Salt Lake Telegram | 1940-10-18 | Page 27 | Rail Pioneer's Rites Planned

Rail 1 Pioneers Pioneer's s Rites Planned Masonic funeral rites for James T. T B Beless less prominent Utah Mason and engineer of the first Denver I Rio Grande Western train into Salt Lake City wi will I be conducted conducted Sunday at 2 p. p m m. m by Mount Moriah Moriah Moriah Mo- Mo riah lodge No 2 Free and Ac Masons The rites to be e held in in the Masonic temple East ast South Temple street will be directed by the Very Rev Franklin L. L Gibson dean of St. St Marks Mark's Episcopal Episcopal Episcopal Epis Epis- copal cathedral Mr Beless Beless di died d Thursday a afternoon after ater- ter- ter noon at his home Second avenue ave aye nue nue after an extended illness He would have been 85 years old oldon oldon oldon on Christmas day Father Industrial Pioneer A 4 native of Needham Mass he was born December 25 25 1855 a son of Thomas and Ruth Beless His father w was s credited with being being be be- ing the first American to manu facture knit goods with power power power- driven machinery During the gold rush days of 1877 Mr Beless went to Deadwood Deadwood Deadwood Dead- Dead wood S. S D. D and the following year walked from Deadwood to Cheyenne Wyo and found employment employment employment em em- in the Union Pacific roundhouse He later joined the Denver Rio Grande ode Western and on April 8 1883 left Green- Green river rivers Utah as engineer on the company's first train into Salt Lake City Veteran Masonic Member In of service he was the second oldest member of Mount Moriah lodge No 2 F. F A. A M. M He had been an active member of the York Rite having been a member of Utah chapter No 1 Royal Arch Masons Utah council No 1 Royal and Select Masters and Utah No 1 I Knights Templar He was a member member member mem mem- ber of St. St Marks Mark's Episcopal ca ca- ca thedral In 1885 he married the former Anna Jacobson who survives Other survivors are a son J. J Warren Warren Beless of Salt Lake City two daughters Edith and Ruth Beless of Salt Lake City two sisters sisters sis sis- Mrs E. E J. J Chadbourne of Wakefield Mass and Mrs B. B S. S Capen of Mass and a grandson James W. W Beless of Salt Lake City Interment will be in Mount Olivet cemetery