The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-05-19

from then on it grew steadily until
he counted his wealth In the mill
ions.
In after years he sometimes at
tributeG his wonderful financial sue
cess to the fact that he had attended
strictly to his own business of selling
lumber and never invested in mining
or the hundreds of other speculations
that were early offered to him. By
1898 he had become firmly establish
ed as man of big affairs and his
interests began to be widely DIVERSE
fed. He became noted for his re-
markable foresight and almost I'M
failing good judgment. He organic
ed the Oregon Lumber company, the
Eccles lumber company and many
other smaller timber corporations.
In 1892 he became heavily interest
ed in banking. He was made stock
holder and director in the CONNER
clal National bank of Ogden, like
wise the First National bank and the
Ogden savings bank. OF the latter
two he was president. He built the
Sumpter valley railroad against the
advice of his associates and 1t proved
a financial success from the very
start.
In 1889 he organized the Ogden
Sugar company of which he became
president. 1t is told of him that he
ascertained from his associates what
portion of the cost they would prob
ably stand and then with his own
fol hp1ilf hn MA NJ al xxyI.1 nIn i
he called the subscribers together |
and announced that he work was
completed and not until then did de |
accept their money. He became the
organizer Of other large industrial |
companies among them sugar COM
pany at LIE Grande, Oregon, the Mt.
Hood lumber company and the Utah
construction company, one of the lar
gest OF its kind in the west, the COM
pany which built the Western larg-
er city. He also built the Logan
Rapid Transit System.
Since his death his sons have COM
pleted the Rapid Transit plans for
northern Utah evolved by him and
today the Ogden, Logan and Idaho
Railway company is 100000
and has in operation
about 1872 miles of interurban road
besides the city lines. Mr.. Eccles
also formed the Amalgamated Sugar
company with a capital Of four mil
lion. He built the Eccles building in
Ogden, magnificent structure of 8
stories. At the time of his death he
was identified with some fifty-six in
dustrial corporations and twenty
banking institutions, extending and
operating in Utah, Oregon, Washing
ton, Idaho Nevada, Wyoming, Cali
fornia, Colorado and Canada. He
was president and director of sixteen
industrial corporations and direct
or in twenty others, president and
director of seven banking institutions
and director in four others.
Some of the more important corpor-
atoms with which he was identified
as director are: Utah-Idaho Sugar
company, Deseret National Bank. .
Deseret Savings Bank and Mt. Hood 4
company. 1t is said of him
that although he organized many com .
panies which made many men beside
himself wealthy, he never accepted !
4 promotion fee in any form Or new .
er drew salary from any organiza-
tion until it was operating and on the
road to success. =.
In his latter years he continued
a student. He had great interest in
history and the poets. He was par
ticularly conversant with the history .
Of this country and Scotland. He
lied in Salt Lake, December 5, 1912, !.
and was buried at o den, December
IL. He was married to Bertha M.
Jensen "a native of Denmark, of
Ogden valley, December ~, 1875,
and of this union were born twelve
children: David c., Leroy, Vida,
Royal Bertha, Joseph NJ, Lila, Laura,
Flora, William j., Vivian and Homer
Eccles. His estate has been kept
intact, it being deemed
wise to incorporate it as an operating
company rather than divide into
many interests. The officers of the
are David c., Leroy and
Royal.