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DuPont's original introduction to the Single Tax probably occurred in a New York City hotel room in 1883 or 1884, during a meeting with Johnson, Cleveland attorney L.A. Russell, and Johnson's business associate Arthur Moxham. Upon reading Progress and Poverty, Johnson became troubled that he had possibly gained his wealth through unfair "privilege," thereby contributing to America's social and economic inequality. Johnson asked his friends to read the book, and to find whatever inconsistencies they could. When the group met in New York to discuss the book, they conceded that all of George's arguments were sound, marking a turning point in the lives of both Johnson and duPont. Johnson soon became a close friend of George, who convinced his new disciple to enter politics as a reformer, a course that led Johnson to Congress and, eventually, the Cleveland mayoralty.²⁰ Johnson then introduced A.B. duPont to George, who responded by saying, "I shall refuse to instruct this young man in the Single Tax. His ancestor [Physiocrat Pierre Samuel duPont] had the philosophy before I was born.²¹

Within a short time Henry George was staying with the duPonts on his visits to Detroit. Ermann duPont's wife, Mary Ethel, later recalled how the couple's young daughters would playfully pin flowers on George's hat and clothing as he conversed with their father, then giggle with affection as the absent-minded reformer rode away on his bicycle, oblivious to his ridiculous appearance.²² George died in 1897, but duPont and Tom Johnson remained true to their friend's memory, determined to do all they could in the causes of tax reform and social justice. Thus, as a friend of labor and an unabashed proponent of the Single Tax, A.B. duPont entered the new century, and his new position as second vice president and general manager of the St. Louis Transit System.²³

DuPont's departure for America's Gateway City was a consequence of the sale of the Detroit, Fort Wayne & Belle Isle Railway Company in late 1900 to a syndicate that consolidated all existing streetcar lines into a new company, the Detroit United Railway (DUR). Tom Johnson, having sold his interests, left for Cleveland, where he planned to run for mayor. DuPont retained a part-time position as "consulting engineer" to the DUR; he also maintained his ties to Detroit by remaining part owner of an interurban line, the Wyandotte & Detroit River Railroad.²⁴

Turn-of-the-century St. Louis was a natural magnet for the talents of A.B. duPont. It was home to some of America's largest manufacturers of street railway cars and related equipment, and the St. Louis Transit System, created in 1899, boasted one of the highest ridership rates in the nation. But the city's railways had long been plagued with labor troubles, and St. Louis had experienced a particularly violent 56-day strike in the spring of 1900, described in a contemporary account as "one of the greatest clashes that has ever occurred between capital and labor." The strike had crippled employee morale and created a negative public image for the company. Poor service caused by the strike lingered on once the work stoppage ended, and outmoded equipment and dirty cars exacerbated the situation. Thus, the company turned to a man whose "practical as well as theoretical knowledge of all things pertaining to the operation of a street railway is well known."²⁵

In barely three years General Manager duPont rejuvenated the St. Louis Transit System. A colleague later reminisced that "it took only a short time with his pencil to solve . . . many of the intricate problems that were brought before him. He was ready to accept any new idea and with equal readiness find means to put it in operation."²⁶ Others noted A.B. duPont's mastery of every facet of street railway operations in St. Louis, "from the handling of the affairs of a great corporation and laying of power houses, car equipment, road beds, shops, and . . . even the putting up of trolley wires."²⁷ And, just as he had done in Detroit, duPont eliminated labor animosities through his willingness to cooperate with unions; his tenure was marked by a complete absence of any strikes which, coupled with improved service, restored the company's good standing with the public. By the time duPont resigned his position in 1904 to return to Detroit, the St. Louis Transit System had earned a reputation for providing "the best streetcar service in the United States."²⁸

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