BRYDEN, Samuel W.

BRYDEN, GOOD, HAZELETT, LUTZ

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 1/20/2003 at 11:54:04

SAMUEL W. BRYDEN. 

Among the representative railroad men of Clinton is number S. W. Bryden, who is a conductor on the east Iowa division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. He is a native of Staffordshire, England, and was three years old when he came to the new world with his parents, the family locating at Kingston, Pennsylvania, where his father, William Bryden, entered the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Coal Company. He was one of the rescuing party at the Avondale disaster, and was connected with the company until 1876, when he entered the service of the Charles Hutchison Company, and was later with Paine & Company. He has also followed mining in England. Throughout life he continued to make his home in Kingston, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, and there his death occurred in 1897. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Good, died November 18, 1885. They were the parents of three children, namely: S. W., our subject; J. A., a contractor, of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania; and J. Y., deceased.

The early educational advantages of our subject were such as the public schools of Luzerne county afforded during his boyhood. At the age of eleven years he commenced work for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, and continued in the employ of that company until 1875, after which he was in the employ of the Hutchison Coal Company for five years. He then went to Canada, but soon returned to Pennsylvania and accepted a position with the firm of Paine & Perrin, remaining with them until 1882, when he again entered the service of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company as a machinist, in their shops at Kingston. On leaving their employ, in 1884, Mr. Bryden went to Lansing, Michigan, where he worked in an agricultural implement factory for about seven months, and on the 8th of August, that year, came to Clinton, Iowa, where he was in the employ of the Clinton Lumber Company for a short time. In the fall of 1884 he went to Kansas City, and was with the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf (now Memphis) Railroad for a time. Returning to Clinton, Mr. Bryden entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway as brakeman, and was promoted to conductor in June, 1890, in which capacity he is still serving the company. He has always been connected with the eastern Iowa division, excepting during the year 1892, when he was on the Iowa division. Straightforward and reliable in all things, he has always faithfully served the companies with which he has been connected, and has commanded the respect and confidence of both his employers and business associates. Since 1893 he has been an honored member of the Order of Railway Conductors, and also affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

February 29, 1888, Mr. Bryden married Miss Sarah Hazelett, of Shickshinny, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of George and Anna (Lutz) Hazelett, both of whom were natives of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Bryden have two children, Anna and Walter, both of whom are now in school. George Hazelett, the father, was a farmer of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, was a soldier of the Civil war for about two years. He, with his wife, still lives on the old home farm, in Pennsylvania.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.