New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-10
DEATH OF SIDNEY DILLON.
SKETCH OF THE FAMOUS RAILWAY MANS
CAREER.
sIyCFrr IMPRESSIONS OF REGRET IL WALL
STREET-nIS ESTATE ESTIMATED AT
t-poM I,or-p To TEN MILLIONS.


FROM FOUR TO TEN MILLIONS.
sidney Dillon president Of the Union Pacific Rail
read. died at his homc No. 90 West Fifty -sevenh-St
yesterday morning at ten minutes past III O'CLOCK
after an Illness OF over twelve weeks. lie was AT
tended at his death BY Dr. J. ". McLane. the family
physician: Dr. and Mrs =. Il. Wyckof ana MIS-
J. d.. Ripley, his two daughters sidney Dllicn Ripley
and Harry Dillon Ripley, his two grand'ors. lie
spent restless night Tuesday and Dr. Mclane WAS
summoned early yesterday arriving at 10 o'clock and
remaining until the last The end was peaceful and
came without a struggle. Mr.. Dillon Was conscious
to the last Mrs Wyckof standing at his bedside
ASKED MIN II he knew her. and, opening bi seycs he
booked ut her il TO recognize her and closed them
forever to the world.
Some old and faithful domestic employees cared for
him during his Illness and attended him to the Inst
Mr.. Dillon q member and constant attendent Of
tho Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. and II close
friend Of the Rev. Dr. John Hall. its pastor. The
funeral will take place IN that church Monday, vt
10 "A. m. The Rev. DR.. George Alexander Of the
University Place Presbyterian Church viii oficitc
in the absence Of DR.. Hall. The burial will be In
the plot, which Mr.. Dillon purchased in wcOdlawn
Cemetery In 1889, at the time Of the death of his
wife.
THE STORY OF HIS LIFE.
The entire life Of sidney Dillon was employed in
the construction and development Of railroads In the
course Of his experience a contractor he was engaged
ON over thirty public works In this country and In
Canada The roads which he built Aggregated over
$500 miles in length, and the different contracts TOT
them amounted to S75,oOO,OOO. Ills connection
with railroads began at early lie was born In
Northampton. Montgomery County. n. ". on May =
1872 His father Il farmer, and his grandfather
soldier In the Revolutionary War His earliest years
were spent upon the farm where he gnined the cle
ments Of common school education. In his early
youth. however b. obtained situation as errandb
on the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad extending from
Albany to Schenectady. After that work was
completed. he employed in the same capacity upon
the Reusseacr and Saratoga Railroad. lie next Sc
cured a place as Oversecr under the firm OF Jonathan
Crane and John T. Clark who had taken u contract
Mt sharon upon the Bosion and Providence Railroad.
He with few Others Obliged T. travel by wagon,
carrying the necessary provisions from schenectady
10 sharon, "A distanc. Of about 22O miles.
Mr. Dillon remained on this road about two years
until It's completion. lie then employed by the hrIn
OF Carmichael. Fairbanks & otis foreman aud man.
ager upon the Stonington Railroad. after which he
t,ok charge OF some heavy rock work near Charlton
on the Western Railway OF Massachusetts, under the
same contractors. Here his judgment and eAecu
tive ability attracted the attention OF W. H. Swift
the engineer In charge who invited him 10 attend the
next letting upon the road and put In bid on his own
account Mr.. Dillon did So but having little money
and feeling umid. put In bid for only one secion
which was afterward allotted to him. near dae. on
the western end OF the road. This the beginning
OF Mr.. bilious contractor. His first work
was promptly and successfully completed In $40.
