Eben Smith
Encyclopedia
Eben Smith was a successful mine owner, smelting company executive, railroad executive and bank owner in Colorado
in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
, the son of William and Mary (Nelson) Smith, descendants of English and Scottish immigrants who emigrated to Erie County, Pennsylvania
, in the latter part of the 17th century. He was educated in public and private schools in Waterford, Pennsylvania
.
In 1852, Smith traveled to California
, taking passage on a steamship and crossing the Isthmus of Panama
before traveling up the west coast to San Francisco. He arrived in December, and spent two years engaged in placer mining in Sierra County
. Shortly after his arrival in California, Smith married Caroline Jordan. The couple had two sons, Lemuel (born in 1857) and Samuel (born in 1858).
Earning a small amount of money, Smith built a hotel at French Corral in Nevada County
. He sold his interest in the hotel and returned to mining. He worked in Placer County
, and was subsequently hired to oversee construction of a mill near present-day Bakersfield
. Smith became half-owner of the mill, which grew to become the largest milling plant in California at the time. In 1856, Smith and R.A. McClellan purchased the entire Gold Ledge property. Smith continued working the mine and operating the mill until May 1859. He sold his share to McClellan and the family returned east.
. The two men met a party of miners returning from Colorado who had participated in the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. The men told glowing accounts of rich gold-laden quartz veins in the region. Smith became determined to have milling machinery constructed, disassembled and hauled overland to Pikes Peak. Although Chaffee had no experience in mining or milling, he agreed to co-finance and partner with Smith in the venture. Chaffee left for Colorado in February 1860, settling in Gilpin County
. Smith in Denver on May 26. Setting up business in Lake Gulch, the Smith & Chaffee mill began working lead ore.
Smith was the only man in Colorado at the time who had experience in milling quartz to extract gold. Smith soon hired himself out to various mines, and inaugurated measures for working and developing promising gold lodes in Gilpin County.
In 1863, Smith and Chaffee sold their mill. They purchased and developed the Bobtail Mine near Black Hawk
; the Gregory Mine in Teller County
; and other mines. They held the properties for about a year before selling to a Rhode Island mining consortium (retaining a small interest). For many years, the Bobtail remained one of the greatest gold producers in Colorado. Late in 1863, Smith's third child, Nellie, was born.
However, the move to Colorado proved to be a strain on the Smith marriage. Eben and Caroline Smith divorced in 1864. Caroline retained custody of the children and settled in Iowa
.
When Chaffee established the First National Bank of Denver in 1865, Smith was a co-investor in the bank and named president.
In 1866, Smith was elected to the Colorado state legislature from Gilpin county. He served one term. That same year, he married Emily Rundel of Rochester, New York
.
In 1876, he moved from Denver to Boulder, Colorado
. Eben and Emily's second child, Cora Isabel, was born in 1870, followed by son Frank in 1871. (Smith's son, Lemuel, joined his father out West in 1880.)
Chaffee purchased the Caribou Mine in 1876. Once the most famous mine in Colorado, it had been sold to Dutch investors in 1873. But with the mine apparently played out and the Dutch unable to invest enough capital to discover new veins in the mine, Chaffee purchased the property with David Moffat
and others. Smith was installed as manager and superintendent of the mine, positions he held until April 23, 1879. On June 25, 1880, the Caribou was consolidated with several other mines. Chaffee, Smith and others formed the Caribou Consolidated Mining Company; Smith was the companies superintendent and general manager until 1881. The Caribou claim quickly began producing large quantities of silver again, and Smith made another fortune.
In 1878, Smith used his mining profits to partner with Horace Tabor
, Chaffee and Moffat in the buying and developing the Little Pittsburg Mine in Leadville. The Little Pittsburg produced vast quantities of silver and started the silver boom in Leadville. Smith was placed in charge of the mine. Additional stock in the mine was sold. But the ore suddenly petered out, and the stock price collapsed. Investors later learned that Chaffee, Moffat and the other initial owners had sold out early, reaping large profits. Accusations that the initial investors had received insider information about the mine's status were never proved.
