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Show though his relative here knows nothing of this. Personally the dead man was of a character char-acter unique. Combined in him was maeh of the sunshine and the shadow. In his business he was exacting toward others and himself equally, asking none to attempt what he himself would hesitate to endeavor to accomplish. In the office he was E. C. Smeed, chief engineer, outside genial "Smeed." All who knew him had a pleasant pleas-ant word for him and many a heart will throb in sorrow when the news that he has sank into that slumber whence from the awakening comes the rosy summer morning of eternity with its never ending joys. IN EAILWAY CIRCLES CEEAT RAILROADS REACHING OUT FOR CALIFORNIA TRADE. - The Fight for Supremacy Will Be Wagetl Upon the Seas The I'nlon Pacific Bulldlne from 'Antorla to - Portland A Popular Official of the Colorado midland. A dispatch from San Francisco says that 1 statement is published there that the Union Pacific is only waiting developments hefore it makes an effort to secure the California Cali-fornia freight business heretofore controlled by the Southern Pacific Sunset route. The ucw lines of clipper ships between here and New York have made serious inroads into the Southern Pacific business and caused that company to call on the Transcontinent-al Transcontinent-al association for help. The Pacific Mail Steamship company, controlled by the Southern Pacific, has always been handled as a club with which to threaten any intending intend-ing competition on water. As it is probable that the Transcontinental association will refuse to pay a subsidy any longer, the Union Pacific will be ready for business. In View of this condition the latter railroad is now preparing to increase its steamer service ser-vice between San Francisco and Portland. Instead of one steamer every three or four days, daily steamers will be run, reaching Oregon as fast as the trains do. That the line from Astoria to Portland is being buiit by the Union Pacific is an open ecret, and one-quarter of the road is now completed. When this line is finished the Union Pacific steamers will land their freight at Astoria and M ill then send It direct East. It is estimated that the average passage from baa Francisco to Astoria will be thirty-six hours. Two new steamers are to be secured at once for the trade, and the Union Pacific believes that by thus showing the merchants of San Francisco its eagerness to help them ut it will secure a good portion of the trade which is now in the control of the Pacific Mail company. The Great Northern also proposes to dip Into the California business by running teamer lines between San Francisco and the Sound, and later ou it is confidently believed that President Hill will carry out his original idea of building from Butte, Mont., via. Boise City, down to San Francisco. Thus both lines are reaching out for California trade. Chief Engineer Smeed. The telegraph announces the death of Eben C. Smeed, chief engineer of the Union Pacific, at Philadelphia, Pa., yesterday morning. morn-ing. Mr. Smeed had been a sufferer from kidney kid-ney trouble for some time, and decided to recuperate at Cresson Springs. The malady with which he was afflicted becoming worse he went on to Philadelphia to consult with the University there, which he did without avail. The dead man was one of a family of six, four sons and two daughters, bis father being be-ing one of the early pioneers of Wyoming county, settling many years ago on Tunk-hannock Tunk-hannock creek, near Nicholson. When what "Was then known as the Catawissa railroad was being built, Smeed, together with a youuger brother, Matthias, entered the employ em-ploy of a contractor named Christie, who was in charge of the work of constructing bridges. From his work on what at that time was considered a famous piece of mechanical me-chanical skill, Smeed became quite noted for his architectural acumen as applied to structures struc-tures of that kind, and rapidly rose in the estimation of his employers. He afterward devoted a great deal of time " to "other "branches'" of railroad science and was for a brief period superintendent of what was then known as the Lackawanna and Bloomsburg, a line running from Scran-ton, Scran-ton, Pa., to Northumberland, known at the present time as the Bloomsburg division of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western. He was one of the trio of engineers that desiirned and constructed the original bridge at Portage, N. Y., on the line of the New lork. Lake Erie aud Western, a structure so famous in its day as to attract attention from all over the world on account of its simplicity and strength, a structure from which a defective timber or timbers could be takeu at any time for the purpose of repairs without impairing traffic. Bridges were his specialty and during the war his services as engineer with the Union armies were manifold. Mr. Smeed has been with the Union Pacific ince the later "60's' and for a long time held the position of assistant chief euginecr. About two years ago Chief Engineer Bogue's office became vacant and Mr. Smeed was promoted to that position, which he held up to the date of his death. He was a thorough and practical man in all respects, and so accurate was he in everything every-thing that he had control over that his au. periors accepted his statements as authority beyond question. A recent work of his is a tabulated statement of the cost of hauling freight over the entire line by subdivisions, and so complete and intricate is it that the cost of drawing all freicht is figured over each particular grade. Actual experience is daily demonstrating that this work was correct. cor-rect. Hod Smeed had his own way the Union Pacific would now own a line to Deep creek. Something over a year ago he made a thorough thor-ough examination of thia country aud submitted sub-mitted a report showing that the line would be a paying one. Why it was not built is of course a question that the directory alone can answer. Mr. Smeed will be buried in all probability beside his father and brother Matthias at Nicholson, Pa. He has one brother and one sister yet living, a third brother having gone down with the many unknown thousands that fell in the war of the rebellion. His sorrowing brother is Henry Smeed of Scran-ton, Scran-ton, Pa., while the sister "is Mrs. B. R. Cap-well Cap-well of Factoryville. about fifteen miles north of that city. Ho was a widower and left one daughter, Mrs. Kate Cross of Lawrence, Law-rence, Kan., liis only child. Mr. C. M. Jackson, Jack-son, formerly of The Times, is a nephew. At the time of his death he was engaged to be married, according to press reports, al- |
