Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-12-01

life fully and completely and is gar
nered to the gamers of the Infinite, like
a shock of corn fully ripe, the mourn
ing Is tempered by the consoling
thought that he had fought the battle
of life bravely, untiringly and uncom-
plainingly, until. reaching the very
brink of eternity, exhausted nature re-
lieves him of his burdens and he enters
that celestial realm to which is con-
signed the immortal spirit.
An historical sketch of Mr. Smiths
life was published about one year ago
and from which the Prior takes the
following
In the remarkable career of Judson I
NJ. Smith, the story of whose achieve
ments are but briefly referred to here,
there is lesson of immeasurable value,
an inspiration to the boy or young man,
and an impressive and instructive mes
sage to all. Judson M. Smith was born
at Braintree, Vermont, on farm, Jan
uary Is, 1927, and is therefore approach
ing his eighty-second year. He attended
the common schools when boy, but in
lS45, when seventeen years of age, he
went to work as foreman on the con
railroad. In the latter part of 1S47,
Mr. Smith went to New York state,
where railroad building was being ac-
lively pushed, and there engaged upon
the construction of the Ogdensburg and
Rouses Point railroad, which is now a
part of the Vermont Central system.
He remained in New York state, en-
gagged in different capacities, until 1852,
when he was employed on the construc-
ton work of the Great Western rail.
road of Canada for two years and
half. After the completion of his work
on the Great Western he launched out
as a contractor and engaged in the build
ing of the Great Western extension from
Stamford, Oztario, to Niagara Falls. He
was a contractor on the Erie q Ontario
railroad and devoted year to coustruc-
ton work on that road, after which he
took contract on the Sarnla Canada
branch of the Great Western railroad
and it was he who built the Grand
Trunk Railroad from Mount Clemens
to Detroit, Mich.
"In 1860 he became interested in con-
struction in Tennessee as a contractor
-, tbo br;ld;nc- of ,a;lroad hr;doac Ia
built the Nashville and North Western
railroad into Nashville and constructed
the elevated railroad tracks in that city.
From Tennessee he returned to Brock
vile, Ontario, Canada, and became in
terested in large tannery enterprise,
at this for six years, which
practically constituted all the time he
was not engaged in railroad construc
ton from 1916 to 1874. He was largely
interested in the construction of the
Buffalo and Erie railroad and had large
contracts for construction with the Chi
cago, Michigan and Lake Shore line
and the Big Rapids railroad running
from Muskegon to Pent Water, and in
1872 he built the double track for the
Michigan Central system from Detroit
to Chicago. After the successful COM
pletion of this important undertaking
he contracted for the construction of
the Big Rapids branch of the Chicago,
Michigan and Lake Shore road.
''In 1874 Re constructed the Wisconsin |
Valley railroad form Knowlton to Wau
sau, and at The same time prosecuted
construction work on other roads with |
which he held contracts, putting up
over two hundred miles of road in |
little over two years, and principally |
heavily timbered territory. |
This section of the Valley road con-
structed by him was completed in sixty |
days from the date of turning the first |
sod and on November 8, 1874, the road |
was opened for business. Since |
January, 1915 be has been resident of |
Wausau. A part of the consideration |
in the contract for the construction of
the section of the Valley road referred |
TO was the railroad land grant held by |
the Wisconsin Valley Railroad COM
pany, consisting of 100000. acres, the
sale aud settlement of which has
occupied his time and attention ever
since. II was largely through him and !
the inducements offered by him, in tho |
disposition of this land, that much on
the immigration to Marathon county /
from 1874 to 1894 is attributable he
did not hold these lands for increase in
price, nor for speculative purposes
Any deserving man. ambitious to get
along, any homeseeker. anxious to
succeed and DESTROYS of procuring q
farm, found in Judson NJ Smith helper.
Small payments. long time and every
accommodation was extended to the
settler.
Here has been a life time of energy
and enterprise. of physical and mental
activity. 1t will be noticed that in the
career of Judso7 NJ. Smith, from the
time he was seventeen years Of age
until he approached fifty. that be de-
voted his energies and his talents to
railroad construction, to building up,
and il is to such men and to the instru- |
ments and forces created and employed
by them, that Waussu and other thrifty
cities owe much. Oneness of purpose,
singIeness of aim. and application seem
to have been the controlling faculties in
the mentality of this useful, active and
successful man
This is only another demonstration OF
the truism that the man who would get
along must single ont bis specially and