Despite Moffat's warnings, Smith did not sell his stock in the Little Pittsburg Mine. He lost virtually his entire fortune.
In 1882, Moffat and Chaffee secured a controlling interest in the Tam O'Shanter group of mines in Pitkin County
, which Smith operated and managed for a year. The group of mines did not turn out favorably, so Smith then went to Red Cliff, Colorado
, and mined there for a few months. He returned to Leadville and took charge of Moffat's and Chaffee's interests in the Maid of Erin, Henrietta and Louisville mines. He operated those mines for 10 years, rebuilding his fortune and eventually purchasing a financial interest in all of them.
1891 saw the first of hundreds of gold and silver strikes in the Cripple Creek region of Colorado. Smith quickly became invested in a number of mining operations there, including the Anaconda Mine and the Victor Gold Mining Company (later, after numerous mine consolidations, reincorporated as the Battle Mountain Consolidated Gold Mining Company). In 1892, the owners of the Portland Mine bought out Smith's interest in Battle Mountain as part of their successful attempt to consolidate gold mining on Battle Mountain. Smith used the money to buy an interest later that year in the Ibex Mining Company, the owner of the famous Little Jonny Mine in Leadville. (Among the owners of Ibex Mining was James Joseph Brown
, husband of 'Unsinkable' Molly Brown
.)
In 1893, Smith moved back to Denver.
to Cripple Creek to ship ore to the mills in Florence.
The Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad was incorporated on April 17, 1893. Smith was an officer in the company. The railroad the Free Road (a private road which had been recently constructed from Florence through Victor to Cripple Creek), and construction began on January 1, 1894. The first ore train rolled on over the 'Gold Belt Line' (as the railroad was nicknamed) on May 27, 1894; the first passenger train began service on July 1, 1894. (Operation of the railroad ceased when the company liquidated itself in January 1913. The track was torn up in 1914.)
. The mine owners, who employed about a third of the miners in the area, extended the work-day to 10 hours while refusing to increase pay. The workers, represented by the Western Federation of Miners
, struck. Although some smaller mining companies capitulated immediately, the remaining owners (including Smith) raised a paramilitary force under the legal protection of the local sheriff. After a tense and somewhat violent standoff, the governor sent in the state militia to protect the miners. Smith and the other mine owners agreed to return to the eight-hour day. It was a major victory for the union.
, Eben Smith wrote in a letter to an associate, "we will have to close all of our properties as we have not made a dollar in two years." However, historian William Philpott has written that Smith "almost certainly exaggerated." Leadville's mining industry had "recovered impressively" from the downturn of 1893.
The Mine Owners' Association
in Leadville
conducted a lockout
of mineworkers during the strike. Smith instructed an associate to close the mines "unless lightning strikes and kills off all the Irish," an acknowledgment that the Cloud City Miners' Union, Local 33 of the Western Federation of Miners
, was largely controlled by Irish miners.
After violence at the Coronado and Emmet Mines in Leadville killed four strikers and one fireman, Smith wrote to a London business contact, "The strikers got the worst of it in the raid on the Coronado and Emmet, there were 10 or 12 killed; we do not know how many, and a great number wounded; they take care of their wounded the same as the Indians but every now and then a fellow turns up that the rats have been eating or who has gone to decay that we know must have been shot..." Philpott concluded the remarks suggest "that Smith looked on the miners as almost subhuman. Certainly there is no hint of empathy in these words."
, Arizona
and Oregon
.
In 1896, Smith formed the Mine and Smelter Supply Company with his son, Frank, and brothers John S. and Robert J. Cary. Smith had been concerned that ore deposits in the Cripple Creek area were running out, and Smith cast about for a way to keep the towns of the region alive. He realized that much of the slag in the area had been poor milled, and still contained a large amount of gold and silver ore. The Mine and Smelter Supply Company was founded in order to improve ore recovery rates and save the towns. With Eben Smith as president, the company established branches in Denver, Salt Lake City, El Paso, Texas
, and Mexico City
. It quickly became the world's largest supplier of ore recovery equipment.
conducted strikes against refining companies
, which eventually spread to the Cripple Creek mining district. In 1904, Joseph Seep bought out Eben Smith's portion of the Mine and Smelter Supply Company. By 1905, he had purchased the remaining shares of Frank Smith and the Cary brothers as well.
