The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-04-07
Head of Great Kenosha Auto
mobile Industry Died Sud-
denly at Pompeii, Italy
DEATH ENDS NOTABLE CAREER
Genosha TIan Who Had Been Leader
in the Industrial World for Many
Years Dies While Making Pleasure
"Trip Abroad

Thomas B. Jeffrey, head of the 1hom-
as B. Jeffery Company, manufacturers
Of the Rambler automobile, one of Ke-
nosha IS great industrial chiefs and one
of the most prominent figures in the
automobile business in America, died
at the Grand Hotel at Pompeii, Italy,
at midnight NAPLES time) Saturday
night No details of his death have
as yet been received at his home in
Kenosha, but the end must have come
suddenly as letters received only few
days ago stated that Mr.. Jeffrey was
n the best Of health. At the time
Of his death Mrs. Jeffrey was with
him. They had reached Pompeii only
a few days ago after European tour.
Mr.. and Mrs. Jeffrey had left on Janu-
airy 2lst with view of making a four
months trip through the Orient AS
soon as the cable announcing the death
of the manufactures was received in
Kenosha cables were sent to friends of
the Jeffrey family in Naples and they
hurried to the aid of Mrs. Jeffrey.
The United States consul at Naples was
also cabled to aid in making arrange
monts for the removal of the. body to
this country. No arrangements have
been made for the funeral, but the re-
mains will be brought back to this
country as soon as possible.
The death Of Thomas B. Jeffery
marks the passing Of man who had
much to do with the upbuilding of the
bicycle and automobile industries and
he had been actively connected with
the business interests of Chicago and
Kenosha for more than thirty years.
MIR. Jeffrey was native of England.
He was born at Stoke, Devonshire,
February 5, 1915.
When he was eighteen years of age
de left England and came to Chicago
and for some time engaged in the man
ufacture of astronomical instruments
and other instruments of precision.
Following this his time was TAX
en- up with the manufacture of
patent Office models and later he
was engaged in the manufacture of
railway velocipedes.
lie was one of the first men in the
country to see the great value of the
bicycle and was the second Oldest man
ufacturer Of bicycles. For twenty
eight years he was engaged in the man
ufacture of the Rambler bicycle. In
1873 he joined with the late r. Phillip
Gormully, under the firm name of Cor
mully and Jeffrey and this concern
continued to make bicycles in Chicago
until 1899 when the great plant of
the company was sold to the American
Bicycle Company. Before the plant
had been sold Mr.. Jeffrey had already
turned his inventive genius to work
on the automobile and he began his
experiments in 1898 and Immediately
after the sale of the bicycle plant he
began to make automobiles on a large
scale. His inventive genius had
brought into being the clincher tire on
which all pneumatic tires were. model
ed and it was largely through his own
labors that the first Rambler automo-
bile was completed. Mr.. Jeffrey was
an expert as mechanic and many OF
the improvements made on automobiles
since the industry became firmly estab-
lished were the products of his inven-
tive mind. He came to Kenosha ten
years ago and purchased the old Sterl-
ing bicycle plant. 1t was one of the
large manufacturing plants of the city,
but the plant which is now utilized by
the company has grown to many times
the original plant and under the direc-
tion of Mr.. Jelfery the Rambler plant
has been made the greatest automobile
making plant of its kind in the world.
Mr.. Jeffrey followed every line of
the automobile business. He realized
that the automobile was great com
mercial possibility and that in order
to found the business on solid basis
it was necessary to build roads. He
gave aid to all such movements. He
was ever a leader in the trade and was
a familiar figure of the great New
York and Chicago shows.
Mr.. Jeffrey in his private life was
one of the most delightful of men
Prominently a self made man, he had
read largely, his library was one OF
the best in Kenosha and he had travel
ed widely in the past few years. He
amassed large fortune in the bicycle
and automobile business and from this
he gave largely to public and private
movements for the Improvement of his
home city. One of his most recent
gifts was one of $4,000 for the build
ing of new public hospital in Keno
sha Among his employees Mr.. JEFF
ferry was greatly beloved and he took
an Intense personal interest in their
vyalft wn NTs.~- a.,