At a meeting of the Board of Directors of this company, held in Parsons, Kansas, April 8th, 1909, the following testimonial to the memory of the deceased director, Mr. B. P. McDonald, was unanimously adopted:
IN MEMORIAM
“Since the last annual meeting of this Board, death has invaded its membership and claimed its oldest member in continuous service. After a brief illness, Benjamin Perry McDonald, of Fort Scott, Kansas, departed this life on February 16th, 1909, at Dallas, Texas, where he and his wife were temporarily sojourning.
“Mr. McDonald was born at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, October 18th, 1839. He removed to the Territory of Kansas August 1st, 1857, saw the Territory pass to Statehood, and his destiny was ever afterwards identified with his adopted State.
“He was married November 21st, 1860, to Emma A. Johnson, who, with their three sons—William A., Charles B. and Benjamin Perry, Jr., all now arrived at manhood’s estate—survive him.
“He was elected mayor of Fort Scott in 1866, and at the expiration of his term re-elected. He early engaged in the mercantile and banking business, and organized the First National Bank of Fort Scott in January, 1871. He was elected a director of our Company at its annual meeting on May 15th, 1872, and continued as such every succeeding year during his life. In 1873 he was elected to the Legislature of Kansas as a representative from Bourbon County. In 1874 he built the line southeast from Fort Scott to the coal fields, a distance of twelve miles, which was afterwards purchased by the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company. In 1881 he built twenty miles of railroad on Long Island, New York, for the Long Island Railroad Company. In 1888-9 he built the Sherman, Denison & Dallas Railway, from Denison to Sherman, Texas, now a part of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway of Texas, and in 1901-2 built the Fort Scott, Iola & Western, from Iola to Moran, Kansas, now owned and operated by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company. In 1902 he organized and built the Dallas, Cleburne & Southwestern Railroad, from Cleburne to Egan, Texas, of which company he was the president at the time of his death. This railroad is now operated under a trackage contract by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company of Texas. He was a director of the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company and its predecessor companies from their earliest history until they passed to the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company. He lived in Kansas when the Union Pacific Railway Company, Southern Branch, now the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, was originally incorporated, knew the promoters of the company, and was always a great friend of the enterprise. In those early days his aid and support was of great benefit to the company. He became a director in 1872, while the road was being built through the Indian Territory. As a director he was constant in his attention to the duties of his office, faithful to the interests of the Company, and one of its most active and influential friends. During the receivership of H. C. Cross and George A. Eddy he was appointed by them as their treasurer, and served as such during their whole term, his appointment having been confirmed by the United States Circuit Court for Kansas, and his accounts confirmed by that court and found to be faultless. He was one of the strong men of the West, and ever ready to serve the interests of this Company. His acquaintance extended along the entire line; the people and the employes knew him and loved him. He was of sound judgment and absolute honesty. He had troops of friends. He had a more intimate knowledge of the Company’s history from the beginning than any other man. His long career made him seem to be almost a part of the Company’s life.
“His health was always robust, his nature cheerful, his sound sense commanding. There was nothing subservient in his nature; it was all open and manly. We were shocked and grieved at his sudden taking off, and unitedly mourn his loss.
“He was buried from his old home at Fort Scott, under Masonic ceremonies and according to the rites of the Episcopal Service, and now sleeps on the banks of the Marmaton which he loved so well.
“We express our deepest sympathy and sincerest condolence to his widow and sons, and direct that this memorial be spread upon the records of the Company and a copy transmitted to them.”
B. P. and Irene have their home in Birmingham, Alabama, where he is engaged in the brokerage business; they are blessed with two interesting children, a boy and a girl: B. P. the third, and Emma Louise. Our fifth child, Henry A., is living in Dallas; Henry was connected with the Kansas City Southern Railway for about fifteen years, and finally resigned the general agency of his road in Chicago and returned to Dallas to make this his permanent home. While in Chicago he married Ollie Elizabeth Anderson, who was born and raised in Negaunee, Michigan; their union is blessed with two sweet children, Roy Lee and Alice H. Our sixth child, Roy, died when about five years old at Waxahachie. Our seventh child is Lessis, the baby girl, who married Charles Weems Kidwell, born in Louisiana, but came to Texas with his parents when quite a child; Kidwell is now connected with the house of Sanger Brothers, Dallas, as assistant manager of the retail department, starting in at the wrapping counter about fifteen years ago; his father was a prominent physician in Louisiana and died in Dallas years ago; their union is blessed with two bright boys, Rolla, seven years old, and Graber, five years old. On the 23rd of last April we passed the 49th milestone of our married life and if spared until the next 23rd of April will celebrate our golden wedding, with five loving children and nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild in our family circle. Owing to fast declining health, about four years ago I was compelled to give up business, and take a much-needed rest, the first vacation from business cares in about fifty years; have had two serious spells of sickness, one in Dallas and another in Detroit, Michigan, where we went to spend last summer, but through the loving care of wife and children and the dispensation of a Divine Providence my life was again spared, and I am now enjoying better health than for over fifty years.