My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES M. SAEGER, General Manager of the Coplay Cement Company at Allentown, Pa., is a native of that city, his birth occurring August 7, 1856. He is the son of Eli J. and Sarah A. Saeger, the former of whom is deceased, and the latter now resides in Florida. The father of our subject was for many years a prominent resident of Allentown, where he was President of the Catasauqua National Bank He was always in favor of everything that would benefit his community, and was for a number of terms a member of the City Council and Justice of the Peace.

Of the parental family the following survive: Emma M., the widow of David O. Saylor, founder of the cement works, and who resides in Allentown; Edgar E., who also resides here; George A., engaged in the fruit business in Florida; Charles M.; Walter J., a resident of Allentown; and Arthur E., residing in Florida. The father of these children departed this life in 1889, greatly mourned by a host of old-time friends.

The original of this sketch was reared to manhood in this county, and received his education in the public and high schools of Allentown. Subsequently he studied engineering under G. A. Ashbach, with whom he remained for several years, and in 1878 went to Parryville, Carbon County, where he was given a position as Assistant Superintendent of the Carbon Iron and Pipe Company. He was in their employ for about seven years, when he assumed his present position as General Manager and Superintendent of the Coplay Cement Company. Their factory is located near the town of Coplay, in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, and was incorporated in 1866 by David O. Saylor.

Mr. Saylor, who was also the first President of the company, was the first to successfully engage in the manufacture of Portland cement. The other officers at that time, in 1875, were Eziah Rehrig, Treasurer, and Adam Woolover, Secretary. They were the pioneer manufacturers of Portland cement in America, and at the time of their incorporation the output of their factory was about two hundred barrels per day. The capacity of the plant has been increased from time to time, and they now manufacture about five hundred barrels of Portland cement daily, in addition to six hundred barrels of Rosendale cement. A third grade of that article is made by compounding the two cements already mentioned, and which they call the Improved Anchor brand.

The Coplay Cement Company employ about two hundred and seventy-five workmen in their factory, and the plant is well equipped throughout with the best improved machinery, the company being among the most prominent manufacturers of their product in the United States. The present officers of the factory are as follows: Joseph E. Balliet, President; Charles N. Wagner, Secretary; C. J. Erdman, Treasurer; and Charles M. Saeger, General Manager.

He of whom we write was married in December, 1880, to Miss Sallie A. Hess, a native of Carbon County, this state, and to them has been born a family of four children: Lewis B., Bessie M., Geoffrey A. and Charles M. Mr. Saeger is active in politics, and never fails to vote for Democratic candidates. Religiously he is a member of the Swedenborgian Church, in which he is one of its most influential members.

During this year (1894) the cement company expect to make further additions to their already large factory, which will enable them to manufacture an extra five hundred barrels of Portland cement per day, which will then make them the largest producers of that brand in the United States. In 1893 our subject made an extended tour through England, Germany, France and Denmark, in which countries he visited the principal cement plants, of the workings of which he made a study, with the view of gaining scientific knowledge connected with the manufacture of cement.