In October 1901, Eben Smith returned to California and turned to retirement living in Los Angeles
. He split his time between this home and a summer residence in Palmer Lake, Colorado
.
But Smith could not keep from dabbling in business ventures. He made large, ill-advised investments in Los Angeles' Murray M. Harris Organ Company (builder of the St. Louis Exposition Organ, now the Wanamaker Organ
) and in the Pacific Wireless Company. Mismanagement at both companies forced Smith to take over operation of the companies in order to salvage his investments. Under Smith's direction the Murray M. Harris Co. became the Los Angeles Art Organ Co. and soon after the Electrolian Organ Co. and moved to Hoboken, N.J. Electrolian aimed to take some of the market share of the lucrative residence-organ business from the Aeolian Company
, the industry leader. As a builder of extra-quality art organs it never attracted significant business, and concurrent with Smith's death, the venture was dissolved.
Smith died in Denver of acute peritonitis
stemming from appendicitis on November 5, 1906, before he could finish reorganizing the companies.
Smith's wealth was estimated between $3 million and $10 million at his death, but may have been a good deal less. His mausoleum is in Fairmount Cemetery
in Denver.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Early life
Eben Smith was born in Erie, PennsylvaniaErie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, the son of William and Mary (Nelson) Smith, descendants of English and Scottish immigrants who emigrated to Erie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 280,566. Its county seat is the City of Erie.- Geography :...
, in the latter part of the 17th century. He was educated in public and private schools in Waterford, Pennsylvania
Waterford, Pennsylvania
Waterford is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,449 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Waterford is located at ....
.
In 1852, Smith traveled to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, taking passage on a steamship and crossing the Isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
before traveling up the west coast to San Francisco. He arrived in December, and spent two years engaged in placer mining in Sierra County
Sierra County, California
Sierra County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,240, down from 3,555 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Downieville....
. Shortly after his arrival in California, Smith married Caroline Jordan. The couple had two sons, Lemuel (born in 1857) and Samuel (born in 1858).
Earning a small amount of money, Smith built a hotel at French Corral in Nevada County
Nevada County, California
Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of California, in the Mother Lode country. As of 2010 its population was 98,764. The county seat is Nevada City.-History:Nevada County was created in 1851 from parts of Yuba County....
. He sold his interest in the hotel and returned to mining. He worked in Placer County
Placer County, California
Placer County is a county located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions of the U.S. state of California, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. Because of the expansion of the Greater Sacramento,...
, and was subsequently hired to oversee construction of a mill near present-day Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
. Smith became half-owner of the mill, which grew to become the largest milling plant in California at the time. In 1856, Smith and R.A. McClellan purchased the entire Gold Ledge property. Smith continued working the mine and operating the mill until May 1859. He sold his share to McClellan and the family returned east.
Move to Colorado
The fall of 1859 proved to be a turning point in the life of Eben Smith. While visiting his brother, Dr. S.D. Smith (a prominent physician in St. Joseph, Missouri), he met Jerome B. ChaffeeJerome B. Chaffee
Jerome Bonaparte Chaffee was an entrepreneur and United States Senator from Colorado. Chaffee County, Colorado is named after him.-Biography:...
. The two men met a party of miners returning from Colorado who had participated in the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. The men told glowing accounts of rich gold-laden quartz veins in the region. Smith became determined to have milling machinery constructed, disassembled and hauled overland to Pikes Peak. Although Chaffee had no experience in mining or milling, he agreed to co-finance and partner with Smith in the venture. Chaffee left for Colorado in February 1860, settling in Gilpin County
Gilpin County, Colorado
Gilpin County is the second least extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Gilpin County was named after Colonel William Gilpin, the first Governor of the Territory of Colorado. The county population was 4,757 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Central City...
. Smith in Denver on May 26. Setting up business in Lake Gulch, the Smith & Chaffee mill began working lead ore.
