John Jientsu Yuan is a native of Shangyu, Shaoshing, though born at Shanghai in the year 1884. His father, Yuan Chung-chow, a scholar, thirty years ago promoted and was the first manager of the Sin Wan Pao. His grandfather, the well-known Yuan Kiu-ling, was a very prominent merchant during the latter half of the 19th century. Mr. Yuan was educated in Tung Wen college. After graduation, he acted as an assistant of his teacher, Charles Budd, for half a year, and then, at the age of twenty, he joined the insurance department of Jardins, Matheson & Company, Ltd.; as a clerk. The next winter he went to Hankow as managing proprietor of Cent Kee Cotton Company and at the same time took charge of the transportation business of Jardine, Matheson & Co., along the Yangtze River. In 1911 he went to Chungking and took up the position of Chinese shipping superintendent of Jardine, Matheson & Co., in Szechuen. Jardine having no foreign staff then at Szechuen, he acted as their sole representative. That same year, revolution broke out in China and he was entrusted by he British Consul, Mr. Brown, to arrange for vessels to send all foreign residents at Chungking and Chengtu down to Ichang. In 1912 he returned to Hankow. In 1913, Mr. Yuan's father died; so he had to come back to Shanghai. The next year he was elected to serve on the committee of the Transportation Companies' Guild. In 1916, he promoted the Tuh Yu Steamship Company, Ltd., with a capital of $170,000.' In 1918 he was elected to the committee of the Shaoshing Guild. In 1920, he went to Hankow on business, and during a short stay there, he completed the organization of the Hankow Branch of the Shaoshing Guild. In June of the same year, with Dr. C. T. Wang and Sung Han-chang organized the Chinese Ratepayers' Association. He was elected as one of the directors. In the winter he organized the Yangtze Gorge Steam Navigation Company (capital $150,000), of which he was elected a director. In the spring of 1921, he promoted and organized the Central Trust Company (capital three million dollars) and was appointed vice-president. In order to concentrate all his attention on the development and welfare of the latter company, Mr. Yuan has now given up all his other positions and is now devoting all his time to the Central Trust Co. It is through his and the president of the company, Mr. Yen's, energetic management, that the Central Trust Company has gained its wide and deserved fame and credit. That same year he was also elected director of the Kofa Aereated Water Company (capital $150,000). In 1922 he was appointed chairman of the business committee of the Chinese and Foreign Famine Relief Society for the Chekkiang Famine Relief fund. He obtained for the society a total subscription of $1,009,252 with an expense of only $4,896.28. This same year he was also elected business director of the Chinese Ratepayers' Association and a member of the Arbitration Board of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.
