The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-29

ROBERT GARRETT DEAD
The B. & Q. Magnate Passes
Away at His Deer
Park Home.
MANY YEARS AN INVALID
His Final Illness Brief-A Notable
Family and lis Great
Enterprise.
MANY YEARS AN INVALID

BA4IIAiCFSE, July %, 1S96.-Robert
Garrett, ax-President Of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company, and the
widely known banking house of Robert
Garrett & Sons, died this morning at
Deer Park. Md.
/ Mr.. Garrett has been in poor health
since he retired from the Presidency OF
the Baltimore and Ohio system, in 1887
In recent years he has been mentally
as wen as physically unfit to participate
IN any business and seldom been seen
in public. His sister Miss Mary Garrett,
and his brother Henry, are now the only
direct survivors of John w Garrett. who
for many years dominated the Baltimore
and Ohio system, and harvested an enor-
NOUS fortune therefrom.
Mr. Garrett went to Deer Park about
six weeks ago and occupied the cottage
formerly owned by T. Harrison Garrett
Mrs. Garrett and other relatives were at
the bedside when dissolution came at 8
o'clock this morning. The remains will
probably be brought to Baltimore and in
TERED IN the Garrett plot in Greenmount
Cemetery
Mr.. Garrett was seriously i'll for only
about twelve hours. When he left up
lands" for the mountains little over a
month ago, although quite weak, his ap-
petite was good and his physical condi-
ton better than it had been for some
months
The mountain air greatly benefited him,
and his family and friends during the
very hopeful of his complete restoration
to health. At times he was very de-
spondent, however. and although he drove
out frequently nothing would relieve thim
Of this melancholia. He sought no So
ciety and saw only members Of his fam
ily and very intimate friends.
His father. John W. Garrett. died at
Deer Park under similar circumstances
not quite twelve years ago.
Robert Garrett was born in this city
April 9, 1877. the Oldest son of john W.
Garrett, and grandson of Robert Garrett,
the founder of the banking house of
Robert Garrett & Sons. He graduated
from Princeton College in 1867 and soon
entered the banking house of which he
was in recent years the sole surviving
partner. In 1871 Mr.. Garrett was elected
president of the Valley Railroad, a Vir-
ginia branch of tine Baltimore and Ohio,
succeeding aGSnerai ROBERT Il. Lee. he
became third vice president of the Balti-
more and Ohio Company in 1879 Mr.
Garrett became identified with many local
and outside enterprises. ffe- wsts am IN.
coTporator of the American Union Tele-
graph Company, which was eventually
sold to the Western Union when the
Vanderbilt interests wlere retired and
Jay Gould became the controlling power
in the telegraph business of the country
On July 13 1881 Mr. Garrett was elected
first vice president of the Baltimore and
Ohio, and Samuel Spencer. now president
of the Southern Railway, was at the
same time chosen third vice president.
Soon after John w. Garrett died, in 1884,
and Robert became president.
In directing the affairs of the railroad
Robert Garrett enlarged upon the policy
outlined by his father by endeavoring to
combine under his management tele-
graph system, an express and parlor and
sleeping car services. These proved to
be expensive adjuncts and, along with
other experiments, cost the Baltimore
Under Mr.. CARROTS direction the Balti-
more and Ohio secured an entrance into
New York and acquired the Staten Island
Rapid Transit system. 1t was about this
time that the financial world was startled
by the statement that the reteoric Henry
s. Ives had secured an option on certain
of the Baltimore and Ohio properties.
1t became apparent early in 1887 that
Mr.. Garrett's expensive policy of con-
Quoting things would have to be changed
by looping off the collateral undertakings
" ilCieeSe tilt StESHStll Oh uQ6 fd1lFO2Q
business proper. Mr., Garrett went to
Europe and sold $1o0oo000 of the Balti-
more and Ohio securities wherewith to
pay off file floating debt of the company
The Baltimore and Ohio telegraph sys-
tenn was sold to the Western Union DUR
ing. his absence, Mr. Garrett at once
resigned the presidency of the Baltimore,
and acting under advice of his physician
started on a tour around the world ac-
companied by a number of relatives and
friends. The death by drowning of his
brother, T. Harrison Garrett. whose yacht
was sunk in the Patapsco River, brought
Mr.. Garrett home July 10, 1883. Since
then Mr.. Garrett has spent most of his
time in retirement at 'Uplands" his
country seat. or at his residence in Mount
Vernon place, Baltimore.