The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-23
SLOAN DEAD.
.4
a.
PIONEER RAILROAD MAN
WAS NEARLY go. :
Was President Of the Lackawanna Rail-
road for 80 Years-Refused
vanderbilt's Offer.

NEW YORK. Sept, 2s.-samuel Sloan.
chairman of the board of directors of
the Lackawanna Railroad, and for
many years the presidenteof the road,
died at 2 o'clock yesterday morning, III,
his country home, at Garrison o the
Hudson. Mr.. Sloan, who was within
two months of being 80 years old, had
been failing steadily for a year, all
though in June, when he made his last
trip to New York, he presided at the
board meeting of the Lackawanna d.
r%ectors. Death was due TO old age.
On Thursday he began to fail rapidly.
His wife and his surviving children.
with one exception, Benson B. Sloan.
who Is in Scotland. were at his bedside
when he died. They are Mrs. e. S.
A~uchinclose. Mrs. Joseph walker, jr.,
Mrs. r. c. Colt, Peter F. Sloan and Sam
uel Sloan, Jr. Mr.. and Mrs. Sloan had
been married sixty-three years. The
funeral will be held on Wednesday at
Garrison.
Samuel Sloan, whose life in New York
began in the period of growth that
came with the war of 1912, attained
distinction as a leader in the develop
ment of the town and in the general
railroad development of the country.
He became conspicuous in the group Of
SiNhh idiAiOdu executives anu nldIlClcIS
of the last fifty years. He went to
work to earn a living before he was
16. He was successfully office boy
clerk, merchant, legislator, financier.
and railroad ruler. s
He was born in the village of Lisburn. 3
County Down, Ireland. on Christmas Day,
1917. William Sloan, his father, died sud
denly when his son was Is years old, and
it became necessary for Sam to give up
his dream of a college education and to
go into business to make his own way and
to some extent to support his family. His
first job was as a clerk for Mcbride & Co..
In Cedar street, a well-known importing
house. He was connected with the house
for twenty-five years, and when he retired
he retired from the top.
In 1913 he married Miss Margaret Elmen-
dorf, of Somerville, N. j. Mr.. and Mrs.
Sloan celebrated their golden wedding an
niyersary thirteen years ago. In 1858 Mr..
Sloan was appointed one of the commits
sioners who had been requested to frame
a charter for the consolidation of Brook
lyn, Williamsburgh and the surrounding
towns, and he also became n supervisor of
Kings County. In 1859 he was a candidate
for the Democratic nomination for Con-
gress from his district and was beaten in
the convention by two votes. In 1857 ne
was elected TO the State Senate.
When he left the Legislature, after one
term, he turned his attention to the rail-
road business, In 1866 he became a d.
rector in the Hudson River Railroad. the.
presidency of which he accepted soon after.
He held the place until 1864, retiring when
Commodore Vanderbilt obtained control
Of the company, the shares OF which under
Mr.. Sloan's management had risen In
value from s7 to $40 a share.
Commodore Vanderbilt offered to make
Mr.. Sloan the president Of the Harlem
Railroad Company at that time, but Mr..
Sloan declined the offer. During the few
months that elapsed before he became a
director Of the Delaware. Lackawanna and
Western he acted as arbitrator and com I.
missioner Of the runk lines. In 1867 Mr..
Sloan became president of the Lackawanna /,
and continued as its executive until March
:. 1899.
In the equipment Of the road, when he
took charge Of it, were 113 locomotives and
920 cars. Mr.. Sloan's successor as president
of the L-ackawanna. when he retired in
1899, was William Fl. Truesdale. During
Mr.. Sloan's presidency the road paid $685.
100000 in dividends, and accumulated a
Surplus Of $13.000. 600.