The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-09-18
Inventor of the Refrigerator Car and
Coupon Railroad Ticket.

Inventor of the ReRrigerat OF Car and
Coupon Railroad Ticket.
While rusticating in the Vermont green
hills the writer had the pleasure of meet
ing and conversing with character who
helped to make New England history.
The parsonage in question is Mr.. j.
Wilder, who was born in Franklin county,
Massachusetts, in 1918, and is therefore
eighty seven years of age. He is tall and
straight, walks nimbly and his mind is as
clear and up to- date in all matters as a
man of fifty. When boy of thirteen he
was taken from school to learn the trade
of shoemaker as his father had become
financially embarrassed, and it was the
custom of the New England boy to go to
work and help to raise the family. He
continued at the trade for some years and
was quite successful, and soon got in the
general store business, in which he was
engaged until 1913, when he contracted
with the incorporators of the Vermont
Central Railroad Co. to assist in the con-
struction of the road, where he remained
until 1915, when he went to Ogdensburgh,
N. Y, to build railroad there. He soon
returned to the Vermont Central and
helped to finish and operate it. In 1850
he engineered long (6 miles, railroad
bridge at the foot of Lake Champlain, and
about that time organized transportation
company on the lakes, of dozen steamers
aud some sailing vessels, all as feeders to
the railroads in which he was interested.
In 1851 he made the first refrigerator car
and put in general use the principles that
are used in the modern car of to-day. In
1858 he introduced the coupon railroad
ticket. Previous to this time the length
of a railroad was the extent of ticket.
The passenger was required to buy an
other ticket if he wished to proceed on his
Journey. He first succeeded in getting
coupon or through ticket from Boston to
Chicago and little later to st. Paul.
The Boston and Albany railroad were
among the first to adopt Mr.. Wilder's
coupon ticket, and very soon after Its
adoption was general and the travelling
public have enjoyed the great convenience
of coupon tickets without being able to
thank the unknown inventor and intro
Queer.
During the several years that followed
this illustrious benefactor did not enjoy
very robust health, but continued his ser
vices in the interest of New England rail
roads, making long trips in the west and
south, establishing passenger and traffic
connections that proved to be of great
value to New England
His fame for managing the details of
railroad construction had spread, and in
1888, at the ripe age of 70, he was called
upon to direct the construction of a rail
road from Richmond to Danville, Vir-
ginia, finishing it in 1894. In 1886 he
built another railroad from Bristol, Tenn,
to the Ohio. He then returned to his old
home at Woodstock, Vermont, the home
of the Billings, the Williams, and other
noted railroad and business men. At the
more than ripe age of 81 he now has
charge of the accounts and records of the
very fine herd of Jersey cattle at Cloud
land Farm. owned by Captain Elton A.
Smith, who is also President of the Fl. B.
Smith Machine Company, of Smithville,
| N. ]. This beautiful dairy farm is
located on the old Kings Highway, about
Al miles from this very pleasant and quaint
colonial town.
Woodstock, Vermont, September, 1900.
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