Smith was the only man in Colorado at the time who had experience in milling quartz to extract gold. Smith soon hired himself out to various mines, and inaugurated measures for working and developing promising gold lodes in Gilpin County.
In 1863, Smith and Chaffee sold their mill. They purchased and developed the Bobtail Mine near Black Hawk
Black Hawk, Colorado
The historic City of Black Hawk is a Home Rule Municipality located in Gilpin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 118 at U.S. Census 2000, making Black Hawk the least populous city in Colorado...
; the Gregory Mine in Teller County
Teller County, Colorado
Teller County is the 22nd most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 20,555 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Cripple Creek, and the most populous city is Woodland Park...
; and other mines. They held the properties for about a year before selling to a Rhode Island mining consortium (retaining a small interest). For many years, the Bobtail remained one of the greatest gold producers in Colorado. Late in 1863, Smith's third child, Nellie, was born.
However, the move to Colorado proved to be a strain on the Smith marriage. Eben and Caroline Smith divorced in 1864. Caroline retained custody of the children and settled in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
When Chaffee established the First National Bank of Denver in 1865, Smith was a co-investor in the bank and named president.
In 1866, Smith was elected to the Colorado state legislature from Gilpin county. He served one term. That same year, he married Emily Rundel of Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
Mining operations
Smith continued mining in Gilpin and Teller counties. Chaffee and Smith organized a group investors in 1867, purchased a mine and formed the Georgetown Silver Smelting Company. Smith invested in a large number of mines, building his wealth. Eben and Emily Smith's first child, Kate May, was born in 1867. But the child died at age thirteen months.In 1876, he moved from Denver to Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. Eben and Emily's second child, Cora Isabel, was born in 1870, followed by son Frank in 1871. (Smith's son, Lemuel, joined his father out West in 1880.)
Chaffee purchased the Caribou Mine in 1876. Once the most famous mine in Colorado, it had been sold to Dutch investors in 1873. But with the mine apparently played out and the Dutch unable to invest enough capital to discover new veins in the mine, Chaffee purchased the property with David Moffat
David Moffat
David Halliday Moffat was an American financier and industrialist.Moffat was one of Denver's most important financiers and industrialists in late 19th and early 20th century Colorado, and he was responsible for the development of the Middle Park area. He served as president, treasurer and as a...
and others. Smith was installed as manager and superintendent of the mine, positions he held until April 23, 1879. On June 25, 1880, the Caribou was consolidated with several other mines. Chaffee, Smith and others formed the Caribou Consolidated Mining Company; Smith was the companies superintendent and general manager until 1881. The Caribou claim quickly began producing large quantities of silver again, and Smith made another fortune.
In 1878, Smith used his mining profits to partner with Horace Tabor
Horace Austin Warner Tabor
Horace Austin Warner Tabor , also known as The Bonanza King of Leadville, was an American prospector, businessman, and politician. His life is the subject of Douglas Moore's opera, The Ballad of Baby Doe....
, Chaffee and Moffat in the buying and developing the Little Pittsburg Mine in Leadville. The Little Pittsburg produced vast quantities of silver and started the silver boom in Leadville. Smith was placed in charge of the mine. Additional stock in the mine was sold. But the ore suddenly petered out, and the stock price collapsed. Investors later learned that Chaffee, Moffat and the other initial owners had sold out early, reaping large profits. Accusations that the initial investors had received insider information about the mine's status were never proved.
Despite Moffat's warnings, Smith did not sell his stock in the Little Pittsburg Mine. He lost virtually his entire fortune.
In 1882, Moffat and Chaffee secured a controlling interest in the Tam O'Shanter group of mines in Pitkin County
Pitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
, which Smith operated and managed for a year. The group of mines did not turn out favorably, so Smith then went to Red Cliff, Colorado
Red Cliff, Colorado
Red Cliff is a Statutory Town in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 289 at the 2000 census. The town is a former mining camp situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River just off U.S. Highway 24 north of Tennessee Pass...
, and mined there for a few months. He returned to Leadville and took charge of Moffat's and Chaffee's interests in the Maid of Erin, Henrietta and Louisville mines. He operated those mines for 10 years, rebuilding his fortune and eventually purchasing a financial interest in all of them.
