Bearing tools, engineers boost the war effort
Every once in a while, the stars seem to align perfectly. Not long ago, I was having lunch with Helene Janzen, a friend from Waterloo Collegiate days in the 1960s. Catching up on the usual things: careers, families, hobbies, etc. Knowing that I collected local historical images, she mentioned an old photo that wasn’t of significance to her or her husband. Would it interest me?
At our next lunch she brought a bent, water-stained, matted photograph that sent shivers down my spine. In front of Victoria Park’s monument to Queen Victoria, 24 men posed with a large sign: “Engineers / C.A.S.E. Berlin No. 9.” On the back was a sticker: “The Berlin Portrait Rooms, 62 King Street West, Berlin, Canada.” Berlin Portrait Rooms was Ernest Denton’s early business name. Those who follow Flash from the Past know that Victoria Park’s history is part of the author’s DNA and that Ernest Denton is his favourite local photographer. Stars aligned indeed! Helene had no idea where the photo had come from, but it had no connection to her family. Then she said the magic words all collectors love: You can have it.
And with that, I tried to discover the photo’s story.
Ernest Denton came to Berlin in 1913. Assuming he changed his business stickers to read Kitchener around the time of the 1916 name change, this scene took place in the summer of 1914, 1915 or 1916. Two dozen men put on identical outfits, gathered in Victoria Park and hired Denton to preserve their moment.
The sign provides several clues: Engineers is obviously the “E” in C.A.S.E. Generally, organizational acronyms beginning with a “C” indicate Canadian. The other two filled in rather easily: thus, Canadian Association of Stationery Engineers. The No. 9 could indicate the local chapter number within the larger organization. This was confirmed by one of the few C.A.S.E. references I could find on the web, a report of the fifth annual convention held in Toronto in 1895. There, in a list of associated chapters: “Berlin No. 9 meets every 2nd and 4th Saturday in the month at 8 p.m. W.J. Rhodes, president, G. Steinmetz, secretary.” In 1895, William J. Rhodes was a Berlin firefighter. George Steinmetz was a machinist/labourer. Twenty years later, around the time of this photo, Rhodes was Berlin’s assistant fire chief and Steinmetz ran a general repair shop; both are probably in this photo. Berlin newspapers from those summers provided no further information on the engineers’ park picnic.
Written on the back of the photo was: “N. Beam / Received Nov 25 ’21 / from CASE #9.” More clues. The Beam name is wellknown in Waterloo history and on the off-chance of a connection, I contacted another WCI pal from 50 years ago. Ralph Beam, whose William Street mattress firm had been a longtime Waterloo business fixture, said: “Sure, that was my grandfather’s brother Nathaniel who lived right beside where I built the mattress factory.”
According to contemporary directories, Nathaniel Beam was employed by Waterloo’s water works department from the 1890s, became chief engineer in the 1920s and worked until his 1940 death.
In 1921, perhaps to honour some occasion, Nathaniel was presented with this at-least-fiveyears-old photograph.
Stationery engineers worked with pipes and boilers, valves and gauges, steam and electricity, plus oil and grease. They were absolutely crucial to the industries and services that drove Berlin/Kitchener and Waterloo in the early 20th century. It was a career requiring both apprenticeship and ongoing training because the responsibilities were great: lives literally depended on being correct at all times.
That these stationery engineers were proud of their profession is evident. Of the 24 men, at least 13 are holding tools of their trade: wrenches, oil cans, pressure gauges, turnoff valves plus gadgets I can only guess at. There are not a lot of grins here, but we hadn’t yet reached the era when everyone facing a camera felt it necessary to simulate a smile. What there is on these faces is a lot of pride — pride in their occupation and, as indicated by the number of men holding flags, pride in their country — a country at war.