The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-09-24
THE NEWS IN NEW YORK.
Business Took the Deceased to the ",
His Career.

Business Took the Deceased to the West
-His Career.
NEW YORK, Sept. "a, 1692.-James II.
Wickes was the President and General
Manager of the Wickes Refrigerator
Company. which owned the Wickss
patent system Of refrigeration for railway
cars and cold storage rooms.
He was also the Superintendent OF
Construction for the Mechanicfe Despatch
Transportation Line, which pransaeEs an
enorm Gus business. He was reputed to
be worth several millions ef dollars, and
was, In addition to this. In che receipt Of q
large annual income.
He spent his money NbeEaay and was
known very widely among railroad men
and capitalists as wholesouled, genial
man, who had hundreds of friends all
over the country.
He was about ffty-five years old, short
and stout, weighing about It's pounds.
gray-haired and the wearer of mustache
OF the same color. He was married and
his wife is about the same age.
She Is native New Yorker, while Mr.
Wickes was born near Saratoga and lived
In and near Rochester the greater part of
his lifetime. Mrs. Wickas Is described as
very handsome woman
The greater part of the year the family
lived at No. 247 Fifth avenue, which was
their town house. At present Mrs. Wfckes
Is visiting the family homo at Brant
Lake in the Adirondaeks vita their
youngest son.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wickes had two Sons.
They are Walter H.. who is about twenty
four years OF age. ana is the Superinteud-
ent OF Construction at the Chicago Fair
buildings In Chicago, and Alfred A., who
IS seventeen years of age. For a short
time be has been clerk in the company
OF which his father was the largest stock
holder, but he is now on vacation with
his mother.
None of the family is in town at pres7-
ent.
AT the efflcs of the wickes Refrigerator
Company, Ne. s54 Broadway, it was said
this morning oy Earnest f. Walton, the
companY's representative In this civ.
that Mr.. Wickes was here on Septic ber
IL.
he spent few days in tewn and then
left for Rochester, where, it is said, here
manned up to within twelve hours of his
death. Mr.. Walton Is of the opinion that
he left Rochester for Detroit in order
to transact certain negotiations he had
on hand with the Michigan Car Conn
pany.
Mr.. Walton received word Of Mr..
Wfckes' ultimately death early this morn.
and said that he was greatly shocked.
he was not in the possession of very
many details, and expressed surprise se
the statement that Mr.. Wickes was in
a.
| light drinker.
AS to the small amount of money found
ABOUT his person, Mr.. Walton said that
tnls was not surprising. as Mr. Wickes
sometimes carried large sums of money
Win MIN. ana then again very small
amounts. He wired at ten O'Clock for
further details. and said he would notify
the dead mans family some time TODAY.
he would not express any opinion re-
| garding the probability thar Mr. Wickes
had been robbed, but said chat he mirht
nave somesning 20 say later in the day.
| About hfteen years ago Mr.. Wickes.
who was then living in Rochester. where
| he invented the Wickes refriRerator car
for the transportation of perishabIe
! freight.
He was then Superintendent Of Com
strnetlon Tor q railroad company. and
they were the nrst to utilize his Invention.
Since then company to build his cars
and refrigerators was organized and ia
capitalized about $4o0, coo.
The general offices are in the Apditor-
lum. Chicago. and there are branch offices
IA M. hocnesssr, mfa Pniiadelphla and this city.
position with headquarters in this cjrv
was president and General MANAGER ~
his own corporation, which was organized
under the laws of the State of Illineis.
his tree positions rendered travelling q
necessity, and he was constantine Doincr
backwards and forwards between this
city ana the West. He visited New York
about once a month, =
His refrigerator company has con-
structed about 1s.o00 cars in this country.
ana they are worth about $1,000 each.
More than 500 are in operation In seS,l. Enl.
land. - AAVt-
They are rented, leased. sold and royal-
tiesare1let on certain railroads and ser
lions or the country. They are worked
under ten different contracts ana on more
,naa s!ls1l twenty railroads and transportation
81 Mr.. Wickes's company is a close corpor.
alton and has the very best credit.