The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-09-22
SHONTS
RAILROAD MAN
DIED YESTERDAY
.
Trains of |. r. T. Will Stop One
Minute, Tuesday
IT WILL OCCUR AT 4 P. M.
Deceased Had Been III Three Months
Was Member Of Panama
Canal Commission

New York. Sept, 21.-Theodore P.
Shonts, president q the interborough
Rapid Transit company and one OF
Ithe most widely known electric rail
way officials in the country, dled carry
this morning.
Mr.. Shonts had been i'll with lung
congestion exactly three months
when he passed away He had under
gone three serious operations, from
the last of which he did not rally.
Every subway and elevated train OF
the marlborough Rapid Transit com
pany will come to a stop for one min
ute at A O'Clock Tuesday afternoon
when funeral services take place here.
Rev. DR.. Howard Duftield, pastor ana
cd friend of Mr., Shonts, will oihciate
at the services in Brick Presbyterian
church Burial will be in Woodlawn
cemetery. beside MIR Shonts' mother
Tgrave. His fathers body, which was
buried in the west, will be brought on
! for reburial beside his son.
Theodore 7. Shonts began his Dusl
ness career as an accountant, in an
Iowa bank, built several railroads in
the middle west, became chairman Oh
the Isthmian' Canal commission, whicp
had charge of the building OF the Pan
anna canal. and later president OF the
Interborough Rapid Transit company,
which operates important subway ana
surface traction lines in New York
city,
Born in Crawford county, Pa, May
). 1856 he was taken to Iowa to live
when his parents removed there IN
his boyhood. Having been graduated
from Monmouth college in 1876, he be-
came an accountant. The natlonai
banks of Iowa employed him to sim
pljfy and standardize their bookkeep'
ing methods Afterward he studied
law and for a short time practiced
it at Ceuterville, Iowa.
In 1882 Mr. Shonts married Harriet
Amelia Drake, daughter of John Fran
els Drake, financier, railroad builder
and formerly governor of Iowa. Gen
eral Drake had at this time engaged
in important railroad building enter
prises.
Mr.. Shonts became manager and SUI
perintendent OF some of these under
takings and therein laid the foundat-
len for a subsequent career as rail
road builder. He became popularity
known as man who could transform
"streaks of rust into real railroads
He built the Iowa Central railroad, the
Missouria. Iowa and Nebraska rail
road, built and was controlling owner
OF the Indiana, Illinois and Iowa rail
road and, with associates, controlled
the Toledo. St Louis and Western
railroad (Clover Leaf, which he or
ganized and Of which he became
president.
1t is said that in his early career
as a railroad builder he worked side
by side with laborers when occasion
demanded, and although OF a jovai
disposition. was vigorous disheart-
ener OF any subordinate who dared to
become unruly.
While Mr.. Shonts was president OF
the Toledo St Louis and Western in
1905, President Roosevelt appointed
him as chairman Of the Isthmian Can
al commission and he held that posit-
ion for about two years during the
period when plans for the construct
ion of the canal were in process of
formulation. AS chairman of the com
mission, he was president of the Pan
anna Railroad company and the Pana-
ma Railroad Steamship line,
He organized the executive, engin-
eering and operating departments of
the Panama Canal commission but re-
signed office in January 1907, to accept
the presidency Cf the InterbOrough
company at a salary said to be $780,
OOO year.
Mr.. Shonts was at one time presi
dent of the Chicago and Alton, Toledo'I
St Louis and Western, Detroit and
Toledo Shore Line Minneapolis and
st. Louis and Iowa Central Railway
companies In later years, however,
his connection with railroads other
than the Interborough, was limited to
directorships.
AS head of the Interborough subway
system, Mr. Shonts was instrumental
in promoting a great development of
that system during the period when
New York subway lines were being
greatly extended
Mr. and Mrs. Shonts had two daugh- |
ters, one of them, Miss Theodora
Shonts was married in 1908 to the
Due de Chaulnes of France, who died
within a few months after their mar
riage.
SATTERLEE WITH RED SoX