New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-04
Father of Subway System;
Was Active in Public Life
Half a Century
HE WAS SO, AND
RETIRED 2 YEARS AGO
Succeeded Mccall as Head of
New York Life-DirectOr
in Many Concerns.


Of both the New York Life Insurance
Company and the old Rapid Transit Com
mission. died yesterday at his home. at
100 Remsen St. Brooklyn. after an illness
Of only four days. lie was in his eighty
third year Two years ago he retired
from active business. and since then his
strength had been failing. Old age was
mainly tne cause OF death.
Two weeks ago il was noticed that he
had grown extremely weak, but il was not
until last Sunday that he was forced to
take to his bed. His wife died last July,
and he never fully recovered from this
blow.
Mr. Orr had the reputation Of having
served on more boards OF directors than
any other man in America. The funeral
will be held at IL O'Clock tomorrow morn
ing ut Christ Church, Clinton and IIarri-
son SITS. Brooklyn.
Mr.. Orr was torn AT Strabsne. County
Tyrone. Ulster. Ireland, March :. 1881. His
father was A member OF the Clan Mac
Greeor. whose forebcars had settled I'm
Ulster in the seventeenth century. and hts
mother Mary Moore, was a daughter OF
David Moore. a Scot OF Londonderry. lie
was at first intended for tho service OF the
East India Company and was sent 10 its
military-commcrcial college, at Adds
combc. England. But an injury to foot
crippled him for a time and caused
change OF plans.
In tho spring % 1880 his physician ad-
vised him to take a sea voyage, ana ne
came on a SLOW sailing vessel from Cardln
TO Wilmington, y. C.. lie visited Rich-
r, ond, Washington. Baltimore and Phiia-
delphia, and then was hastily recalled BE-
fcre no could get to New YORK.
The next year he came over again for
good. lie first entered the employ oil
W. r. Post, a commission and shipping
merchant: then that Of Wallace Il Nlcks'
in the same business. and finally, IN leos'
he became associated with the frm Oh
David BOWS & Co, with which he re-
NAMED, becoming a partner In 1851 Mr..
orr became a member of the Produce
Exchange in 1883 and was for many years
q director and for several years president
He was one OF the founders OF the
Benefit Assurance Society OF the ex-
change and OF the Produce Exchange
Gratu,ty system. the fund OF which now
amounts to more than 5000, 900. Because
NJ his prominence in the commerce OF
New York he was chosen by Governor
Tilden r. member OF his Canal Commis-
sion. and in 1875 did valuable work IN ex-
nosiny the frauds OF the canal ring.
Mr.. Orr was In 1894 elected president OF
the Chamber Of Commerce OF the state
aud was reelected for five successive
terms. but declined a sixth term. In mat
office he rendered great service 10 COM
merce. Perhaps the most important feat-
ure Of II was the fact that under law
passed in 1894 the president or the cnam-
Der was made a member OF the Rapid
Transit Commission. At the first meeting
NJ the latter board Mr.. Orr was chosen
IFS nresident. and thus IL was his fortune
for a number OF years to be the leader IN
the work OF providing a system or UNDER
ground railroads.
Another important work was performed
By Mr.. Orr in the reformation OF life IN
surance administration in this city. IN
December, 1905. he was chosen TO sue
coed George ". Perkins as vice-president
OF the New York Life. A few weeks later
John A. Mccall was compelled to retire
from the presidency and Mr.. Orr was
elected to succeed him. He accepted the
place with the understanding mat lie
soon would be. relieved Of the unconsenlai
task. and in June, 1907, he was SUCCEEDED
by Darwin p. Kingsley.
Mr. Orr as president OF the Chamber
OF Commerce was also one OF the trus-
tees OF the Sailors Snug Ifarbor. he was
chosen in 1857 to be one of the trustees OF
the Tilden Trust Fund. for the application
of a beouest of about 100000 TO the pur-
roecs of the New York Public Library.
In nolitics Mr.. Orr was liberal and
nrorressive independent. He supported
TiIden in 1876, when he was PRESIDENTIAL
elector on the Democratic ticket, ana III
later wears he voted for Mckinney ana
Roosevelt. Mayor Chaplin OF Brooklyn
annointed him a municipal Civil Service
commissioner in 1855. He was kept In
that service by Mayors Whitney. schieren
and Wurstcr, and elaborated the system
OF administration. which was after"ard
odonted into the charter OF the consoli-
dated or greater" -ity.
a, bitration between the city and the con-
tractors Of the Brooklyn Bridge. he was
an incorporation OF the Garden city Cathe-
dral and a trustee Of the Cathedral
schools. lie was a member or the CEN
fury. Hamilton. Atlantic 1acnt, Kidihs
and Driving and Down Town clups ana
the American Geographical Society.
Mr.. Orrs home for many years was IN
q fine old-fashioned mansion on Remsen
st. Brooklyn Heights. He was hrst mar
ried in 1856 to Miss Juliet Dows, daughter
~ AMI Dows, Of the firm OF Dows
criteau. She died in 1872. and in the fol-
lowing year he married Miss Margaret
shipman Luquer. a descendant Of CHIEF
;u-tice Edward Shipper Of Pennsylvania,
Who died IN July of last year. He leaves
three daughters.