New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-10

~
JOHN STEPHENSON.
To give the life OF this inventor would be 10 give
history of the invention and perfection OF inc S'o'
car from the primitive, eatheF-srapped veicie 0u'
OF which is herewith given to the present luxurious car
but Of beautiful woods and OF graceful design Like
many of the successful men who have gained world
wide celebrity by their own efforts In TINS country
John Stephenson is OF ScOtch-Irsh descent ne was
born In County Armagh, North Ireland on the f'n VI
July, 1907 His father was an Englsnmah oy ""o
name OF James Stephenson, while MS mouer was
Grace Stuart who was of Scotch descent. In loii
the family came to America and settled In New-lorA
youne stephenson received his education In the IVES
leyan Seminary of this city and was prepared by MS
father for mercantile life. In this WORK young
Stephenson spent three years but MS fohuhess lor
mechanics induced his father to allow him. wheh
nearly nineteen years old to become apprentced 10
coachmaker by the name of Andrew Wade. VINO ala
business at that time at No. BAT Broome7st' MS
strong tendency toward mechanics was further fosereo
bv his father In the fitting up OF room with tools and
other appliances so that John could do all the repair
ing aM similar work needed about the house.
He remained two years with Andrew Wade, and
durinp that time spent most Of his evenings working
at drawing and designing In 1881, soon aiter coin-
pleting his apprenticeship, he obtained business
opening through Abram Brewer VINO kept hseIS
stable at No 661 Broadway, just opposite Bondst''
Mr. Brewer ran stages from Broadway and Beecher-
st. to Wallst. as early 1897, the fare beihg one
shilling The building and repairing OF the bro"er
vehicles were done by Wade. THESE stages were
fitted with cross seats and side entrances Whe sohe
had entrances up several steps at the rear all 10"
ever were coaches resting on leather "Vi'"e" o
| in the old pOstcoach style.
Mr., Brewer suggested TO young stephenson mat ne
omen a shop of his own, promising him all the Dusi
| 10 ada Offering
| e67 broadway adjoining Mr.. Brewers stables winch
were in Mercerst. The young man accepted 'lle
offer and there on May 1, 1881, began business on
his own account II was here that ne deslsieu a,iu
built the first vehicle known III New-iorh dS 'i''
| " omnibus OF so great Importance was the con-
uction Of these omnibuses that it was Thought nee
essary to name each one. The hrst rev cohs'ruo'eu
,roro called Minerva Mentor, FOrgetme-not ana oy
thor names. which will be remembered by old New
Workers
Evervthing was promising we'll for the young man
when ON March 20, 1882, fire destroyed Uie Dfo"e
stables together with John Stephenson's shop anu al
| nj, stock Unfortunately Stephenson was not III
s,red and his capital of $780, with which ne Stf1e'
tho shop. together with the $1,000 he had accumu
,.od IN his short caryr as an independent buSlneS
! man, was lost
c,onhanson however. soon recovered from this dis
| ostor and in MAY. 1888 he opened new establish
meut ut No. 264 Elzabethst. Here he conducted
successful business and had accumulated enough
capal with which to start out In other enterprises
The New York and Harlem Railroad was chartered III
| 1871 and the first street railroad company wa
Organized with John Mason OF the Chemicai bahN' q
| nresident: John LoZier Of tho Manhattan wac
Works. as Vice-president; and other Offices hed DS
eoualy well-lnown men Of those days. The olhceS o.
e now company were on the east side OF the Bo"ery
tro doors below Stantonst For the first car the COM
many employed John Stephenson who was 10 ues'8'
and construct vehicle Of an entirely original Vpe' ca
culated purely for street-car work. Miles Parker "
yorxyiIle was to build car after the hhgisn ihou
then employed on the Camden and Amboy Railroad
Mr. stephenson's car, the irst streetcar ever Dun.
America. was named after John Mason, the prcsideh
| ~ the eompany. and was used when the road wa
| rored ON November 20, 1892, on which occasion II
| oorrted the Mayor of New-Y0rk and the common
council The road then ran from Prince-st to fOur
| teonthst For thus John stephenson received
| no,ent signed by President Andrew Jackson EDWARD
| livingstone secretary of state r. b. Taney' At
torney-General; and J. Campbell, Treasurer.
The great success Of the first American street ca
ros hcralded all over the United States ORDERS non
.ha uorIem Company followed and in the same yea
a ordars for the new style of cars nom Paterson
Y J.. Brooklyn and Jamaica, n. Y, from Tue Ne"
Iorsov poitroad and Transportation Company NOW t
pennsylvania Railroad Company, Matanzas' Caoa AM
Tallahassee Fla. All OF these cars were IouF-"eeio
ana were used on railways, exceptIn the case OF IN
Harlem Company, which used In the streets "he
Ross Winans of Baltimore introduced the eight"heee
cor Mr. stephensons Elzabetl-st. shop was too small
for his business so In 1886 he built new factory II
| Harlan at Fourth-ave. and One hundred-snd-twenty
! ninth-st He there branChed out extensively III III
construction of regular railway cars OF all styles
| He was doing a large and Increasing business II
Harlem when the panic OF 1887 overwhelmed the coun
try and as the railroads the first to suffer. MI
stanhenson WAS carried down In the general wreck los
ing all his Harlem property, that he was able
nav only so cents on the dollar. stephenson Wa
still Young man and he did not let the disaster di'
| courage him. BY lS43 he had scraped enough none
together to enable him to purchase his present prop
otv in Twentyseventh-st near Fourth ave-, for whic
he Maid $500 lot. then a high price. but now wort
nrobabv nearer S25 900 lot. 1t was hard strugsi
for the Young man to collect this money OUT u
had won reputation for honesty and the evident sue
stubbonness that he possessed brOughe
him the aid OF capital that enabled him 10 ouiu up 1"
enormous business. All that he made during the mrs
seven years besides what he had put into The Due'
went 10 pay off the bankruptcy debts. lie pau 'n.i
| ain OF one by one as fast as he accumulated III
onev although the law excused him from paying any
| OF It.
ore NJ his creditors was Jordan l.. Mott, who stub
borny refused TO accept his debt. telling stephenson
that the failure was an honest one and that tue IN
debtedness was legally and morally wlped out oS 'h
| banlu1pt proceedings. stephenson coum not io.'
him TO take the money, but when the ihtter ouefe"
truck Stephenson built It and delivered II with re
celpt Endorsed Received payment by the oaArup'o'
debit. John Stephenson AS stephenson oonid no' o
| induced 10 accept the money Mott draped the ne"
,c,. in yay hunting and drove II through the street
q, NewYork with the following legend In large WIN
ettsrs ON both sides Of the truck TINS Is the way