagle Works Manufacturing Company, whose president, Mr. P. W. Gates, was a true and tried friend of the Negro, when all the law and nearly all the public sentiment of the land was in favor of keeping him in slavery. At that time this company had the largest machine and boiler shops and foundry that was in operation in the West. After working as a journeyman two years, he was promoted to the foremanship of the pattern department, and had in his charge fourteen men, all of whom were white. To serve under a Negro foreman, no matter if he did know more about the business than they did, was too much for their Northern blood, so they "struck." For three days Mr. Hancock was "monarch of all he surveyed." But the prospect was not a pleasing one, for the shop was crowded with orders and there was more work to get out than he could perform unaided. So fearing that its delayed execution might injure him with his employers, he went before the president and tendered his resignation. After hearing him through, Mr. Gates quietly said: "Oh! go back to work. It will all come right in an hundred years." He obeyed. Other pattern-makers to fill the places of the strikers were soon engaged, and ten years subsequent service with the same firm showed that less than a century could make all things right. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Page 408 While with the Eagle Works Company, he was instrumental in teaching two colored young men trades--Mr. Beverly Meeks as a machinist, and Mr. John Johnson as a pattern-maker. The former is now in the employ of the C. & N. W. Railroad Company at their shops in Detroit, while the latter is plying his trade at Denver, Colorado. He also used his influence with good effect to secure work at their trades for other colored men in the foundry and blacksmith shops of the works. In 1873 the firm for which he worked went out of business, and a new firm, composed of two of his former superintendents, Messrs. Fraser and Chalmers, started the Liberty Iron Works in this city. They showed their confidence in his ability by immediately placing him at the head of their pattern shops. Their business soon reached large proportions, requiring now the constant services of over seven hundred skilled employees, fifteen of whom are kept busy making patterns. The firm makes a specialty of manufacturing intricate mining machinery, and in the course of a year gets out an almost infinite variety of indescribable work, for most of which new patterns have to be made. All of the work must conform strictly to the drawings in every particular. This will show the importance of the position held by Mr. Hancock in the second largest establishment of the kind in this country. He has been with his present employers fifteen years, commands a good salary, and is held in high esteem by them and his fellow-workmen. In the same shop with him is his son George, who is also regarded as an efficient pattern-maker. In private life Mr. Hancock is a public-spirited and progressive ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Page 409 citizen; a member of several societies, in some of which he holds a high rank, notably the Masonic fraternity; a vestryman of St. Thomas' Episcopal church, and an interesting talker at the literary sessions of the Prudence Crandall circle. He has a cosy home on Fulton street, where, assisted by his wife, an amiable and intelligent lady, his many friends are made welcome.

----- Original Message ----- From: Shirley <swarren2@prodigy.net> To: <HANCOCK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 10:26 AM Subject: [HANCOCK-L] Richard Mason Hancock > The following information is from a book by William J. Simmons which can be > found at: > http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/simmons/simmons.html > Page 405 > > XLIX. > RICHARD MASON HANCOCK, ESQ. > Foreman of the Pattern Shops of the Eagle Works Manufacturing > Company, Chicago, Illinois. Mathematician--Carpenter--Draughtsman--Foreman > of the Liberty Iron Works Pattern Shop. > > > TO speak of one who has made a success in this department is indeed > a pleasure, for in this work he has had the honor of showing Negro talent > and also overcoming those obstacles that defeat success in many men. It used > to be that only white men could do the "bossing," but the bottom rail is on > the top, and Mr. Hancock is now doing such work as guides over seven hundred > white employees and gives satisfaction to his generous employers. We have > said elsewhere that brains will tell, and here is an indisputable evidence. > Do you think he would be employed if he could not do the work? No, indeed, > not a bit of it. He is competent, and that indeed is the reason. Why should > the firm trust him with the disposition of their thousands unless he could > make them thousands? The truth is they do not know his superior, and hence > employ him. It is a praiseworthy thing that his employers could see the man, > the artist, the draughtsman, and be influenced neither by the color of his > skin nor the drops of blood that may be > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > ---- > Page 406 > in his veins attributable to black parents. I am indebted to a sketch, which > appeared in the columns of the Detroit Plaindealer, May 14, 1886, for many > of the facts which appear here. > > Mr. Hancock was born of free parents at Newberne, North Carolina, > November 22, 