Obit of Judge John A. Chandler, St. Paul Dispatch, Tuesday April 1, 1902 Ramsey Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Kathryn Kelly ========================================================================= BUSY LIFE CLOSED THE DEATH OF JUDGE CHANDLER, OF THE MILWAUKEE RAILWAY AGED RAILROAD EMPLOYEE HAD BEEN CONNECTED WITH THE RAILWAYS FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY Judge John A. Chandler, who for many years has been a familiar figure in railroad circles and who has had the respect of his fellowmen from the day he settled in St. Paul, died last night at his home, 229 East Tenth street. Death resulted from a sudden paralysis of the heart, resulting from a continued siege of rheumatism. His end was sudden. A sudden attack of faintness, followed by several moments of severe pain, and the end came, almost before those who hovered about him could realize that the hand of death was drawing near. Death occured about 9:30 o’clock. About the middle of January Mr. Chandler was attacked by rheumatism, from which he had been a periodical, though not a severe, sufferer. The last attack, however, was more persistent than any of the others. He was congfined in his house continually from the time he was siezed until his death, with the single exception of going out of doors once on Jan. 24. He was siezed with his attack on his seventy-first birthday, Jan 17. Judge Chandler was a man of spendid attainments, of exemplary character, and of commanding presence. He did not covet great honors, but found his chiefest joy in winning and holding the respect of his fellowmen. G___ and determination, which characterized his every act when young, remained with him until the end, which is shown in the fact that he continued in office as general agent for the Milwaukee company until his death. Judge Chandler’s public and private service have been remarkable, and in some respects unique. Had he lived one year longer, he would have completed a full half century with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad company, a record which only a few men in the United States can equal. Fifty years is four-fifths of the history of American railroads. When he first entered service, the science of transportation was in its infancy. Judge Chandler was very fond of relating the methods under which railroads were conducted in those days. He would tell how freight trains were handled when the maximum load was five and six tons, and when switching was done by means of mule teams. He was fond of relating how wool used to be hauled from interior Illinois into Chicago on ____ flat cars, and how train men were often compelled to put out fires in the wool, which had been lighted by sparks coming from the wood-burning locomotives. Judge Chandler did not live in the past. Despite his age and his long experience, dating from the middle of the century just closed, he lived in the present, and was a part of it so far as his strength would allow. He commenced his service with the Milwaukee company in a humble capacity, as a clerk for the old Milwaukee & Mississippi company, which was afterward made part of the Milwaukee system. As the road was pushed northward toward St. Paul, Judge Chandler advanced with it. At last the road entered St. Paul, and Judge Chandler was made general agent here, a position which he has held ever since. In the earlier days, when communication by wire and rail was less frequent and reliable a general agent enjoyed wider powers, and often, too, the initiative in more important matters than are now entrusted to officials of that rank. Judge Chandler never disappointed his company, and his judgement was looked upon as final. For may years the deceased lived at Sparta, Wis., where he took and active part in municipal and state politics. He held several offices in the gift of the city and county and served in both branches of the legislature. His career was always marked by his acts of diplomacy. He never descended to the petty things of life, either in his public life or his career as a railroad official. Diplomacy to him did not mean a polite and subtle way of doing evil. He attacked things directly and still used diplomacy. He was called into service frequently to handle intricate matters when others had failed. He had the confidence of everyone. Judge Chandler was a man of splendid address, and in his younger days was a wit and a capital speaker. His head was surmounted by thick white hair. His eyes were deep set and bright. He wore a goatee and a moustache, which gave him a bearing of dignity. The deceased was born in Randolph, Vt., Jan 17, 1831, and was married forty-eight years ago in Baraboo, Wis. His widow survives him. The children who survive him are: Mrs. M. C. Elliott, of New York, Mrs. P. N. Boeringer, of San Francisco, who is in St. Paul; Mrs. Mortimer Forest, of St. Paul; Mrs. George Jackson, of Minneapolis; J. A. Chandler, Jr., Minneapolis, and Paul D. Chandler, of St. Paul.