Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-05-08
|. PATTERSON /.
DIED OF HEART !.
1R0uBLESUNDAY'l
Passed Away Aboard Train;
Body to Be Returned to
aIss DaytonFor Interrnent.

FL S3tSEf. NSi. va. Qtsa4Na.F arte 4EER-. 49, -. ..t.N4ll
A11annc cry. n. J. May s.--Ar-
engagements were made today to take
the body of John H. Patterson, found
Ell and chairman of the board of ,di-
rectors OF the National Cash Register
company, to his home at Dayton.
Ohio, for interment Mr.. Patterson's
valet was the only companion when
hoart disease Sunday while on a train
bound for this city in search for
health. -
John Henry Patterson, who started
life as a farmland near Dayton, Ohio.
n established the biggest business
OF its kind in the world on the land
that he had plowed as a boy, retired
as president of the National Cash
Register company on July 16, 1921.
UpOn retirement he was elected chair
man of.the board of directors, an hon
orary position. At the time OF retir-
ing, he was II years old, having been
born on farm December Is. 1874.
He did farm work, canal toll col
lecting. retailing of coal, mine operat-
ing, and finally went west" to seek
fortune as a ranch and orchard own
or before he hit upon the central idea
~ hAS SdLSeI anu
selling cash registers.
Mr.. Patterson's mother, in telling of
her sons life on the farm. said: He
used to- be called at 4 o'clock in the
spring. summer and fall. He had to
make his ~grandfather's fire, carry up
enough wood to last all day, split
kindling and get it ready for tho
night. After breakfast he would turn
the calves out, put up his dinner and
go to school,. I'm the evening it wns
necessary to drive up the calves, feed
and bed them, carry up wood to fill
b boxes and after supper to study
lessons"
Mr.. Patterson studied two years at
Miami university at oxford, Ohio, and
efterward at Dartmouth.
Back to Dayton.
After his venture as a ranchman in
Colorado he returned to Dayton,
where he, set up a factory for making
cash registers, employing at first 10
men. After achieving success ne aid
edEto transform a slum factory dis
tret n sanitary and better work
ing conditions.
liert OF the Legion of Honor in token
of.s$his interest in employees and in
1919. Miami university, at Oxford,
Ohio. gave the honorary degree of
Doctor of Laws for welfare work and
advanced business methods.
In the Dayton flood of 1913, Mr..
Patterson STAYED off the threatened
destruction of his business and helped
the city to Gov from the disaster.
His civic work resulted in placing
the city under commission manager
chairman of a commission by the
governor of Ohio. Through Mr.. Pat
terson's personal supervision 81, 000.-
Q was raised to prevent future
floods in Dayton.
Wanted Justice.
An Indictment was returned agains,
him in 1912 for alleged violation ii
the Sherman antitrust law. followed
by conviction and sentence to one veal
in Jail and fines. The case was ap.
pealed, the judgment reversed and
compromise decree was entered
While the case was in progress prom.
inent persons wired President Wilson
and k him to pardon Mr.. Patter.
son and his associates from the sen.
tence imposed but when Mr.: Patter,
o learned of this he sen Presiden'
Wilson a telegram saying he woult
not accept a pardon n that all hi
wanted was simple Justice"
In the world war he placed his fac.
tory at the disposal of the govern
ment but refused to accept contract!
on a cost plus basis. He said it wa.
not right to work on a basis where tn,
nor he spent the more he made, be
cause the taxpayers of the nation hat
to bear the burden.
He termed business a battle of wit
and the man who thought the tastes
almost always was declared the win
ner.
Mr.. Patterson was the son of Col
onel Jefferson Patterson and tn,
grandson of Colonel Robertson Pat
terson. founder of Lexington, Ky. H
mother, Julia Robert Patterson, wa
the daughter of Colonel John John
son. famous Ohio Indian agent of tn
United States government. His wifi
was formerly Katherine Beck q
Brookline, Mass.