Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ford B. 3. Edson Eugene, who died in
March, 1913, aged thirty-one years.
Clifford Burr Smith, second and only
surviving son of Herbert E. and Ella J.
(Burr) Smith, born June 13, 1879, in
Westfield, grew up there and received his
education in the schools of the town, including
the high school, from which he
was graduated in 1896. He began his
business career as a draughtsman apprentice
in the office of the Berlin Iron Bridge
Company of East Berlin. Here he ap-
plied himself diligently and made rapid
progress, finding the work agreeable to
his taste. At the age of twenty-three
years, in 1902, he was employed in the
construction of the Hudson River Tunnels
in New York, often called the Mc-
Adoo tunnels, because they were the
result of the genius and steadfast deter-
mination of William G. McAdoo. After
several years in this employment, Mr.
Smith returned to Connecticut and en-
tered the employ of the Berlin Construc-
tion Company, which is engaged in the
erection of bridges and other iron and
steel structures. Here he has continued
to the present time, sound evidence of
his capability and faithfulness. He occupies
a pleasant residence on Mt. Vernon
Street, Middletown, and endeavors to fulfill
the duties of a good citizen. Though
not a blind partizan, he usually supports
the efforts of the Republican party in
securing capable and upright government.
He is vice-president of the J. O. Smith
Manufacturing Company, and is identified
with various Masonic bodies up to the
thirty-second degree, through Scottish
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Rite. He is a member of St. John's Lodge,
No. 2, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
; Washington Chapter, No. 6, Royal
Arch Masons ; Cyrene Commandery, No.
8, Knights Templar ; Columbia Council
and Sphinx Temple, Ancient Arabic
;
Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of
Hartford. Through descent from Michael
Smith, he is a member of the New
York Society, Sons of the Revolution.
Mr. Smith married, April 12, 1909, Bessie
E. Burns, born January 13, 1882, in Westfield,
daughter of Edgar H. and Laura
Edith (Mildrum) Burns, the former a
native of Westfield and the latter of East
Berlin, Connecticut. Mr. Burns is an
active and useful citizen of Westfield,
identified with the J. O. Smith Manufac-
turing Company as foreman.
SPEAR, William Perkins,
Merchant.
A native of Middletown, Mr. Spear is
continuing the mercantile business estab-
lished by his father more than half a cen-
tury since, in that town. Aaron Spear,
grandfather of William Perkins, was born
in 1827, near Frankfurt, Germany, and
came to America before 1850, settling in
Hartford, Connecticut. Having little
capital, he started out in business in sell-
ing goods from a pack which he bore on
his back. He persevered and, in time,
saved sufficient capital to engage in business
in the city, having a partner, under
the style of Spear & Kohn. They con-
ducted a general store on Asylum Street,
and were started on a successful career
when an unfortunate accident closed Mr.
Spear's life. In i860, while passing a
building under construction, he was
struck by a falling board studded with
nails, some of which penetrated his brain,
and led to his death within a short time.
At first he seemed to recover, but his
death occurred suddenly soon after, and
was attributed to his injuries. Soon after
coming to Hartford, he brought his parents
from Germany to that city. He married,
in 1854, Nannie Kohn, who was born
18