Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-07-13
Philip w. Schneider.

Philip w. Schneider.
Philip w. Schneider, president
of the Schneider Granite Com
pany, that has so long operated
quarries at Graniteville, this coun-
ty, died last Friday on a train
while en- route to his home in St.
Louis from a trip to Indiana. The
following, telling of Mr.. Schneid-
er's death and career, is taken
from Saturdays st. Louis Republic:
"Philip w. Schneider, aged n, a
wealthy granite contractor of st.
Louis, who was wagonmaster in
the army of Gen. Phil Sheridan,
and who built the first railroad on
the Panama Isthmus,. died sud-
denly yesterday afternoon on B.
& 0. train just out of O'Fallon, Ill.
He was returning home from
French Lick Springs, where he
had gone June 2Sth in apparent.
good health for a ten days vaca-
ton. Mr.. Schneider's death, pre-
sumably, was due to natural
causes, as no marks of violence
were found upon the body when it
reached st. Louis last night at 5:27.
His death occurred shortly before
8 o'clock in the afternoon as the
B. & 0. train in which he was
travelling was approaching ORAL
Ion, Ill. Mr.. Schneider was in the
Pullman car in charge of Pullman
Conductor Henry Belden, when he
was seen by several fellow pas
sengers to topple over as he walked
to the smoking compartment in
the rear OF the coach. Several
hastened to his side, but he was
dead. DR.. G. Fl. Mcmahon of
Carlyle, ILL.,, was in the parlor car
and was summoned, but he pro-
nounced him dead. AS Mr..
Schneider was unaccompanied,
his body and his personal effects
were taken charge of by Con-
ductor Edward Meloney of No. 300
North Eighteenth street, who,
upon the arrival of the train at
Union Station, turned them over
to Patrolmen McClelland and
Weaver of the station squad, who
summoned an ambulance and sent
the body to the morgue. The body
was identified at the morgue by
Mr.. Schneider's son, after which it
was sent to the family residence,
No. 1882 South Eighth street. Mr..
Schneider was very wealthy and
one of the largest owners of granite
ouarries in the country. He was a
native of Bavaria, coming to the
United States when he was only
Is years old, and had built up his
great fortune principally in ST.
Louis, Upon his arrival in this
country he worked for a time on
railroad contract work in the East.
His first big contract undertaking
was on the B. & o. road, on which,
by a singular coincident, his death
occurred. After finishing this con-
tract he took 800 men to the 18TH
mus of Panama and constructed
the railroad from Aspinwall to
Chagres. He withstood the ter
rible rigors and pestilences of that
climate, although he was stricken
there with the yellow fever, and
was one of the twenty men who
survived and returned from the
Isthmus. After recuperating dur
ing a couple of years spent in the
Rocky Mountains, he came to St
Louis and engaged in the general
contracting business. He enlisted
in the Union army at the outbreak
OF the Civil War, and served
throughout the war. He was
wagonmaster in Phil Sheridan's
army, and bore a remarkable re-
semblance to the famous cavalry
leader, on several occasions being
mistaken for him. To Mr..
Schneider is due the development
Of the great red granite quarries o1
Iron county, Missouri, he having
formed a partnership with Grats
Brown to open up the quarries il
that section. Later this partner.
ship was dissolved and he became
sole owner of the granite proper.
ties there, which are estimated tc
be worth more than 81 100000 a.
the present time. He was presi'
dent OF the Schneider Granite
Company. He was the fret to in
ltroduce red granite as favoritt
building material and has fur
nished the granite for many
famous structures, among then
being the st. Louis Custom house
the Springfield, ILL.,, Statehouse
the Federal building at Littl,
Rock, Ark, the Memphis court
house and the st. Louis City Hall
He also furnished all the stone TO
1.-THE Four Courts and the grant
used in the Eads and Merchants
bridges. In 1858 he married Mis-
Sophia Hilz, who survives him
Their surviving children are Mrs