Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-31
! USEFUL LIFE CUT SHORT.
The Sad Death of Captain Thomas
Dwyer Yesterday.

DWycT 1eSteTussys
As appears in the telegraphic dispatches
this morning, giving an account of the
terrible railroad accident near Alameda
yesterday, this city has suffered the loss of
one of its oldest, most public-spirited and
respected citizens = Captain Thomas P.
Dwyer, President of the Sacramento Trans
portation Company-who was at the Bay
on business connected with mis- company's
operations.
There are few men in this community
who enjoy to such an extent the esteem and
confidence of the public as did Captain
Dwyer. 1t was only few days ago that
he personally superintendent the ,ransporta-
ton by steamer OF the children of the vari-
Gus Sunday schools TO knights Landing on
picnic excursion, ann the very fact of his
| presence gave assurance that the utmost
| care would be taken TO prevent accident
The following interesting sketch of his life
| is taken from the recently published history
| of Sacramento county:
Captain Thomas Dwyer, President of the
| Sacramento Transportation Company, was
| born in 1881, in County Wexford, Ireland
next TO the youngest in family of eight
| children-his parents being Frank and
Ellen % Neal) Dwyer. His father was q
| small farmer, who lived and died a poor
man; his death took place in 1885. Nature
had endowed young Dwyer with q spirit OF
| enterprise, and when, in 1S4S. some &C.
| quaintances tried to persuade him to 60
with them to the New World, he readily
consented. Young. hearty, robust, he came
| to Toronto in all the vigor of his young
manhood, and commenced the battle of
life. He at once engaged in the lumber
trade, working at that during the winter
and on farm during the summer. In
1852 he came to the United States, going
into Maumee county, Ohio, and there he
obtained his irst contract work, which con-
sisted in the getting out of a number OF
abroad ties. After this he went to Lake
county, Illinois, and again became farm
hand in the summer, going to the pine
woods OF Wisconsin in the winter, where
sometimes for six weeks continuously the
sun never melted the snow from the sides
of the trees nor from the roof of the shanty
which served as their only shelter.
In 1859, during the Pixies Peak excite
ment, in company with party of friends,
he started for the gold diggings. On reach
ing the Missouri river at Council Bluffs
they learned that Pixies Peak was hum.
bug. Some of the party turned back, bat
the subject of this sketch and his partner
struck out boldly for California, the land
OF gold and sunshine. They came with OK
teams, via Lauder's cutoff, Raft creek and
the Honey Lake valley. TO Susanville
where they arrived on the Sd OF September
after journey OF five months. He spent
year in the mines of Shasta county, and
went to Chico during the following sum.
mer and ran thrashing machine there
and in Colusa county. When the season
for farm work was over he bought some
timber land on the Sacramento river in
Colusa county, and commenced cutting
the wood. He got together about $500
cords, taking in partner to share the
expense, bought a wood barge and brought
the wood to Sacramento, where he could
dispose of it to the schooners in the river
This was The origin of what is to-day
known as the Sacramento Transportation
Company. He afterward bought small
steamer TO tow his barges About this
time, 1866. j. H. Roberts, H. L. Miller,
Michael Rigney, n. McNear and C. Clots
were added to the firm, which was then
known as the Sacramento Wood Company.
In 1879 the name was changed to the Sac.
ramento Transportation Company, and the
firm was incorporated under the laws of
the State.
THE busy life of Captain Dryer had left
him but scant time to devote TO politics or
the fraternal societies. He was married in
1865 to Ellen Flanagan, native of Ire
land. They have five children, viz
Frances Thomas, Mary Ellen, John Jeffrey,
William Patrick and Thomas Edward
1t was learned last night that Captain
Dryers mission to Oakland was TO attend
the exercises at some college where one of
his sons is student, and he left his home
by yesterday mornings train. His body
will doubtless arrive to-day.