Smyrna times., 1888-02-29
John B. Parsons.
THE LIFE OF A FORMER sALIsBURIAN
HIS RAPID RISE.

From the Street RdilOay Gazette.
" Messrs. Widener, Elkins and KEN
BILE have no use for dummies or dead
heads" wired the Philadelphia cores
pendent of the Chicago Tribune, Nov.
18th, as an introduction to a special
dispatch giving a sketch of the new
general manager of the new West
Chicago Street Railroad company, to
whom the West Side lines have been
transferred by lease. Mr.. Parsons
arrived in Chicago Nov. 10th, and as
soon as the Tribune people heard that
the president of two street railway
companies in the Quaker City THE
Peoples Passenger and the Lombard
& South Street Passenger had been
engaged to manage the street railway
of the West Division of Chicago. thev
requested their correspondent to hunt
up information. The ordinary news
paper pumping machine-the profess
sional interviewer-co could not possibly
L
self, who was in Chicago, and we are
informed that the Quaker City special
failed to get any statement from Mrs.
Parsons, but was referred to her father,
and from him probably he CLEANED
MATERIAL for the following informa-
ton and comments:
Mr.. Parsons capture by the Big
Three created no little surprise in rail.
way and financial circles in Philadel-
phia, New York and Boston, for he
was scarcely well known. But neither
Mr.. WideDer, nor Mr.. Elklns, nor Mr..
Kemble cared about relinquishng his
pleasant home in Philadelphia and set
Ting down at his age in life in the
breezy lake city. They believe that
they have secured in their present
railway system in Chicago gold mine,
and to successfully carry out their
schemes they needed the services of a
reliable, honest, capable man who
would be true to their interests, and
who would take hold of their roads
and manage them as they would
themselves. They found that John B.
Parsons, the young president of the
Peoples Railway Company, of Phila-
delphia, came nearer the mark by his
method than any other man within
their knowledge. Again, ParsOn had
been aggressive. When they crossed
swords with him last March over the
ive-cent fare and twelve hours per day
work for their employees questions,
the young president of the opposition
company was so quick in his move
ments and so defiant and calm in the
face of their threats to squeeze his
company that they were compelled to
admire him. Parsons was a marked
man from that time forward. He was
man after the heart of the trio. When
they were ready for him the syndicate
led its enemy to the pinnacle of the
temple, so to speak, showed him the
promised land, and he was theirs.
John B. Parsons halls from the
famous eastern shore of Maryland. He
was born in the southern part of Della
ware, May 18th, 1850. His parents
removed to Salisbury, Md, when he
was but six years of age, and in that
state he spent the rest of his life. He
was given such an education as the
country academy at his home could
provide. Nineteen years of age he
started out to make his fortune in the
world. He turned his attention to
railrOading, becoming an assistant to
the station agent at Salisbury, on the
Delaware railroad. But he grew tired
of the quiet country town and longed
for the hustle of the big city, and in
1870 he found his way to Philadelphia.
Here he entered the service of the
Chestnut & Walnut Streets company
as clerk in its Office at $l2 a week.
Two years work at the desk satisfied
the COlkets, who owned the railroad,
that there was something in Parsons, so
they handed over to him the manage
ment of a branch line, which inter-
sected the main stem at Thirty-third
and Chestnut streets, and extended
out into the suburbs some FIVE miles,
ending at the village of Darby. Par
sons was faithful in his position, and
earned the praise of his employers. In
1881 fortune began to smile upon the
young railroader. His advancement
from that time forward was rapid. In
that year Robert N. Carson, relative
of Mr.. Parsons by marriage, and Will
liam H. Shelmerdine. capitalists and
spectators, William Wharton, Jr., the
railroad builder, and others, purchased
the Lombard and South streets line.
It was poor concern; extending
through a bad section of the city. 1t
was nicknamed the fish and produce
line,' because the cars was extensively
used by market people. Other folks
preferred To walk rather than ride
upon such line The company was
in debt, the rolling stock run down,
and financial men agreed that the pur-
chase was a wild speculation. Money
was put into the road. Carson used
his influence, and had his young rela-
tive Parsons placed in charge of the
concern. Soon after assuming control
of the almost bankrupt road Mr.. Par
sons announced that FIVE cents was
the proper fare for people to pay, and
in spite of the prostests Of his assO'
ciates in the Board of Street Railway
Presidents, he reduced the fare upon
his line. In five years the Lombard &
South street line was made dividend
paying line.