New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-17
0. D. ASHLEY DEAD.
Well Knozcn Railroad Man Fails to
RaIly-ReOrganized Wabash.

Ossian Doolittle Ashley died at his home. No
"a West ifty-fourth-st.. yesterday. after an III
ness of about seven weeks. He caught severe
cold which threatened pneumonia. This. however
was checked. but owing to his advanced age ne
was unable to recover from the weakness caused
by the attack
Mr. Ashley was born April 5. 1921, in Town
shend, VT. His great-grandfather fought at the
battle OF Bennington under General Stark, ana
his grandfather Benjamin Doolitte, served under
Washington and West Point when MAJOR
Andre was captured.
Mr. ksAley's father met with financial reverses
and he was obliged to leave college for business
career. He engaged in the ho.esale drygoods
business III 1885, and after eleven years experience
in that line became member of the Boston Stock
Exchange. where he continued active member
until 1851. serving president in 1856 and 1891 he
then moved here. and became member OF the
Stock Exchange In 1875 his attention was directed
to the reorganization of the Toledo. Wabash and
Western Railway Company. Many of his friends
were shareholders of that company. and their
interests threatened with extinction by the
foreclosure Of the gold bond mortgage of the road
The subsequent reorganization of the Wabash
equitable basis was largely due to Mr.. Ash
ey's personal efforts. In 1873 he was appointed
assistant to the president of the Wabash Railway
Company (the reorganized company and later
was elected assistant secretary of the same In
1879 the last named company was consolidated
with the ST. Louis Kansas City and Northern
st. Louis and Pacific Railway Company, and Mr..
Ashley was elected assistant secretary. Later he
was elected secretary and treasurer.
This company came to grief In 1884, and again
Mr. Ashley active In the reorganization under
which the successor company is being success
fully operated In 1887 he elected president OF
the Wabash Western Railway Company (now a
part of the present Wabash SYSTEM. and in 1889
on the refrigeration of the lines in the system
he was elected president of the Wabash Railroad
Company, which office he continued to hold until
he was elected chairman of the board OF directors
in 1901. At the time OF his death Mr. Ashley was
also a director of the New-York. Ontario and
Western Railway COMPANY and Of the Console
dated National Bank. Of this city.
Mr.. Ashley was financial editor OF The Boston
Journal" for number of years He was later .
contributor to The Tribune The New-York Even
ing Post The Boston Traveller and The Rail-
way World" of Philadelphia. series of articles
written by Mr.. Ashley for The Railway Age of
chicago. has been reprinted in book form, under
the title Of Railway Companies and Their En-
ployes For number OF years he had also writ
Financial Chronicle" of New-York, on the bust
outlook.
Mr.. Ashley captain of the Boston Tigers a
BoSton military corps which organized in
lfJ8 and In the Rebellion he interested himself in
military affairs in this city In 1862 he was elected
lieutenant colonel of the 37th Regiment N. G. N Y,
and was subsequently elected colonel
The son is dean of the New-York University Law
School.