San Francisco County
Biographies
JAMES SPIERS
JAMES SPIERS, who ranks among his contemporaries as one of
the most distinguished mechanical engineers of the Pacific coast, and is one of
San Francisco’s most successful business men, is a native of the land of Walter
Scott and “Bobby” Burns, and embodies in his composition the strength and
elasticity of fiber, the intellectual breadth and equipoise, and the sturdy
manhood for which the representative sons of Scotland are famous. He sprang from Protestant ancestors, his
father’s people belonging to the Armenian school of religious belief, and noted
as thinkers, while his mother’s family were of the Calvinistic Presbyterian
faith.
He
was born on a farm in Renfrewshire, he and one sister, who resides in Scotland,
being the only children. Endowed with a
genius for mechanics, young Spiers resolved in early boyhood to learn a trade
and bent all his energies to that end.
At twelve years of age he left school, and, improving every opportunity
to learn the use of tools, before he was fifteen years old he could cut all the
stone for the jams, fire-places, lintels etc., of a cottage his father was
building. This house
is still standing, and on one of its jams are carved the initials “J. S.
1851,” which bear testimony to the skill of the youthful artist.
There
seeming to be no opening accessible to him in his favorite trade, that of
machinist, near his paternal home, he went to Liverpool
and spent a year and a half as clerk in a book-store. Taking advantage of the opportunities thus
afforded for reading and study, he learned much about
the Western World, and became infatuated with the idea of coming to America. Upon learning of this desire of the young
adventurer, his father sent him a peremptory order to come home. Young James next obtained employment as clerk
in mill near the homestead, which position, however, he terminated nine months
later by the financial failure of the firm.
After working a few months for a ship and forwarding agency in Glasgow—still
determined to go to a trade—he sailed, unknown to his parents, for Calais,
France, arriving there just in time to witness the emperor review the troops on
their leaving for the Crimean war.
Meeting
with no opening to enter upon a steady trade, and with the thought that he
might become a captain, he shipped on board the schooner “Tidy,” of Yarmouth,
engaged in the coasting trade, where he had a few months’ experience in
seafaring life. Finding it distasteful,
he yielded to the advice of friends and returned to Glasgow,
and there with some difficulty secured work in a small millwright shop, of
which John Craig was proprietor, at a salary of three shillings per week. Thus was taken the first step toward
gratifying his long-cherished ambition.
After remaining there two years and four months, the door opened for him
to take a step higher in the way of apprenticeship in the machine shop of the
Barrhead foundry, John Cochran, proprietor.
While working there young Spiers lived two miles and a half from the
shop, which distance he walked twice a day.
Eager to acquire a technical scientific knowledge of his chosen calling,
as well as skill in the use of tools, he spent all his leisure time in studying
the principles of mechanics and mechanical drawing. His superior natural talent, industry and
zeal enabled him to advance rapidly, and also won for him the good will and
esteem of the foreman, who formed a strong attachment to the faithful and
studious young apprentice.
When
Mr. Spiers had been in the establishment about a year, the foreman, Mr.
Whitford, accepted a situation in Edinburgh, and at his solicitation, and with
the prospect of more wages than eight shillings per week, which he was then
receiving, Mr. Spiers joined him, though strongly opposed by his former
employer, who used every means in his power to induce Mr. T. M. Tennant, the
Edinburgh proprietor, not to employ the young man, but without avail. About a year after making this change, Mr.
Whitford resigned the foremanship; and although young Spiers had not completed
his apprenticeship, the proprietor, Mr. Tennant, recognizing his ability and
trustworthiness, tendered the boy mechanic the management of his
manufactory. The position was an
extremely critical one for a youth of his years to undertake, for in addition
to the great responsibilities of preparing and supervising the work in a large
establishment, employing many skilled workmen, the fact that a mere youth was
placed in authority over men much older and of larger experience was calculated
to excite their envy and breed discontent.
