The Scrap Iron business

There is an interesting swipe at CTR in Nelson Barbour’s Herald magazine for May 1880, page 72. It was one of many, and one must remember that readers of the Herald were also receiving Zion’s Watch Tower at this same time. Barbour’s comment is typical of him –

Transcribed, it reads:

“Perhaps C T Russell could write some well digested matter if he had less money and more time. He is certainly an intelligent and first-class business man, or he could not successfully carry on the iron trade, run three gentlemen’s furnishing stores, lecture on Sunday, and run a theological paper. And under all the circumstances, even if what he writes is not very Scriptural, I think he shows great diversity of talent.”

But it raises a question. “Carry on the iron trade.” What was that?

I am very grateful to Separate Identity volume one by Schulz and de Vienne for supplying the answer. From page 51 of my edition:

“Thurston’s Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny City for 1879-1880 shows Joseph Russell as one of the principals of the firm Russell & Thomas, a scrap iron business located at Duquesne Way and Fourth. The Thomas of this partnership was N. M. Thomas. Active management of this business fell to C. T. Russell, who was junior partner in the venture. A business report says they generated between seventy-five and one hundred thousand dollars in trade annually…This business disappears from the record about 1881 with the dissolution of the partnership. J. L. Russell then formed in partnership with C. G. Redrup the Pittsburgh Scrap Metal Co. Ltd., dealing in scrap metal and used machinery.”