NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

If arguments were needed to refute those who would check the immigration setting so steadily to these shores, they might be found innumerable in the persons of those immigrants and children of immigrants who have achieved prosperity and decent worldly success, who are the wealth producers, and have attained to the full stature of worthy citizenship. This is true, indeed, of practically all the races seeking refuge or opportunity in the new world, but of none may it be more appositely urged than of those northern races of Europe whose inherent hardiness has been developed and confirmed by life in their rigorous climates, and whose labor, when it has not produced ample returns, has been handicapped by pressure of population or untoward natural conditions. To one of those races does Adser Hansen BLUME belong, his parents having both been Danish and he, himself, being a native of Denmark, and spending his life up to his twentieth year in that country. His parents were Herman Adolph and Abel Catherine BLUME, of Copenhagen, the father being an architect and building contractor of that city, who was born, lived, and finally died there about 1872, at the age of forty-eight, the mother still living there at the advanced age of seventy-nine years. To Mr. and Mrs. BLUME Sr. were born eight children: 

1. Christopher, followed the sea, was an officer on a vessel navigating the North Sea, and was lost when she was wrecked off the Danish coast west coast in 1883. 
2. Maria, has remained single, and lives at home with her mother. 
3. Charles, now proprietor of a thriving bakery at Silkeborg, Denmark. 
4. Helen, now Mr. Herman HUHNE, resides in Sonderhausen, Germany, where her husband has a position as bookkeeper with a large manufacturing concern; she is mother of six children, and her eldest son is now in New York City, employed by the National Lead Company. 
5. Adser Hansen, our subject. The three younger children, Sophia, Johannes and Edward, died in infancy or early childhood.

Adser Hansen BLUME was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 24, 1864, and obtained his education in the public schools of that city. He left school when only fourteen years of age and began the active business of life by taking a position in a dry goods manufacturing concern, in 1878. Here he remained six years, during which time he was determining upon one of the most important steps of his life. It requires no small courage to pack up at the age of twenty, and leaving home and the familiar, embark upon unknown ways to strange land, there to begin a new life. This was what young Mr. BLUME did, and in 1884 he set sail for America, and arriving the same year, settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He soon found work in the employ of Henry A. RATH, a plumber, to whom he apprenticed himself. Mr. RATH, now deceased, had a shop on East Broad street, Elizabeth, New Jersey, and here for four years Mr. BLUME served his apprenticeship, and later worked as a journeyman for six additional years, gaining great proficiency in the manual side of his trade, and a comprehensive knowledge of the requirements and needs of plumbing generally. About this time the rapid development of Mount Arlington, Morris county, and the whole region around Lake Hopatcong came to his attention, and feeling himself entirely capable of conducting a business for himself, he removed to Mount Arlington and opened the plumbing establishment which has since flourished so greatly. He soon became interested in Mount Arlington real estate and invested in property there, and in 1892 built himself a commodious home. Some idea of the magnitude of Mr. BLUME’s business may be had from the following examples, taken from among the many others, of the large plumbing installations he has made. In 1910-11 he removed all the old plumbing from the Hotel Breslin, and installed a complete new system at a cost of $16,000. He has also done extensive work for Messrs. F. D. HEUYSLER, BERENS, HENGSTLER & HEXAMER, and for the Beethoven Double Quartette Club in the building that is now SHAFER’s Hotel. He has also installed the plumbing in Mr. FUCHS’ new cottage, and for Bernhardt MUENCH, Mr. H. A. JANKE, Mrs. Virginia BERTRAN, Mr. M. F. MOORE, Mrs. BRINKMAN, Charles HARTDEGEN, Rev. Dr. PISCK, Mrs. Emma BYINGTON, Mr. Theodore GESSLER Jr., Mr. G. O. Zeller, Villivan COMPE, and many others.

Mr. BLUME married October 17, 1888, Carrie Fine GARDNER, daughter of John and Sarah (STEWART) GARDNER, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and of Bloomsbury, New Jersey, where Mr. GARDNER owned and operated a farm. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. GARDNER are now living. Mrs. GARDNER had one brother, General James T. STEWART, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who saw service with the Ninth New Jersey Regiment. Mrs. BLUME is a communicant of the Presbyterian church, but since her marriage to Mr. BLUME and residence in Mount Arlington she has identified herself with the Mount Arlington Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. and Mrs. BLUME have no children.

A great change has taken place in the borough of Mount Arlington and the vicinity of Lake Hopatcong since Mr. BLUME first made his home there, and he has witnessed nearly all the great improvements made on the lake in that time. When he first came there were but few people in the town and there were but few boathouses and scarcely any power boats on the lake. Indeed, when he first established his business, he used to get about to the scenes of his various operations in a row-boat, whereas he now carries on his business with three motor boats of his own, besides hiring others. It is estimated that there are now over 600 power-boats there, and that the lake buildings have increased over sixty percent in the past twenty-five years. In many of the best of these new structures, Mr. BLUME has installed the plumbing. Mr. BLUME is a Republican in politics, and active in the affairs of the community. His fine home stands on what was formerly known as the TOTTEN property, purchased some years ago by Mr. BLUME.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)

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