After learning stenography, in the spring of 1881 he became bookkeeper for Thomas J. Watson, at that time the leading oil broker in Pittsburgh.

He then became the local exchange representative of Rea Brothers & Company, stock and grain brokers, and upon their retirement in 1892 Barbour succeeded to their business.

The business was a general one in stocks, bonds and grain, and Barbour made a specialty of local and investment securities.

[3] So pronounced and widely recognized was the business and executive ability of Barbour, that he was honored with election to membership in the old Oil Exchange when he was but nineteen years of age.

He was for several years director and chairman of the two most important of its committees, namely, on securities and law and offenses, and on May 3, 1916, was again elected president.

As a representative of James S. McKelvy at the time of the great Penn Bank Syndicate in 1883-84, Barbour was a member of the New York Petroleum Exchange.

48, Knights Templar; Syria Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; East End Council, No.

He was a charter member of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, which he was largely instrumental in organizing in 1883, and has served three times as president and was manager of the baseball and football teams.