The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-05-08
PATTERSON, DAYTON
MANUFACTURER, DIES
SUDDENLY ON TRAIN

ATLANTIC CITY, Nj, May s.
John H. Patterson, founder and chair
man of the board of directors of the
National Cash Register company. Day
ton, o., died suddenly Sunday aboard
train bound for this city
Mr.. Patterson was stricken with
heart attack He was seated in a
chair chatting with HIS valet, his only
companion, when as the train passed
through Kirkwood, Camden county, he
suddenly fell unconscious
DR.. T. F. Trudeau of Saranac Lake.
n. Y, who was in the next parlor car.
was summoned and tried to revive the
stricken man, but all restoratives fail
ed. He had been a sufferer from
chronic cardiac condition.
The body was brought to this city.
and the authorities after an investiga-
tion, ordered it sent to an undertaking
parlor. William Roberts, the valet
wired the family and is awaiting in
structions.
Mr.. Patterson had reservations at a
beach front hotel, where he was to have
remained for two weeks for the benefit
| of his health Arrangements probably
will be made to take the body to Day
| ton Monday.
John Henry Patterson, who started
| life as farmland near Dayton, and
| established the biggest business Of its
kind in the world on the land that he
I had plowed as boy, retired as presi-
dent of the National Cash Register
company on July 16, 1921. Upon re-
! tirement he was elected chairman of
/ the board of directors, an honorary
| position. At the time of retiring, he
was II years old, having been born on
farm December 13, 1874
He did farm work, canal toll collect
ing, retailing of coal, mine operating.
and finally went west" to seek for
! tune as a ranch and orchard owner
before he hit upon the central idea of
| his career-manufacturing and selling
cash registers.
Mr.. Patterson's mother, in telling OF
her sons life on the farm, said: "He
used to be called at four o'clock in the
ispring, summer and fall. He had to
! make his grandfather's fire, carry up
enough wood to last all day, split kind
| ling and get it ready for the night
! After breakfast he would turn the
calves out, put up his dinner and go
1 1
sary to drive up the calves, feed and
bed them, carry up wood to fill the
boxes and after supper to study
lessons"
Set Up Factory
After his venture as ranchman in
| Colorado he returned to Dayton, where
he set up a factory for making cash
| registers, employing at first 13 men
4
| transform a slum factory district into
sanitary and better working condi-
tions.
In 1901 France made him Chevalier
of the Legion of Honor in token of his
interest in employees and in 1919, Mi
ami university, at Oxford, Ohio. gave
the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws
for welfare work and advanced bust
ness methods.
In the Dayton flood of 1913. Mr. Pat
j terson STAYED off the threatened de-
struction of his business and helped
the city to recover from the disaster
His civic work resulted in placing
the city under commission manager
government and his appointment as
chairman of commission by the gov
ernor of Ohio. Through Mr.. Patter-
sons personal supervision, $4,000, 600
was raised to prevent future floods in
Dayton.
Mr.. Patterson was the son of Col
onel jefferson Patterson, and the
grandson of Colonel Robertson Patter-
son, founder of Lexington, Ky. His
mother, Julia Robert Patterson, was
| the daughter of Colonel John Johnson
famous Ohio Indiana agent of the Unit
ed States government. His wife was
formerly Katherine Beck, of Brookline.
Mass.