However, with some misgivings, Mr. Spiers accepted the proffered
honor. With the prudence and forethought
of a philosopher he decided to avoid as far as possible everything which would
tend to foster jealousy, or to humiliate his older co-laborers by unnecessary
display of authority over them. To this
end his skill as a mechanical draughtsman served him a good purpose, as well as
to demonstrate to them his capabilities for managing the establishment. Instead of giving oral instructions upon any piece
of work, he made complete detailed drawings of everything and gave them to the
workmen to execute. His instructions
were always in the form of requests rather than commands. Besides thus evincing his knowledge and skill
as a master of his trade, and his consideration for the feelings of the men
under his control, he also voluntarily organized the young men of the
manufactory into a class, and for three winters taught them mechanical drawing
free of charge. This thoughtful and
unselfish course rapidly won the confidence and esteem of both employes and
employer, and made his victory complete.
Under his energetic and efficient control, the number of laborers and
the volume of business being more than doubled during his administration.
Mr.
Spiers’s fervent desire to come to America
had not abated, and to gratify this thirst for adventure he resigned his
position in the spring of 1864. On
learning of his intention, he was urgently solicited by the proprietors of the
Paragon Machine Works, of South Queensburg, to abandon it and accept the
management of that extensive concern; but, having determined to see the new
world, he declined the tempting offer.
Messrs. Tennant & Co., who he had so ably served, gave him highly
complimentary testimonial letters; and the entire force connected with the
manufactory, including proprietors and employes, joined in tendering him in a
grand reception and farewell banquet, on which occasion 200 guests were
present, and speeches were made strongly eulogizing their departing friend, for
his honorable, gentlemanly qualities, his superior talent and skill as a
mechanical engineer, and his fine executive and administrative powers as a
manager. A number of elegant presents
accompanied these expressions of appreciation and regard as tangible souvenirs
of the friendship of his associates. The
writer of this article has read the published proceedings of this (to the
actors) memorable event, with much interest, as a worthy tribute to sterling manhood.
On
leaving Europe Mr. Spiers brought away numerous highly complimentary letters
from prominent business men and distinguished persons with whom he had been
intimately connected. His objective
point on this continent was Vancouver’s
Island; but meeting Mr. Risdon, one of the founders of
the Risdon Iron Works, en route, that gentleman induced Mr. Spiers to stop off
at San Francisco. Being offered a position in the Miners’ Iron
Works, he first took three months to familiarize himself with the character of
the machinery manufactured on the Pacific coast and then entered the works as
general foreman, remaining in that capacity three years, when he resigned to
embark in business as a member of the firm of McAfie, Spiers & Co. Subsequently he bought his partners’
interests and consolidated the business with the Fulton
iron Works; and under Mr. Spiers’ masterly management the growth of this great
manufactory has been almost phenomenal.
Through his superior qualifications as a mechanical and constructive
engineer, and his remarkable executive ability, it has become one of the
greatest productive industries on the Pacific side of the continent, giving
employment to a small army of skilled mechanics and distributing many thousands
of dollars per month among the families of the laboring men of San
Francisco.
In
spite of the expenditure of time and nerve-force necessary in building up such
a mammoth business enterprise, Mr. Spiers has found opportunity to engage in
extensive reading and research, and is a gentleman of a broad, cultured mind,
belonging to the progressive, liberal school of thought, and is an analytical
reasoner.
He
was married in San Francisco, to
Miss Kate Moore, a New York lady,
in 1868, and they have three children: James, born in 1870; Katharine, 1872;
and William Gladstone, in 1874.
Arriving
in San Francisco with only $200 as his entire worldly possessions—which, with
more, he subsequently lost in a mining venture—Mr. Spiers had by his own
efforts and through purely business methods accumulated an ample fortune. Indulging his patriotic spirit for fostering
worthy public enterprises, he is an active and zealous member of the
Geographical Society of San Francisco, the Technical Society of the Pacific
coast; has been president of St. Andrews Society; is now one of the permanent trustees
of the Cogswell Polytechnic College of San Francisco, and is connected with
several mechanical societies. In
politics, though not a partisan, he is a protectionist so far as applies to
American industries which produce articles for American consumption.
Transcribed by Donna L. Becker.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2,
pages 9-12, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Donna L.
Becker.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library