The times., 1899-12-04

seu.pub.NOt. was one OF the most remarka-
bic men this country has produced. The
story Of his life is a most interesting one
Born in 1902, he was one Of the eleven
children Of John Blair, who settled IN the
ntle Delaware River settlement Of Belvi-
dere. The father had a hard time provid-
ing for the family, and when John I.
Blair was ten years old he saw, with his
childish eyes, the need of one less mouth
70 be fed and announced his determination
lo relieve the finances of the family by
farming bis own living. Even at that carly
age young Blair was possessed with the
sole idea of accommodating riches.
The first money he earned was by trap
ping muslirats and rabbits and selling
their skins at 81 for sixteen. Before he
was eleven years old he was clerk in the
general store of his brother al Hope, y.
J. AT fourteen he was considered the best
.to- ekeeper in that part Of the country.
BE thought so himself, and at seventeen
be owned a store Of his own. It is said
that the capital for the business was $500
and his cousin John was his partner. IN
two years he had bought out his partner.
Two years later he opened another store
a. Marksborough, in which he made his
brother James a partner A little later
he started another store at Johnsonburg
and put another brother, Robert Blair.
in charge BY 1880 he had i've general
stores in operation, the others being at
Paulins and Huntsville.
Stories of the Mnn.
Many are the stories still told in Blairs-
town Of John l. Blair's early experiences
IL trade. One Of these is about The first
money he made quickly. II was when the
Morris and Essex Canal was being built
and large numbers Of men were employed
upon the work. The great market for sheir
supplies was ar Paterson. Blair was trad
ing cotton yarn for butter and selling
the butter for shilling a pound al Pater-
son. His drivers reported 10 him that the
workmen on the canal preferred strong
butter to sweet. Immediately upon receiv-
ing this report Mr.. Blair bought all the
rancid butter be could find and mixed il
with good butter. He found a ready sale
for the mixture and made $4,000 clear in
one year.
While Mr. Blair laid the foundation for
his fortune as a storekeeper. II was as 9
builder and owner Of railroads that he will
be remembered. IN 1889 he undertook the
building Of g railroad from Oswego, y. Y,
10 Ithaca. Il was built 10 furnish an out
Jet for the product OF iron mines at SCran-
tor, Pa. II the half-cenuuTy following the
building of this. his first road, Mr. Blair
built either entirely with his own capital
or assisted by the capital Of those imme-
diately associated with him, nearly thirty
railroads. which include the following:
OsWego and Ithaca; Leggett's Gap; War
Fen; sections Of the Delaware. Lackawanna
Bnd Western; the Lackawauna and Blooms
burg; Burlington Cedar Rapids and North
err; part Of the Union Pacific; Sioux City
and 12nkton; Sioux Falls and Dakota; Chi
caso and Northwestern; Chicago and Pa
ciAC, Chicago, Iowa and Dakota; sections
OF the New York, Susquahauna and West
ern: s.. Louis and HanuibaI- Bangor and
Portland; Kansas City and Southern; Ca
yuga and Susquehanna; Cedar Rapids and
Missouri River: Green Bay. Wiu0na and
s. Paul; Green Bay and Stevens Point.
Sioux City and Pacific; Iowa Falls and
Sioux City; Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska; ;
Fremont ElkhOru and Missouri Valley,
Maple River. Sussex and Mount Hope, and
the Kansas City, Osceola and Southern.
Mr.. Blairs interest in Western railroad
building dated from the year 1855 when he
went 10 Chicago as a delegate 70 the ua-
u0lal convention that nominated Abra ham
Lincoln. he remained behind TO study the
possibilities Of the West
He calculated that in his railroad ope-
Tations be had spent $50 .000 GEO. ali OF
which be either advanced himself or raised
among his friends
Given Great Tracts OF Land.
N connection with his railroad build
ing. Mr.. Blair received enormous grants Of
public lands, and il has been said that. az
John !. Blair built and owned in his lie
time more railroads than any one man
il the world. so al one time and another
in MS life, ne owned more land than any
other man IN the world. In connection
with his work on the Union Pacific he got
LOCO COO acres OF land in Iowa. For finish
ing the Iowa Falls and Sioux City road he
sot IG0. .000 acres. For building the Sioux
City and Pacific road. from Sioux Cry 10
Omaha. and the Blair cutoff from Missouri
Valley Junction. on the Chicago and
Northwestern, connecting il with the Union
Pacific Al Fremont. he got 640. GOO acres OF
land. He built a railroad up the N.obrara
Valley in Nebraska, and took the premium
offered by the State Of I00, COO acres OF
land.
with 81 this land on his hands, receiv-
ed as premiums for building railroads,
Blair had 10 do something with IL. He
formed land companies, and these compa-
MES, under his direction, have laid out tie
sites for what are now more than 100
fourishing cities and towns in the West.
ANY number Of stories are stiu told in
BlslrstoRu which illustrate the character
Of John J. Blair. In 1868. the Republicans
Of New Jersey nominated him for Cover
nor He was defeated and the campaign
was said 10 have cost him $4,000 a good
part of which was alleged 10 have been
pOrketod by those who posed as his sup
p0rters After the election. some o. his
friends were sympathizing with him over
his defeat and telling him what dastsEdly
lot of men the politicians were.
"Oh don't worry about that, said Mr.
Blair. I'm not worrying bit / have
had the benefit OF a lot Of experience.
y wouldn't begin 10 part with that experience
for what il cost me. You see, ] was like
he fellow down in Missouri who raised
hogs. he had always marketed them IN
St. Louis. Somebody had told him that be
could get z good deal more money for his
hogs in Chicago. So he set cut TO drive q
lot OF hogs to Chicago. When he got there
he found the market had Just switched
around and hogs were worth more In St
Louis When he found this out he re-
Erark ed: Wei, II I haven't got any money
I've had the society OF the hogs ! wasnt
elected Governor, il is true, but have had
the society Of the finest lot Of hogs you
aver saw
Foresaw the Damage.
Several years ago MF- Blair leased one
A his Western roads. According TO tho
terms OF the lease the lessees were 10 re-
turn the road in as good condition a.
when they took il, and, in the mean time
we're 10 make all repairs az their expense
When the lease expired and Mr.. Blair in
epected the road he found that its condi-
ton was far from as good when h'
leased H. He demanded that the damages
he reusired. The lessees refused and Mr.
Blair brought suit. The State where tbs
case was tTied and through part OF whiel
the road ran was noted for its freshets
IT,