THOMAS, JOHN, superintendent of the Cleveland
& Pittsburgh railroad, was born at Duanesburgh, Schenectady,
county, New York, in 1838; living April, 1875, at Cleveland, Ohio. His
father was Rev. W. B. Thomas, rector of the Episcopal church at that place,
and his grandfather, Dr. John Thomas, of Poughkeepsie, New York, a surgeon
of the revolutionary war, and a personal friend of General Washington.
His mother was a daughter of Henry Livingston, Esq., of Poughkeepsie, all
officer of the American army during the revolution. When be was very young
the family removed to Poughkeepsie, which was the birthplace of both his
parents. Here he was educated at the Dutchess County academy. In his fifteenth
year he acquired the art of telegraphy at the regular commercial office
of the city. Becoming an expert operator, he was appointed to a position
on the western division of the New York & Erie railway. After a year's
service he was made chief operator of one of the larger offices, and in
the course of another year was appointed chief operator of a division of
the line, with office at Jersey City; here he remained about eighteen months,
when he accepted the. position of telegraphic train despatcher on the Michigan
Central railway, with office at Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was but about eighteen
years old when this responsible position was given to him, and he retained
it seven years. In 1886 he obtained leave of absence for the purpose of
offering his services to the government during the war of the rebellion.
Serving for a short time in the army telegraph corps, he was then appointed
train despatcher of the United States military railroads, with office at
Alexandria, Virginia, those roads being then tinder the superintendence
of Mr. J. H. Devereux. In the spring of 1864, Mr. Devereux having accepted
the appointment of superintendent of the Cleveland
& Pittsburgh railroad, he took the position of superintendent
of telegraph and train despatcher on the same road, having previously made
formal resignation of his position on the Michigan Central railway. In
1868 Mr. Devereux resigned the superintendency of the Cleveland
& Pittsburgh railroad to accept 'a higher position elsewhere,
and he was appointed assistant superintendent, Mr. William Stewart having
been advanced to Mr. Devereux's vacated post. Mr. Stewart resigning in
1871, he was chosen superintendent and long held the position. On entering
the service of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh
company, in 1864, his office was at Wellsville, Ohio, at which
point he resided until 1872, when he removed to Cleveland. In 1866 he suggested
the establishment of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh
Railroad Reading Room Association, and with the co-operation
of others the plan was carried into immediate execution, under the first
presidency of Superintendent Devereux. The association, which is confined
to the employees of the company, has been in successful operation ever
since, and now has a fine library of about one thousand volumes, with well
supplied reading room, at he Wellsville depot. For some years he was president
of the association. In 1869 he proposed the erection of a church to accommodate
the small Episcopal congregation at Wellsville, which should be free to
all, and especially designed for the benefit of railroad men. Toward this
he contributed as liberally as possible, as did also all the other members
of the little congregation and church friends in the vicinity and elsewhere.
An excursion over the railroad and on the lake from >