Next he took heavy contract upon the Troy and
schenectady Railway embracing clay NIL about
two miles rom West Troy. Here he first used
,team excavator, which he arcrwnrd employed In
ALL his hardest work At this time the firm N
Boody Ross & Dillon took the contract for construct
ing tho Hartford and Springfield Railway, about
twenty six miles I'm length, for which they nereed
TO take n portion Of their pay In the stock Of the
company Afterwar tho firm contracted to build
six miles Of the Cheshire Railroad Of Vermont ana
at the same time Mr. Dillon contracted In his own
name for about ten miles Of heavy work on the
Vermont and Massachusetts, Railroad. soon after
ward the firm OF Dillon & Pratt took n contract for
about seven miles Of the Rutland and burlington Rail
r0,d near burlington, VI. All these contracts were
successfully and satisfactorily completed. Next the
firm Of Body Ross & Dillon contracted 10 build the
Central Railroad Of New-Jerscy from Whtchouse TO
Easton n distance Of twenty nine miles, and agreed
to take their entire pay In the stock and bonds
OF the railroad company. The work was unusu-
ally difficult, but by the aid Of steam
excavators IL was finished In two
years While engaged upon this tbs firm took con
tract for widening twenty miles Of the Morris Cana
which Mr. Dillon attended TO In person, executing the
task in three months. Mr. Dillon then took con
tract for constructing the Boston and New York Carn
Railroad but after thirty miles built. the com
many failed and Mr. Dillon obi gcd to attach and
seu the rolling stock OF the rad, just train was
leaving Boston, In order 10 obtain portion Of his pay
Arerward Mr. Dillon and his associates contracted 10
construct n large part Of the Philadelphia aud Erie
Rs1lrad extending from Lock Haven westward about
one hundred miles, OF which contract Mr. Dillon was
the general manager. Before IL WIS finished, the
railroad company rn short Of funds and tho work was
atcrword carried ont by the Pennsylvania Rnilrad
Company Then the firm Of Dillon. Clyde & Chapman
took A contract for filling up the high resework On
the Fife aud Cleveland Railroad. near Gl!arh, Penn
which cmbraced the removal OF about 100000 cubic
wards OF cmbanlmen. Mr.. Dillon did similar work
sr the Central Railroad OF Ncw,crsey, besides con
tructing is southern branch and also four or five
| miles OF the Morris and Essex.
| TAKING HOLD OF UNION PACIFIC
About this time, 1865, Mr.. Dillon became 1nrgcly
interested In the construction and management OF the
Union Pacific Railroad. interest which was kept up
thronchout his life. During the construction OF this
rpad Mr. Dillon ard his associates also took contracts
for laying double track upon the Morris and Essex
| ard Central New-Jerscy Railways. He also became
| Interested with John |. Blair In some railroads In
| Iowa In 1863 Mr.. Dillon took contract for con
structng about seventy miles OF the Boston, Hart
| ford md Erie Railroad. extending from Waterbury.
| Conn., 10 Fishld n. y. This work was suspended
for want Of funds. In The spring Of 1869 the Union
| Pacific Railroad completed and Mr. Dillon as
sisted In laying the Inst rail that established the CON
nectl,n with tie Central Pacific. The remarkable
work OF four years completed by driving home
silver spike oil Promontory Point. LOO miles from
omaha. This spike Mr. Dillon always retained During
the whole time occupied In building the Union Pacihc
from lsGj to 1862 Mr.. Dillon gave IL big closest at
| ,enon, frequently travelling ncwnrl ana FORWARD
along the line and aiding the engineers ana contractors
| out Of his abundant experience
| In 1860 Mr. Dillon and his associates took con
tract for building fifty miles OF thr NcwOreans. MO
| bile and Chattanooga Raoad Other roads IN the
| construction Of which Mr. Dillon vas Interested are
the Connecticut Valley. the ChIllcothe, Council BUNS
md Omaha the Canada Southern extending from Bur
iao the St Csir River. 2aO miles ana tlc Paterson
branch OF the Morris and Essex Railroad. The wealth
| which Mr. Dillon acquired In his successful career rs
contractor enabled him to become largely Interested
| in several prominent RAILWAYS. Alwnvs remaining his