The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-23
HALE AND HEARTY YET.
Millionaire John |. Blair
Celebrates His Ninety
first Birthday.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
He Says the Present Financial
Troubles are Due to Over.
Speculation.
Special to the Jersey Ctr Ns,c,.


the light Of the world on q farm w
miles bslow Belvidsre. in this Stats. 1t
was along The beautiful banks of the his
toric Delaware, aud it is within a few
miles of this wooded stream that the aged
mil ~ionaire. surrounded by
THAT which should accompany old age,
As honor, love, oosdiencs, troops of frienis."
is quietly receiving congratulations to-
day.
II has been the intention OF the citizen $
of Blairstown to celebrate this anuivsr-
sary in the customary public manner
DIR. Henry u. Gregory. at one time priu-
cipsl of the Blair Presbyterian Academy.
however. is lying a. tne point OF death in
the home of its founder. So, out Of re-
spect for this gentleman, no demonstra-
lions of any kind were encouraged.
Ths story of John L Biair's life is an
j oft-tola tale. EVERY year, however, ap-
pears TO add to It's interest. for although
he Is as strong q sturdy as he was a
quarter of q century ago, yet 10 the ma
lure OF mortals, his race must soon be
rum. So u synopsis Of what John /. Blair
has done. and who aud what be Is. mar
once more be given.
HIS EARLY LIFE
He is OF Scotch ancestry, his forefathers
having settled in this country about 1910.
His early history is tnar of the typical
American boy-farm work Ia summer
aud to the dull village school in winter.
When only steven years old he was
compelled. by circumstances, TO drop the
three RS u 60 straight into business.
He first got employment at Hops, IN
Judge Blair's store, and his salary was
darby suggestive of the name of that
town. Then there was u return TO farm
life. and at nineteen, after having served
ia Squire De Wits store, he struck OUT
for himself BY establishing u store in
Gravel Hill. new Blairstown. Branches
soon spread TO Marksporo. Paulina,
E Huntsyilis and Johnsonburg.
In 1888 or 1884 he became acquainted
with Colonel G. sfge w. Scranton u
Seton ID. Scranton. ana this led to his
taxing interest in the mines ut Oxford
Furnace. When the Lnckawanna Coal
u Iron Company WAS organized. in
1916. Mr.. Blair became one of les ow nsrs.
Three years after that came the pur-
chase Of the railroad from Owexo to
Ithaca, aud with IL the real bSgiuniux OF
his remarkable aptitude fur the manage
luent of great railroad properties.
and name the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna aad Western. how the load from
Scranton TO Great tap sas bniIs aud how
lie became u pore nc factor In the Kansas
City and Southern. the st. LOUIS and
Haurihal, the Calcago aud Northwestern
tVsLcute, Tue Oulo0 EhctHc, tne OlOux
City and Pacific, the Iowa Fklls. the
Cedar Rapids aud Missouri ana the Wa
Teu, Sussex and BlatrsfOWn X aiiroads are
ia ulxttsrs OF c0mmerciai a~tSl0ry-the
welding OK LINKS nastuseparabig connect
his name with the development of tne age
Of steel and steam in this country.
A PLEASANT REMEMBRANCE.
If there Is one bright particular spot in
Mr.. BlHir's memory IL is the recollection
OF the time be made u personal loan Of
1000. 600 To President Linceia's Adminis-
Iratioa during The time tha5 tried men's
souls" Whenever he refers TO that syent
he says, Il backed on faith that Tins, and
wasn'l Disappointed"
WHAT his wealth is today nobody can
tell-he himself doesn't exactly know. IL
has been variousiy estimated al from
s .000. 600 to $40, O00, 00u. Tue comfortau ole
SUN of MALT or the Iirst-named am3un.
was said to have bseu confessed To dur
ing q railroad litigation In tue West Sew
erHl years ago.
Before this summers leaves have been
turned red gold by frost, the citizsns
Of Blairstown will nave received another
substantial evidence OF the generosity of
The ma whose Interests are SO closely
idenlifed with theirs. In othsr world.
job L Blair will present mis- fellow
townsmen witt q tue steel bridge Tha
gift Is IN the nature or q birthday present.
with this difference: the eslebran5 and
uonor are Qua. The bridge 10 Co cost
$1,000. Il will span the meadows and
streams betwee the main street OF the
village and the railroad station. II Is to
be about 800 feet long. aud Is 10 bs made
up OF t.euty-four feet spaos, excepting
the main one. ever Paultn's Kilt, which
will extend about hfty-dye feet. The
Passaic Rolling Mill has received the
Contract, aud promises u capacity of $50
pounds a square foot. Andrew Yetter
heads q subscription list to provide for
suitable approaches. Et will probably os
made of slate. AS that ia the pest material
to be procured in Tho neiRhborhood.
Beauty In design. ms we'll as strength IN
structure, are to be characteristics of this
l.ridge. that Is to commemorate of ninety
fret anniversary OF John /. Biair's birth.
When a reporter had feared all these
things yesterday during q visit TO the
railroad magnate's modest home amid
tbs sun-clad nils Of Warren county, he
touched upon the burning question of
the day-the financial crisis.
What iu your opinion, Mr.. Blair, Is
the cause of the ~troubls2s
''Over-sDeculation, sir, over specula-
tionP' was the prompt and Wig orous
answer, accompanied by three etfc
humps with y clenched fist upon the
broad arm of the porch chair. "Of
course. / am against silver; bat it's over |
speculation, sir. over-specuiation. Pve
been q banker since 1843. and understand
such matters pretty welt.
why, 40 you know, sir" aud here Mr..
Blair gave tha chairs broad arm some
more thumps with his fist. zone no use in |
New York helped some ninete Ell banks |
In Kansas and Nebraska with s.. 600 |
apiece during the present stringencg. |
But the crisis Is over with them. Why. |
iney bad all their money in land. don't
you see? Men want to maks short cuts
10 wealth-can'L wait, and boom
things. That's the troubls-oyer specu-
~lation."
Then Mr.. Blair was asked when he
thought that matters would mena. He |
smiled an optimistic smile. fts racs drew
II lot of pleasant wrinkles, aud the broad
arm ofthe chair was spared q tnumping |
rs he said:
In sixty or ninety days business
Founies wla De over; the worst will
have been passed, and confidence will
have been restored. or course. the
effects OF the storm will be felt for a year
or TWO afterward. / dou't remember
anything worse since 1S57.n
AS the shadows bagan 20 lengthen. Mr..
Blair breu sit his talk To q close. Be-
fore bidding "Rood-byefn he wanted all
his friends to know tlat he had never
felt better In life than on this, the muety-
first anniversary of his birth.
WEST SIDE wINNO WINGS.
The West Side Improvement Lsague meets to-
morrow night, and President ADAMS desires
that every member aud every one int la
the Improvement OF the West Side attend. Tue |
will BE- reported on and there will be- |
an ulnorfan dfArUlafSr M ga ~ Mr. nm n