Life
- Born
- October 2, 1892
- Died
- October 26, 1980
Career
- Conductor — Clarksville Railway & Light Company
Biography
Clarence G. Carney (October 2, 1892-October 26, 1980) began his working life with the Clarksville Street Railway before becoming a longtime automobile dealer. According to a 1966 Leaf-Chronicle profile, Carney was 14 when he asked his father for money to attend a dance; his father instead told him to go to work. Carney reported to Lee T. Orrell, superintendent of the Street Railway System, who gave him a job greasing trolley tracks for 15 cents an hour.
Carney later worked with John Hanley, assistant superintendent of the system, as a grease monkey for a month and then became a conductor when another conductor failed to report for work. He recalled working long days, with crews alternating weekly shifts from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Carney said the experience running streetcars for three years gave him knowledge of people.
After leaving street railway work, Carney entered the automobile business. In 1911, he opened a garage and later sold Ford automobiles in Clarksville for decades.