The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-12-09
ANOTHER.

By the direction of Mr.. Conner F took
a Wagon road up the hill and through
the farm ofMr Davenport, and debouch-
ing on the ridge road leading from Clar-
ington to Bsallsville, opposite the David
Ruble district school house. Turning
few rods to the right, found myself be-
fore Mother Smiths door, just one mile
from Conner's, one mile East of Gaits's
lanyard and seven miles West of my
house on the River; she kindly gave me
the following statistics of herself and her
extraordinary family. She has had elev-
en- children. One died an infant. Five,
that is, four daughters and son, have
grown to the age of men and women, are
very healthy, fine looking and yet living,
and like herself, are all members of the
Christian Church. Mann Smith, the only
son free from deformity, is twenty seven
years of age, and seems to have devoted
himself very piously to the care of the
mother and her extraordinary charge.
The father died some years ago. The
other FIVE children, all males, scere defor-
med unnatural productions. The oldest,
Salathiel Smith is thirty eight years old
and still living. The second, jackson
Smith, died three years ago, in June, aged
thirty three. The third, William Smith,
also died three years age in the same
month, aged twenty eight years. The
fourth, Josephus Smith, is still living and
aged twenty nine years. The fifth, and
youngest, Seevens Smith, is still living
and aged nineteen years. They were all
very crooked in BODY and limbs; and the
extremities very much elongated. They
can hear, and make some Noises, intelli-
gible to the mother and those most in
timately conversant with them. The
mother, and what kind mother does not,
thinks them very shrewd and observant.
Some two or three years before I came
to the county, say twenty one or two
years ago, under the auspices of John
Seevest, who was at that time a member
of the Christian Church, and Bro. Dr. J.
7. .Crist, who is still member and resi-
des at Captina Belmont Co. o., the
| Christian brotherhood raised the sum Of
Fifty dollars in behalf of the family, and
entered forty acre tract of land, adjoin
i g the site of the above named scheol
house, almost the whole of which, Mann
Smith has since gotten under a fine
state Of cultivation, with good house
and other necessary Improvements. For
some twenty one or two years past they
have received some perquistes annually,
through our laws for the benefit of the
poor. Some few years back, when the
present County Infrmary for the poor
near Woodsfield, went into operation;
understood from another source, that the
law requiring them to be removed to the
Infrmary, gave our dear old mother,
great trouble But like a noble hen,
when her long cherished brood are endan-
gered from the hawk, she raised her feath.
ers, giving warning to the intruders. and
brought the sturdy Commissioners to
terms, hope legally; for feel well as
sured it was righteously; and compromis
ed with them, by receiving one hundred
dollars annually, to aid in the support of
the three, that are still alive, with per-
NIT, to remain where they had been SO
long and faithfully cherished. may be
wrong IN some Of these items, having them
merely from common rumor; but feel
confident that am in the main correct.
T have no more to add, save that for the
credit of the county, where I have labored
twenty years, l would that could in
truth, have put in this document at least,
fifty dollars each, per annum to these OBJ
ljects ofpity and mercy, left at our door,
by Providence that cannot err to try us.
1.-The poor you have always with you, me
(in person )you have not always with you" "
Shame on us fellow citizens, shall we
waste and squander our mems on the lazy
worthless, unprincipled vagrants, and
pass by the truly meritorious and strug-
Cling; because forsooth they are not
- 80 sk H., 8