1832. His father, William H. Hancock, is a hale old gentleman, > still alive, residing at Chicago, Illinois. At an early age Richard was sent > to a private school in his native town, the public schools of which, and > indeed the laws of the "Old North State," being then opposed to the > education of Negro children. Here he mastered the rudiments of a common > school course, and when thirteen years old began as a carpenter's apprentice > under his father. He worked nine years at the bench; by that time having > gained a thorough knowledge of the trade, and attained his majority, he left > North Carolina and went to New Haven, Connecticut. He soon found employment > at his trade with Messrs[.] Atwater & Treat and Doolittle & Company, two > white firms that were not slow in recognizing him as an efficient workman. > "Joinering" was the particular branch of the trade at which he had been > engaged up to this time. > > He finally drifted to Lockport, New York, where he followed ship > carpentry two years, building canal boats, after which he was taken into the > employ of the Holly Manufacturing Company, with whom he remained four years. > While with them he learned pattern-making, a branch of the trade that > requires first of all a complete mastery of carpentry, besides an > acquaintance with higher mathematics, a knowledge of draughting and the > constant Page 407 > exercise of the very best judgment. For four years he worked and studied to > make himself proficient, and at the end of that period had mastered all the > theory and much of the practical details of that branch of the trade. > > In 1862 he came to Chicago, and shortly after was given employment > as a pattern-maker in the shops of the Eagle Works Manufacturing Company, > whose president, Mr. P. W. Gates, was a true and tried friend of the Negro, > when all the law and nearly all the public sentiment of the land was in > favor of keeping him in slavery. At that time this company had the largest > machine and boiler shops and foundry that was in operation in the West. > > After working as a journeyman two years, he was promoted to the > foremanship of the pattern department, and had in his charge fourteen men, > all of whom were white. To serve under a Negro foreman, no matter if he did > know more about the business than they did, was too much for their Northern > blood, so they "struck." For three days Mr. Hancock was "monarch of all he > surveyed." But the prospect was not a pleasing one, for the shop was crowded > with orders and there was more work to get out than he could perform > unaided. So fearing that its delayed execution might injure him with his > employers, he went before the president and tendered his resignation. After > hearing him through, Mr. Gates quietly said: "Oh! go back to work. It will > all come right in an hundred years." He obeyed. Other pattern-makers to fill > the places of the strikers were soon engaged, and ten years subsequent > service with the same firm showed that less than a century could make all > things right. > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > ---- > Page 408 > > While with the Eagle Works Company, he was instrumental in teaching > two colored young men trades--Mr. Beverly Meeks as a machinist, and Mr. John > Johnson as a pattern-maker. The former is now in the employ of the C. & N. > W. Railroad Company at their shops in Detroit, while the latter is plying > his trade at Denver, Colorado. He also used his influence with good effect > to secure work at their trades for other colored men in the foundry and > blacksmith shops of the works. > > In 1873 the firm for which he worked went out of business, and a new > firm, composed of two of his former superintendents, Messrs. Fraser and > Chalmers, started the Liberty Iron Works in this city. They showed their > confidence in his ability by immediately placing him at the head of their > pattern shops. Their business soon reached large proportions, requiring now > the constant services of over seven hundred skilled employees, fifteen of > whom are kept busy making patterns. The firm makes a specialty of > manufacturing intricate mining machinery, and in the course of a year gets > out an almost infinite variety of indescribable work, for most of which new > patterns have to be made. All of the work must conform strictly to the > drawings in every particular. This will show the importance of the position > held by Mr. Hancock in the second largest establishment of the kind in this > country. He has been with his present employers fifteen years, commands a > good salary, and is held in high esteem by them and his fellow-workmen. In > the same shop with him is his son George, who is also regarded as an > efficient pattern-maker. > > In private life Mr. Hancock is a public-spirited and progressive > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > ---- > Page 409 > citizen; a member of several societies, in some of which he holds a high > rank, notably the Masonic fraternity; a vestryman of St. Thomas' Episcopal > church, and an interesting talker at the literary sessions of the Prudence > Crandall circle. He has a cosy home on Fulton street, where, assisted by his > wife, an amiable and intelligent lady, his many friends are made welcome. > > > > > > > ==== HANCOCK Mailing List ==== > Check out our HANCOCK Project World Wide at: > http://members.aol.com/heatherjvw/Hancock/ > >