1891 saw the first of hundreds of gold and silver strikes in the Cripple Creek region of Colorado. Smith quickly became invested in a number of mining operations there, including the Anaconda Mine and the Victor Gold Mining Company (later, after numerous mine consolidations, reincorporated as the Battle Mountain Consolidated Gold Mining Company). In 1892, the owners of the Portland Mine bought out Smith's interest in Battle Mountain as part of their successful attempt to consolidate gold mining on Battle Mountain. Smith used the money to buy an interest later that year in the Ibex Mining Company, the owner of the famous Little Jonny Mine in Leadville. (Among the owners of Ibex Mining was James Joseph Brown
James Joseph Brown
James Joseph "J.J." Brown , mining engineer, inventor, and self-made member of fashionable "society", was born in Waymart, Pennsylvania. His wife was RMS Titanic survivor Molly Brown....
, husband of 'Unsinkable' Molly Brown
Margaret Brown
Margaret Brown was an American socialite, philanthropist, and activist who became famous due to her involvement with the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, after exhorting the crew of lifeboat 6 to return to look for survivors. It is unclear whether any survivors were found after life boat 6...
.)
In 1893, Smith moved back to Denver.
Railroad building
As growth continued in the Cripple Creek area, Smith, Moffat and two other investors began building the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad (F&CC) in 1893. Moffat, president of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, saw the chance to expand his business as well as skim profits off the lucrative Cripple Creek mining operations. The owners decided to build a railroad from FlorenceFlorence, Colorado
The City of Florence is a Statutory City located in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,653 at the 2000 census.ADX Florence, the only federal Supermax prison in the United States, is located south of Florence in an unincorporated area in Fremont County...
to Cripple Creek to ship ore to the mills in Florence.
The Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad was incorporated on April 17, 1893. Smith was an officer in the company. The railroad the Free Road (a private road which had been recently constructed from Florence through Victor to Cripple Creek), and construction began on January 1, 1894. The first ore train rolled on over the 'Gold Belt Line' (as the railroad was nicknamed) on May 27, 1894; the first passenger train began service on July 1, 1894. (Operation of the railroad ceased when the company liquidated itself in January 1913. The track was torn up in 1914.)
Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894
Smith was one of three mine owners to precipitate the Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894
The Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894 was a five-month strike by the Western Federation of Miners in Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA. It resulted in a victory for the union and was followed in 1903 by the Colorado Labor Wars...
. The mine owners, who employed about a third of the miners in the area, extended the work-day to 10 hours while refusing to increase pay. The workers, represented by the Western Federation of Miners
Western Federation of Miners
The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
, struck. Although some smaller mining companies capitulated immediately, the remaining owners (including Smith) raised a paramilitary force under the legal protection of the local sheriff. After a tense and somewhat violent standoff, the governor sent in the state militia to protect the miners. Smith and the other mine owners agreed to return to the eight-hour day. It was a major victory for the union.
Leadville miners' strike of 1896-97
Prior to the Leadville Colorado, Miners' StrikeLeadville Colorado, Miners' Strike
Silver was discovered in Leadville, Colorado in the 1870s, initiating the Colorado Silver Boom. The Leadville miners' strike in 1896-97 occurred during, and as a result of, rapid industrialization and consolidation of the mining industry. Mine owners had become more powerful, and they resolved not...
, Eben Smith wrote in a letter to an associate, "we will have to close all of our properties as we have not made a dollar in two years." However, historian William Philpott has written that Smith "almost certainly exaggerated." Leadville's mining industry had "recovered impressively" from the downturn of 1893.
The Mine Owners' Association
Mine Owners' Association
In the United States a Mine Owners' Association, also sometimes referred to as a Mine Operators' Association or a Mine Owners' Protective Association, is the combination of individual mining companies, or groups of mining companies, into an association, established for the purpose of promoting the...
in Leadville
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
conducted a lockout
Lockout
Lockout may refer to:* Lockout , a type of work stoppage* Lockout * Lockout chip, a computer chip in a video game system to prevent use of unauthorized software* Lock-out device, part of a signaling system used on game shows...
of mineworkers during the strike. Smith instructed an associate to close the mines "unless lightning strikes and kills off all the Irish," an acknowledgment that the Cloud City Miners' Union, Local 33 of the Western Federation of Miners
Western Federation of Miners
The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
, was largely controlled by Irish miners.
