The Elbert County tribune., 1906-11-08
DEATH OF EsEN SMITH.
Aged and Wealthy Pioneer Mining
Man Dies at Denver.

Aged and Wealthy Pioneer Mining
Man Dies at Denver.
Denver.-Eben Smith. one OF tho
pioneers of western mining, died al
Denver Monday afternoon at the home
OF his daughter, Mrs. Charles T. Car.
nahan. He was one of the most
highly respected men in the profession
and did much individual work to put
the reduction Of ores on scientific
basis. He personally brought the first
stamp mill across the plains to Colo
RADIO from st. Louis.
Mr.. Smith had reached the age OF
sevonty-five years and had been sick
but two days, death occurring from
peritonitis, which followed a severe at.
tack of stomach trouble. He came here
with his wife about a week ago
from Los Angeles for a visit with Mr..
and Mrs. Carnahan.
Mr.. Smith was born in Erie county,
Pennsylvania. and at the age OF nine
teen years went to California, at
tracted by the gold excitement. He
came to Colorado in 1860 and was a
partner of Senator Jerome b. Chaffec
tor many years. His faith in the min
ruS ihuutto MN W ChCOui-
age every possible invention and de-
vice for reducing ores. Besides bring
ing the first stamp mill to Colorado.
he also used other opportunities to
benefit the work In both mine and mill.
He was the first to unwater the wet
mines in Leadville. He was a pioneer
in the Cripple Creek district, in which
he was heavily Interested. He was
also one of the builders of the Florence
& Cripple Creek railroad. For forty
six years he was prominently identified
with mining and was at one time q
partner with David II. Moffat in the
business.
When in partnership with Senator
Chaffee of Gilpin county, Mr.. Smith
was In charge of the extraction work,
very much as he was with Mr.. Moffat
later. Smith & Chaffee, which was the
firm name, located on the famous Bob
tail lode, the stamp mill being located
at Lake gulch. In the course of few
years they sold out, each having made
comfortable fortune.
Mr. Smith was manager for d. H.
Moffat in the earlier stage of the lat
ter's large mining transactions on Car
Donate hill, Leadville. When. in 1891,
he purchased certain mines at Creede,
1t was into the same hands the practi-
cal development of these properties.
and SO the story goes to the end
of the chapter, through Cripple Creek,
Victor, Summit and other gold and sill
ver-bearing sections.
He was not graduate of any sci
entific school and rarely theorized upon
meteorological or geological problems,
yet was recognized as one of the best
mining engineers In the state.
He also spent some years in Aspen.
where he was interested in the Frank
lin mine and in the Aspen Deep Mining
&c Drainage Company. He was fairly
successful there but 1t was in Lead
Vile that he began making his fortune,
which has been estimated all the way
from $2.000,000 to s10,000.000. He was
for many years Interested with Mr..
Moffat in the bimetallic smelter in
Leadville.
At the opening of the Cripple Creek
boom he was interested with Mr.. Moi
fat in the Victor mine, the first real
money-maker of the district. He was
also one of the owners Of the Golden
Cycle, and until recently owned an in
terest in the Granite mine. The move
from Colorado to Los Angeles was
made at the solicitation of Mrs. Smith,
their home being on Logan avenue.
They spent their summers in this
state, at Palmer Lake.
For the past six years Mr.. Smith
has made his home in Los Angeles. His
illness came suddenly two days before,
and death followed Monday afternoon
at 2:30 o'clock.
He is survived by his widow and
three children. Mrs. Charles T. Carna-
han, Frank L. Smith Of Los Angeles
and Lemuel Smith of Leadville.