The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-12
 UNDER GARFIELD IS
 DEAD IN NEW YORK

New York, Sept. 12-Gen. Thomas Lernuel James died yesterday, at his home 784 Park avenue, this city. Gen. James was born in Utica, N. Y., March 29, 1881. After studying in the com mon schools and the Utica Academy, learned the printers trade in the of- flee of the Utica Liberty Press; and, in 1851, bought the Madison County Journal Whig. newspaper published at Hamilton, N. Y. In 1856 his paper was united with the Democratic Re- Hector, under the name of the Demo- cratic Republican.
 He continued in journalism TOT yen years meanwhile also serving as Col 'lector of Canal Tolls, at Hamilton, in 1S54-55. In 1867 he was appointed an Inspector of Customs in New York city; and in 1870 he was appointed Deputy Collector, and placed in charge of the Warehouse Division anc the Bonded Warehouses of the Port. He was appointed by Gen. Arthur, who had become Collector, 8 member of the Civil Service Board of the Col lector's and Surveyors offices, and was made it's chairman.
 On the 17th of March, 1873 MT. James was appointed PostmasteS at New York by President Grant, and he was reappointed four years later by President Hayes. Under him deliver ies were multiplied fast mails were re- commended and obtained, foreign mails were expedited, and the secur- ity of the mails was increased by care full devices.
 Made POstmaster-G General
 When David M. Key resigned the Postma ster- -Generalship in 1880, Pres ident Hayes asked MT. James to take the vacant place in the Cabinet, but he declined. In the same year the Republicans of this city nominated him for Mayor, but he declined the nomination. When James A. Garfield was inaugurated in 1881, he made MT. James ostmaster-General, and he was at his desk prepared to go to work two days later. The assassina- tion of the President, however. caused a complete change in the Cabinet, and MT. James retired on January 4, 1882. | Although he had served but ten months. This Administration was distin- guished by important and lasting re- forms When he took charge of the Department he found an annual defi- cit of $2,000, 900, and his policy of re- | trenchment and reform was begun i'm mediately. The reductions which he made in the "Star Route'' service amounted $1 .713,541, and those in the steamboat service to $30O,000, thus effecting an aggregate annual saving of more than the deficit of $2,000, 900 In cooperation with the Department of Justice MT. James instituted a thor ough investigation into the abuses and
 frauds in his department, the result of which was the famous "StaI Route trials.
 In his annual report to Congres. in the winter of 1881. MT. James an lnounced that, with these reforms and with retrenchments in other direc- tions which he indicated, reduction of letter postage from three to two cents would be possible. and it fol lowed soon afterward. While he wa.
 Postmaster-G General, MT. James ne gotiated a money-order treaty conven, ltion with the Australian colonies, ana with the island of Jamaica.
 When MT. James retired from the
 Cabinet he became president of the
 Lincoln National Bank. and of the
 Lincoln Safe Deposit Company. Ht
 was also a trustee of the Metropoli
 tan Life Insurance company, and o1
 the City Savings Bank. He was a di
 rector in several small railroads a.
 well. At the time of his death ht
 was chairman of the Board of Direc l tors of the Lincoln National Bank.
 In 1863 Hamilton College gave hin
 the honorary degree of A. M. and 1T
 1883 that of IL. D., was conferred
 upon him by Madison University, St
 Johns College giving him the same
 degree a year later, and St. Franci!
 Xavier the same ne in 1886.