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Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway Co. Issued to and Signed by Lord Inverclyde - Stock Certificate

Inv# AG2333   Stock
Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway Co. Issued to and Signed by Lord Inverclyde - Stock Certificate
Country: Mexico
State(s): Kansas
Years: 1904

Stock Issued to and signed on back by Lord Inverclyde.

James Cleland Burns, 3rd Baron Inverclyde, (14 February 1864 – 16 August 1919) was the second son of John Burns, the first Lord Inverclyde, and grandson of Sir George Burns, 1st Baronet, the founder of the Cunard Line. James Burns succeeded to the title of Baron Inverclyde on the death of his elder brother, George Burns, in 1905.

James, Lord Inverclyde, was descended from a long line of prominent Glaswegians. One great-grandfather, Dr. Burns, was minister of the Barony Parish for sixty-nine years, from 1770, while another, Dr. Cleland, was a magistrate of the city, and in 1807 laid the foundation stone of St. George's Church. His grand-uncle, James, and his grandfather, Sir George Burns, Bart., were founders not only of the service of Irish steamers and of the West Highland service, but of the Cunard Line. His father, Sir John Burns, Bart., had the public services of his house recognised with a peerage in 1897 and became the first Lord Inverclyde.

James Burns was born at Glasgow in 1864, and educated at Repton. He was the principal Director of the shipping business of Messrs. G. & J. Burns, Limited, and took a strong interest in everything connected with shipping. He was President of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom in 1899. In 1900 he became Chairman of the Glasgow Shipowners' Association, and was an Honorary Member of the Advisory Committee on New Lighthouse Works to the Board of Trade. He was a Director of the Cunard Steamship Co., Ltd., and of the Clydesdale Bank Ltd. He was a member of the Glasgow Committee of Lloyd's Register, a representative of Glasgow on the London General Committee of Lloyds' Register, and a Director of the Clyde Steamship Owners' Association. He was an Associate of the Institute of Naval Architects and of the Scottish Institute of Engineers and Shipbuilders. He was also involved in the religious and philanthropic life of the city. He became Prime Warden Shipwright of The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights in 1919, dying in office.

In the realm of sport he was an enthusiastic yachtsman. He was Commodore of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club, Vice-Commodore of the Royal Northern Yacht Club and the Royal Highland Yacht Club, and also a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. He was President of the Scottish Hockey Association, and took a leading part in bringing the game into vogue in Scotland. He also distinguished himself as a cricketer and lawn tennis player, and, as President of the Lorne Curling Club, taking a rink to Carsbreck bonspiel every winter.

He owned the estate of Wemyss Bay, and had as his residence there Castle Wemyss. In addition to the ground belonging to his own house of Hartfield at Cove, he leased the shooting on Rosneath moor above from the Duke of Argyll. Lord Inverclyde was Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire, and a Justice of the Peace for the counties of Lanark, Renfrew, and the County of the City of Glasgow. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Clyde Royal Garrison Artillery of the Territorial Force on 27 March 1909.

He married on 2 April 1891, Charlotte Mary Emily, youngest daughter of Mr. Nugent-Dunbar of Machermore Castle, Newton Stewart, and had two daughters, Emily and Muriel, and a son, John Alan Burns, who succeeded him.

The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor of the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolobampo, Sinaloa.

The United States portion was incorporated in 1900 as the Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway. It was completed between Wichita, Kansas, and Alpine, Texas. Grading took place between El Dorado and Bazaar, Kansas. Primary shops were first located in Fairview, Oklahoma. In 1910, the Fairview shops were destroyed by fire and the shops were then re-established in Wichita. The railroad was forced into bankruptcy in 1912, but its receiver, William T. Kemper, was to make a fortune when oil was discovered under its tracks. In 1914, it was reorganized as the KCM&O Railroad. Another reorganization in 1925 returned it to its original name. It was popularly called The Orient railroad.

At the end of 1925, KCM&O and KCM&O of Texas (the portions of interstate railroads in Texas were required to be under unique charters) together operated 859 miles of track over 738 miles of right of way; they reported a total of 330 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 8 million passenger-miles. The KCM&O was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1928, mainly to gain access to the West Texas oil fields. The Santa Fe then sold the Mexican portions. The railway reached Presidio in 1930 and the Presidio–Ojinaga International Rail Bridge was built.

Operating rights on the portion from San Angelo Junction (65 miles NEE of San Angelo) to Presidio (known as South Orient Rail Line) later were awarded to Texas Pacifico Transportation.

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Condition: Excellent

A stock certificate is issued by businesses, usually companies. A stock is part of the permanent finance of a business. Normally, they are never repaid, and the investor can recover his/her money only by selling to another investor. Most stocks, or also called shares, earn dividends, at the business's discretion, depending on how well it has traded. A stockholder or shareholder is a part-owner of the business that issued the stock certificates.

Item ordered may not be exact piece shown. All original and authentic.
Price: $120.00