After violence at the Coronado and Emmet Mines in Leadville killed four strikers and one fireman, Smith wrote to a London business contact, "The strikers got the worst of it in the raid on the Coronado and Emmet, there were 10 or 12 killed; we do not know how many, and a great number wounded; they take care of their wounded the same as the Indians but every now and then a fellow turns up that the rats have been eating or who has gone to decay that we know must have been shot..." Philpott concluded the remarks suggest "that Smith looked on the miners as almost subhuman. Certainly there is no hint of empathy in these words."
Last years in mining
After the Cripple Creek strike, Eben Smith slowly began to pull his investments out mines. Returning to his interest in milling, he built a cyanide process mill near Florence in 1895. It was the largest cyanide process gold mill of its kind in the world at the time. Smith continued to extend the F&CC railroad, and built an electric power plant at Goldfield. But Smith sold most of his investments, including interest in his many mines, throughout the 1890s. He re-invested some of the money in mines in UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
In 1896, Smith formed the Mine and Smelter Supply Company with his son, Frank, and brothers John S. and Robert J. Cary. Smith had been concerned that ore deposits in the Cripple Creek area were running out, and Smith cast about for a way to keep the towns of the region alive. He realized that much of the slag in the area had been poor milled, and still contained a large amount of gold and silver ore. The Mine and Smelter Supply Company was founded in order to improve ore recovery rates and save the towns. With Eben Smith as president, the company established branches in Denver, Salt Lake City, El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. It quickly became the world's largest supplier of ore recovery equipment.
Retirement and final years
Beginning in early 1903, the Western Federation of MinersWestern Federation of Miners
The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
conducted strikes against refining companies
Colorado Labor Wars
Colorado's most significant battles between labor and capital occurred primarily between miners and mine operators. In these battles the state government, with one clear exception, always took the side of the mine operators....
, which eventually spread to the Cripple Creek mining district. In 1904, Joseph Seep bought out Eben Smith's portion of the Mine and Smelter Supply Company. By 1905, he had purchased the remaining shares of Frank Smith and the Cary brothers as well.
In October 1901, Eben Smith returned to California and turned to retirement living in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He split his time between this home and a summer residence in Palmer Lake, Colorado
Palmer Lake, Colorado
Palmer Lake is a Statutory Town in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,179 at the 2000 census. Palmer Lake was founded by General William Jackson Palmer in 1871. The town was soon incorporated in 1889....
.
But Smith could not keep from dabbling in business ventures. He made large, ill-advised investments in Los Angeles' Murray M. Harris Organ Company (builder of the St. Louis Exposition Organ, now the Wanamaker Organ
Wanamaker Organ
The Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest operational pipe organ in the world, located within a spacious 7-story court at Macy's Center City . The largest organ by some measures is the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ...
) and in the Pacific Wireless Company. Mismanagement at both companies forced Smith to take over operation of the companies in order to salvage his investments. Under Smith's direction the Murray M. Harris Co. became the Los Angeles Art Organ Co. and soon after the Electrolian Organ Co. and moved to Hoboken, N.J. Electrolian aimed to take some of the market share of the lucrative residence-organ business from the Aeolian Company
Aeolian Company
The Æolian Company was a manufacturer of player organs and pianos.- History :It was founded by New York City piano maker William B. Tremaine as the Æolian Organ & Music Co. to make automatic organs, and, after 1895, as the Æolian Co. automatic pianos as well. The Æolian Company was a...
, the industry leader. As a builder of extra-quality art organs it never attracted significant business, and concurrent with Smith's death, the venture was dissolved.
Smith died in Denver of acute peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
stemming from appendicitis on November 5, 1906, before he could finish reorganizing the companies.
Smith's wealth was estimated between $3 million and $10 million at his death, but may have been a good deal less. His mausoleum is in Fairmount Cemetery
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
in Denver.