My Genealogy Hound

James Johnston, passenger engineer between Monett and Fort Smith, is a native of Ireland, born in County Monaghan, September 17, 1848, and is the son of Thomas and Catherine (Conaghan) Johnston. The father was superintendent of linen mills in the preparation of flax. His son, James Johnston, received a good education, and at the age of fifteen became an apprentice to the machinist’s trade, serving for two years under the mastership of an elder brother, Edward, who was a master mechanic in a spinning factory at Laragh Mills, County Monaghan. At the end of two years James went to Liverpool, England, and engaged with the Steam Navigation Company in a desirable position. He, however, subsequently returned to his home and learned the engineering business in stationary engine work at Laragh Mills. In his eighteenth year he set sail for America, and landed in Toronto, Canada. He soon after came to New York State, and after a year he accepted work as machinist at Cameron’s extensive pump works, and there remained one year. He was then engaged in the steam and gas-fitting business for some time, and put in large contracts in the Inebriate Asylum, Blackwell’s Island. He then went from there to New Haven, Conn., and ran a hoisting engine for some time. He next went on a steamship and remained there for one year, after which he ran an engine in a distillery, Twenty-fourth Street, New York. Upon the proprietor coming to Michigan, Mr. Johnston came with him, and made a stay of about two and a half years on railroad engineer work. In 1872 he came to St. Louis and accepted work on the Iron Mountain Railroad as traveling engineer. He here spent a year, and then returned to Ireland, where he married Miss A. Coyle, daughter of Michael Coyle, a merchant of Castle Bleyney. After marriage Mr. Johnston returned to America, and accepted work with the railroad with which he since has been prominently connected.