New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-13
THOMAS DOLAN DIES
In PHILADELPHIA
Member of Old Widener-Elkins-
Whitney Metropolitan Railway
Syndicate in New York.

Philadelphia, June R-Thomas Dolan,
one Of the wealthiest men In Philadelphia
Elkins- Whitney street railway syndicate.
died to-day at his home at Torresdale,
near here. He was eighty years old and
had been In poor health for a long time.
Well known in New York as the asso-
ciate of William c. Whitney, Thomas F.
RYAN, Peter A. B. Widener and w. l..
Elkins in the heyday Of the old Metropoh-
tan Street Railway Company, Thomas
Dolan was chiefly identified with the in
dustries and "high finance" Of the Quaker
City. He was a native Of Montgomery
County, Penn, where he was born on
October II, 1894. After acquiring good
education in the local schools he went. at
the age of seventeen, to Philadelphia to
seek fortune.
He obtained employment in a large
commission house dealing in fancy WOOL
len knit goods, shawls and hosiery, and
was so much pleased with the business
that he set about learning 1t Thoroughly
In order TO make 1t his permanent occu-
ration. BY 1861 he had saved enough from
his earnings as a clerk to start little
factory Of his own, in which he prospered.
From time to time he enlarged the estao-
lishment until 1t was one OF the largest OF
the kind in Philadelphia.
In 1882 he gave up the manufacture OF
knit goods and devoted his attention ex-
%
underwear, his establishment being
known, however, still as the Keystone
Knitting Mills. For some years he con-
Quoted the business alone, but then or
ganized firm known as Thomas Doian &
Co. He also organized the Quaker CITY
Dive Works, of which he was president,
and which. under his direction, grew into
one of the foremost concerns In that in
drstry.
Having achieved success and made a
fortune In those enterprises, he turned
his attention to other business and fnan-
cial schemes. He became president or the
United Gas Improvement Company OF
Philadelphia and of the Brush Electric
Company a director OF the Philadelphia
Traction Company. Of Cramp & sons
Ship and Engine Building Company, OF
the Metropolitan Street Railway Company
Of New York, Of the Consolidated Trac-
ton Companies of New Jersey, OF the
Distilling Company Of America and OF
various other corporations. He was also
at one time president Of the Philadelphia
Association of Manufacturers Of Textile
Fabrics and Of the Textile Dyers' Asso-
citation and vice-presdent OF the National
Association of Wool Manufacturers.
II was in 1885 that the operations OF the
PHILADELPHIA spectators began In the
METROPOLITAN Traction Company IN THIS
c,tv and by 1898, as the Metropolitan
street Railway Company. they had pos
..ss,on OF pretty much every transporta-
t,on line In Manhattan and had issued
enough stock to transform the car hnes
into ferries. In 1907 came the end, with
crash. receiverships and an investigation
IN which Mr.. Dolan Jared somewhat bet
ter than some of his associates.
Perhaps Mr.. Dolan's greatest enterprise
was the United Gas Improvement Com
many of Philadelphia, which he developed
i,to one of the largest concerns or the
I'D IN the world and of which he re-
I
,a,ned president until his death. In its
management he had dispute with MT
Widener and forced him out OF the d-
,actorate, the root of the quarrel being
Mr. Dolan's allotment of shares in the
asphalt trust, which was then being
formed.
Mr. Dolan was much interested in poll
tics as an old fashioned. high tarin Re
nublican. though he never held office, save
that of Presidential elector-at-large for
Pennsylvania in 1888. He was frequently
suggested as a candidate for Mayor OF
philadelphia and for United States sena-
tor but was never willing thus to be put
forward. In 1883. at the suggestion OF
Cornelius N. Bliss he was selected as one
OF the members Of the national advisory
committee which was formed by Marcus
A. Hanna, and in the campaign Of that
wear he did much valuable work for the
success OF the Republican ticket.
He was also interested in many civic
works. as a director OF the School OF De-
sign for Women, the University Hospital