The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-01

fIean eespAsason vas born IN Cousty Ar
mag Ireland. on suly {. 1909. His father vas
neties Vas Gr.es stuart. Of scotch
% aaerfes ana sssslsd I'm New York.
tns ssIsysn ssmin.ry. ana VS. prepared b.
BIS issher for mercantile HE Ia this sors
yonss ssspAsnsos spsas ehrss ysars.. bat
81: ,ssss iSs o ssn sss,:,
- ss=rs cid. TO become spprenticed TO
eoecasnakef ~ the name Of Andrew Wsds. Who
DID business as shas time NJ No. "a bsoome
ssrcsA HE ssfoog tendency toward mechanics
yss surshss snssseed ~ Ats fsther in the
dsfi7s mp 0f . room with tools and other
appiksness - shss john could DO al ths repair
He tsynaincd two years with Andrew wsde. and
dufsas that time spsns uoss .: his svssines
weisanx Il Craving and de.igninx In
sasr- he obsaiped : business opening
ihrnsxh Absam Brewer, who kept livery
ssahss - Ma ssi Brosdwsy. tuss opposite Road
.se .s. the o. sas ss.se.
fsofs Broadway and Bieccker street TO Wal
esssss - early 1ss7 the fsrs being chilling.
The ensidins aad rspairing Of the ssossr
nfss% with cross seats and side entrances, while
sous@ Asd enfsanees mp several steps ~ the Fesf;
al, assvevss, we're coaches resting on leather
thorough braces In the old posi-c0ach style.
NJ. ssrower suggested 20 young stephenson
that hs open . shop OF his own. pgomis-
ing aim 81 the business that went to
Wsees aud Offering him site ct No. eS7 Broad
vay: sdjotainR Ne Brewers stables. which we're
In Asfcss ssr0et Tbs ycuuR man accepted tho
oaess and there on Nay I. issi. began business
signed and built the first vehicle known In New
ims.srtsnos ~ss the con.ssacsioa Of ths.s
70 nam. ss:: each ON. ' rns sasu . lev
ssseSsed were called Minerva, Mentor. Forget
ne'ssH and By other namea which viii p ~
Csessisins veil foe the young man, when on
Aasaa -. lss,. = ore destroyed the nsowsr
ssaksss toesshss with John ktephsnson's shop
anu all bic stock. Unfortunately sssphsnson
was not insured, and his capital Of son. with
which hc started the sh0ps together with
the ef.2U be had accumulated In his
thoss career ~ an independent business
mas, wss lost Stephenson. however, sO0n re-
eossstd from this disaster. and In Nay. 1873. he
ocssssd new establishment at No. 264 Eliza
beiis street Here he conducted successful nus.
insss and s0on had accumulated enough capital
wita which 20 start out la otres entsrpeissa.
The Ssw York 4 Harlem railroad vas chartered
ia .i5i and the frst street railroad company
icas bsnk, - president: John Losicr. Of
pre- dent. and o,nss ohsees niisa y
So ssnsoa built sns nrst street. car Tor this
corr sany. The first constructed In America. was
nara9d after John Mason. the president OF the
ope.d s On Sovsnsbe9 - lssa On v MI "cc.sion
ttcsersd the mayor OF New York and common
coga.ii. The road then ran from Prince street
90 saussssnth street For this ear John ets-
phsnson received patent signed By President
Ansasew Jackson. In 1886 he built .
pew factory in Harlem and enlarged his
hus:.ess. The panic OF 1887 wrsckeA
his. financially, but hs was not discouraged
lie paid al his debts ~ fast - he accumulatsd
NOISY. though the law excused him from paying
ans q them. After come years he devoted him.
self exclusively 70 coach and omnibus manu-
fsc,s*fc. uutii In 1852. yAcn horse car line
ofs,.anies were organised In New York.
the manufacture OF the cars promised
. lsssrativs business, Of which opportunity
Ste asnson speedily Avaiied himself. His bust-
nes, began 10 flourish. aud with the
exssastoa OF the stroet-car idea 70 other
coe:ariea stcphsnsou's cars went with
Il satil now he supplies every city OF
sixe IN the Western hemisphere: most OF the
citsas Of Europe, Including vieona, 81 Peters
busr, Lisbon, Valencia and many cities in
Gfs4s Britain, while Capstown, Kimberley
ana Port Elizabeth, in Africa. the hve
iarssss citisa Of New Zealand. Yokohama and
To.fio. In Japan, and the leading cities Ia
AGstralia daily drive through their
streets beautiful specimens OF American
enterprise and American ingenuity In the
fofas of John stephenson's street cars
In ss3s John Stephenson married Julia A. Tie
=, who 10 the sistor OF ex-Msyor Tiemann
He t.as two sons aud . daughter. The daughter
msyfisd d. W. Pugh. OF this city. Tho two sons.
staa.t A. and Joseph II. Stephenson. have been
associated with their father In the John
Stasaepson Company.