Charles Almerin Tinker, electrician, was born at Chelsea, Orange Co., Vt., Jan. 8, 1838. He is descended from John Tinker, one of the early settlers of Windsor, Conn. His grandfather removed to Vermont previous to the revolution, and was one of the volunteers who went to the defense of Bennington. In infancy Charles was taken by his parents to Michigan, where he received a commons school education. He subsequently attended Newbury Seminary, Vermont, but, owing to sickness, did not complete his course. In 1852 he obtained a position as clerk in the post-office at Northfield, where he was taught the "Bain" system of telegraphy by J. Elliott Snuth, afterward superintendent of the New York City Fire Alarm Telegraph. In 1855 he became an operator for the Vermont and Boston Telegraph Co., at Boston, and soon after for the Cape Cod Co., in the Merchants' Exchange, having acquired a knowledge of the "Morse " system after a week's practice. He entered the office of the "Caton" lines in Chicago, January, 1857, and became manager of the Illinois and Mississippi Co.'s office at Pekin, 1ll. There he made the acquaintance of Abraham Lincoln, then a practicing lawyer in the courts of Illinois. At Mr. Lincoln's request, Mr. Tinker explained to him the methods of telegraphy, and an intimacy thus began, which was resumed later when Mr. Lincoln was president of the United States and Mr. Tinker was employed as telegraph operator in the war department at Washington. Mr. Lincoln was a frequent visitor to Mr. Tinker's office during the war, and first received from him the news of his re-nomination for President, and the nomination of Andrew Johnson for vice-president.

In the summer of 1857 Mr. Tinker returned to Chicago, and entered the service of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad Co., and two years afterward that of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad Co., as bookkeeper and operator. About the same time he joined the Chicago Light Guard, and at the breaking out of the civil war was offered the lieutenant-colonel of a regiment, but finding that he could do better service for the government as telegraph operator, he declined the offer. He entered the U. S. military service in the war department at Washington, and was almost immediately ordered to service in the field under (Jen. Banks, and opened a military office at Poolesville, Md., the day succeeding the battle of Ball's Bluff. He performed similar service under Gen. Wadsworth at Upton Hill, where he was selected as one of eight operators to serve under Gen. McClellan on the steamer Commodore, and afterward in the army headquarters in front of Yorktown and Richmond. He was present at the evacuation of Yorktown, and at the battle of Williamsburg, and at Gen. Hentzelman's headquarters at Savage Station after the battle of Fair Oaks. While at the front he lost his health, and returned to Vermont. Later he was appointed by Maj. Eckert cipher operator in the war department at Washington, where he had as associates D H. Bates and A. B. Chandler. At the close of the war he was appointed manager of the United States military telegraph, a position which he held until its affairs were settled and turned over to the regular telegraph companies. He then succeeded D. H. Bates as manager of the Western Union Washington office, serving until January, 1872, when he became superintendent of telegraph and general train dispatches of the Vermont Central Railroad at St. Albans, with jurisdiction over the lines of the Western Union and Montreal telegraph companies on that railway system. In 1875 he was appointed general superintendent of the Pacific division of the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Co., with headquarters at Chicago; but four years later, this company having fallen under the control of the Western Union Co., he resigned, and accepted the management of the telegraph lines of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co., as its superintendent. While holding this position he became one of the incorporators, with Jay Gould and D. H Bates, of the American Union Telegraph Co., and received from Mr. Gould a cheque for $2,500,000 to pay for his subscription to its capital stock. He was also Superintendent of a division of that company. In 1881 he was appointed aid to Gen. Eckert, then general manager of the Western Union Telegraph Co., and Feb. 1, 1882, was made general superintendent of the eastern division, comprising all the territory from Washington, D. C., north to the Canada line, west to the Ohio river, and east to Cape Breton. Mr. Tinker is vice-president of the American District Telegraph Co., of New York, and an officer and director in numerous telegraph and telephone companies. He has been for several years prominent in the religious and social circles of Brooklyn, and was for some time an officer and trustee of the Washington Avenue Baptist church of that city. He was one of the organizers and is vice-president of the Brooklyn Society of Vermonters, and a member of the Illinois Society of the Sons of Vermont.

He was married, in 1863, to Lizzie A. Simkins, of Ohio, who died in April, 1890 (Find A Grave Memorial #44075466), leaving three grown children, two others having died in infancy.
The National Cyclopedia of American biography, Volume 2

Photo
"NOTABLE NEW YORKERS"
Circa 1896-1899
Personal Collection

Green-Wood Cemetery
Section 165, Lot 21730.
INSCRIPTIONS
---Front of principal monument:
Charles A. Tinker
Born Jan'y 8, 1838
Died March 12, 1917
Elizabeth A. Simkins
Wife of Charles A. Tinker
Born July 12, 18444
Died April 1, 1890
---Left side of principal monument:
Stella F. Jewell
Wife of Charles A. Tinker
Born Aug. 6, 1841
Died Jan. 30, 1901
---Right side of principal monument:
Charles Grant
Born Sept. 11, 1867
Died April 17, 1891
Arthur Lincoln Tinker
Born June 10, 1866
Died Jan'y 11, 1930
Ida C. Ireland
Wife of Arthur L. Tinker
Born April 3, 1869
Died Aug. 22, 1928
---Rear of principal monument:
Cora Alice
Born Oct. 6, 1869
Died June 28, 1870
Stanton
Born Sept. 23, 1873
Died Jan. 8, 1875
Charles Ireland
Born Dec. 30, 1890
Died May 2, 1892
[NOTE: Charles Ireland Tinker was a son of Arthur Lincoln Tinker.
FOOTSTONES:
Three behind monument, left to right:
Stanton; Alice; Charles
Three rows of two stones in front of monument:, beginning close to monument:
Stella; Grant
Father; Mother
Arthur; Ida.]