The document was signed by two people, the
stockholder and the witness. The stockholder,
who signed his name twice on this document,
was Pemberton Brittin (1812-1894). He worked
as a clerk in several places, and never married.
Brittin is buried in the Old Newton Burial Ground,
in the town of Newton, in Sussex County, New Jersey
The witness was named Robert T. Johnson.
Unfortunately, I am unable to identify this man.
The document states that the shareholder does hereby
"...appoint Percy R. Pyne, George Bliss, and E. S. Higgins"
to be their "lawful proxies and attorneys for me and in my
name, place, and stead, to appear at a Meeting of the
Stockholders of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad Company...."
These three notable men were as follows:
"Percy R. Pyne" was probably Percy Rivington Pyne I
(1820-1895), although he might possibly have been his son
Percy Rivington Pyne II (1857-1929). The father was the
president of City National Bank, a director of the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Railroad, and a director of the New
Jersey Zinc Company. The son was a director of the same bank,
as well as manager of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad, and treasurer of the New York Zoological Society.
"George Bliss" was Colonel George Bliss (1830-1897).
Colonel Bliss was an attorney who practiced law in New
York City. In 1859 and 1860 he was private secretary of
New York Governor Edwin D. Morgan. In 1862 Bliss became
paymaster, general of the state, with the rank of colonel.
During the Civil War he was appointed captain in the 4th
New York heavy artillery. In 1862/1863 he organized the
20th, 21st and 26th regiments of African American troops.
In 1866, he became the attorney of the metropolitan board
of health. In 1873, he became the United States attorney
for the southern district of New York.
"E. S. Higgins" was Elias Smith Higgins (1815-1889).
Higgins was the president of E.S. Higgins & Co., Carpet
Manufacturers, of New York. During the Civil War, Higgins
and his brother secured a contract to supply army blankets
for the government, which led to a large expansion of his
company. Higgins became a director of both the Delaware,
Lackawanna & Western Railroad and the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railroad. He was a director and the largest stockholder
in the Consolidated Gas Company, as well as a director of
the Central National Bank.