Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Papst, Hilmar Maxillian 1873 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com June 9, 2009, 12:39 pm Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company HILMAR MAXILLIAN PAPST. Nationally known as an authority on matters pertaining to the manufacture of gas, Hilmar Maxillian Papst is successfully managing one of Portland's most important public utilities and has devoted his life to this branch of public service. A native of Germany, he was born in 1873 and his parents were Edmund and Hedwick Papst, the former an official in the forestry department of the government of that country. The childhood of Hilmar M. Papst was spent in the beautiful mountains of Thuringia, which made the deepest impression upon him and gave color to his tastes throughout life, and which probably accounts for his having instinctively turned to horticulture as a hobby. Like all European children, his earliest schooling was most thorough and under conditions of rigid personal discipline. The result of this has persisted through life in his business activities. The elder Papst was not alone a student, but a man of much strength of character and he inculcated in his son a high regard for thoroughness, studiousness and the ambition for a life of exertion rather than one of ease. After a preliminary schooling at the gymnasium in the city of Morhausen, at the foot of the Hartz mountains, the young man matriculated in a military school but lost his father soon afterward and was obliged to forego his military aspirations. He afterward went to Hanover, Germany, and enrolled as a student in the University of Berlin, which awarded him the degrees of Mechanical Engineer and Gas Engineer. In 1892 he yielded to the lure of the new world and through the efforts of a family friend was made a cadet engineer in the employ of the United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia. He started as a gas maker's helper in the plant of the Manchester Gas Light Company at Manchester, New Hampshire, and was paid a dollar and a quarter per day. During this period he not only learned the practical details of the manufacture of water and coal gas, but acquired a working knowledge of the English language, which he found quite different from that taught in the German schools. Mr. Papst was transferred through the plants of the Jersey City Gas Company, where he had an opportunity to acquire more theoretical training in gas manufacture, including photometry and laboratory work, as well as general gas works operation and construction, being much assisted in this connection by the excellent library at this station. Subsequently he was sent to the gas plant at Ardmore, Pennsylvania, in order to carry on certain experimental work for lowering manufacturing costs. It was at this station that he had complete charge of manufacturing operations for the first time. The experience gained was most valuable and it stood him in good stead later on. His new work was in the operation of the new water gas plant installed by the United Gas Improvement Company at the Calf Pasture station of the Boston Consolidated Gas Company and this resulted in a complete change from the old manufacturing methods in the construction of water gas sets. From this time on he was occupied in erecting and operating water gas sets as an expert representative of the United Gas Improvement Company. In 1895 Mr. Papst was summoned to Portland and at that time the old coal gas plant was still in operation. Machinery was then being installed in an auxiliary plant for the manufacture of water gas and of this department Mr. Papst had charge for about two years. On the expiration of that period he went to San Francisco and reorganized the business of the Equitable Gas Light Company. This corporation had been promoted in connection with a "wild-cat" process of gas manufacture which proved a failure. The stockholders had turned the plant over to the United Gas Improvement Company for the installation of modern water gas machinery. After this task was completed Mr. Papst introduced the use of heavy crude oil in connection with the manufacture of water gas, which startling economy in manufacture, together with his efforts in extending the business, was instrumental in preventing the company from going on the rocks in the face of three-cornered competition with existing gas companies. During this struggle gas was sold for as low as fifty cents per thousand cubic feet. These various companies were consolidated in 1903 into what was known as the San Francisco Gas & Electric Company and Mr. Papst was appointed gas manager. The consolidation was immediately followed by a great deal of construction work, which after completion accomplished the result sought, namely, greatly reduced operating costs as compared with the costs of the old San Francisco Gas Company. A model water gas station was built by Mr. Papst at the former independent station of the San Francisco Gas & Electric Company and used apparatus of the old Equitable and other companies was installed. At the time this was one of the best water gas plants in the country and was favorably commented upon by many eastern engineers. The advent of cheap oil at this time caused California gas men to seek a new method of making gas entirely from this product. One of the abandoned plants of the new consolidated San Francisco Gas & Electric Company, known as the Pacific Gas Improvement plant, was remodeled by Mr. Papst for the manufacture of oil gas. It was nearly ready for operation at the time of the San Francisco earthquake and fire, which destroyed the plant. The San Francisco Gas & Electric Company was then sold to what is now known as the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. In May, 1906, Mr. Papst assumed charge of the plant of the Portland Gas Company, which was then a small concern, having a total output of about one million cubic feet and serving some seventeen thousand customers. Portland was at that time experiencing a boom, due to the influx of the San Francisco people as a result of the fire, and also by reason of the advertising incident to the Lewis and Clark Exposition. These conditions and the aggressive policies put into effect by Mr. Papst, with the support of Mr. Adams, gave great impetus to the growth of the company. Additions were made to the generating plant and distributing systems of great magnitude were established. At the same time the company's old water gas plant at Front and Everett streets was being changed from water gas to oil gas as rapidly as it could be done without interruption to service. Mr. Papst, with his characteristic regard for economy in investment, designed a new type of oil gas apparatus to make use of the existing equipment. It was successfully accomplished and this plant continued to operate with efficiency and economy until 1912. In that year the new plant was erected at Gasco and Mr. Papst acted as chairman of the building committee. From the date of his arrival until the present time the operating affairs of the Portland Gas & Coke Company and its successor, the Portland Gas Company, have been in the capable hands of Mr. Papst, who fills the offices of vice president and general manager. It can be said that the splendid growth and prosperity of the company have been due in no small measure to his farsightedness and capable administration. So much for the bald facts. This article would not be complete without an analysis of the principles which have actuated Mr. Papst throughout his business career and which offer an inspiration to the younger employes of his company. First and foremost is enthusiasm. This quality, above all, has ever characterized his conduct of the affairs of the Portland Gas & Coke Company, as a result of which his confidence in the future of gas and the growth of this community has never faltered. Surely the rewards have come. It is not necessary to recite what his faith has accomplished for the Portland Gas & Coke Company. Let it suffice to say that these results could not have been secured without a world of optimism. Another outstanding quality which has contributed to his success and to that of the splendid organization which he represents is his deeply rooted regard for thoroughness and efficiency. Where others are often content to let well enough alone, his thought is never to be satisfied with anything short of perfection itself. He is an exemplification of progress. Demanding it of himself, he insists upon it in his organization. On January 24, 1925, Mr. Papst was united in marriage to Miss Louise Poulsen, of Portland, and both are prominent in the social life of the city. Mr. Papst belongs to the Press, Hunt, Automobile, Waverly and Arlington Clubs and is also a valued member of the Portland Chamber of Commerce. He is a keen analyst of men and business. It is a real inspiration when one knows him to become cognizant of the genuine pride and delight he gets out of the loyalty and constructive attainments of those who make up his organization. His faith in those who by their diligence and loyalty contribute to the gas Company's success is evidenced by unstinted praise, not from the house-tops, but to his confidants. He has the courage of his convictions and is averse to hypocrisy. He is given to candid speech. Hence one can have the utmost confidence in what he has to say. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 807-809 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/papst736gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 10.0 Kb