Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-06-08
Death of Albert Smith.

In The last foreign news brought by the City OF
Baltimors 10 an item recording the death at Lon
don. On the esd instant, Of Albert Smith, the au.
thor, traveller and lecturer. who tor so many
years has catered for the amusement OF the Lon
don public. He was . prominent wit personal
friend Of Dickens and other distinguished writer's
of the day. and with Thackeray and Mark Lemon,
n successful contributor to Punch. lie, however.
has little claim 10 q permanent literary celebrity,
for he expended himself chiefly on magasine
skstches and tales, reviews and dramatic versions
Of popular plays.
Albert Smith is principally known as a show
man and traveller TO Mont Blanc. lilo was born
at CLertsey, in England. on the Oath Of May.
1916. At very carly age he manifested a. mark.
ed Q tendency Tor the panoramic and dioramc ca
reer he followed, ~ ever Mozart manifested for
music. When at school be spent his time in con-
structing little panoraEas for his schoolmates,
and In taking short excursions into the country.
He had sngulsr desire to visit Mont Blanc, and
took his fret journey ththcr in the bumblest style,
being unable 70 pay for tho usual nccommod y
tions on TIE route. Ills first visit only made him
DESTROYS 20 ascend to the summit OF the noun
taiu and when in after life no successfully achiev
ed the undertaking. he says that he considered
Of the CREST objects Of his lie accomplished.
Mr.. Saith had been for some time engaged in
travelling witha panorama through the provinces,
but after hie Successful ascent Of the highest
mountain n Europe he settled In London. and
conmeaeed the series of entertainments which no
Tor so many years successfully conducted His
establishment ives small salonn. not much larger
than Dodworth's, in what wa. known ms the Eyyp-
tian Hall. Piccsdilly. Here, night after night, he
received throngs If visitors from royalty itself to
the country FARMERS, who came to gape at the
wonders VI London. His entertainment. Tho
Journey to Mont Blanc" was panoramic and dos
chptve. The panorama was small and inferior
~ many exhibited in this country, but the vivac-
iy OF the lecturer wss always the great attraction
Mr.. amith talked to his audiences ms il they were
n party Of friends he was entertaining in h,s own
parlor. lie told stories. cracked jokes. INDUCED
in flashes Of wit and satire. described the charac
tiers be met land many he did not) on his trav
els. allthc time talking with such voluhiliy that
there Waa scarcely time TO laugh ut his playfu,
saliies. His lectures were the very opposite OF the
dry Stupid remarks which illustrate panoramic
shows elsewhere. For the last ten wears he at.
.trac,ed crowds, on an average. two hundred and
fifty nights year to his unique entertainments.
lie recently added n panorama Of "A voyage to
China to the attractions but did not prove as pom.
ular a. the Mont Blanc
Not long ago Mr.. Smith married Miss Mary
Kelley. daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. Kelley. actors
popular in England. The most enjoyable literary
work he has left is his ''Story of Mont Blame"
giving full account Of the various attempts mnde
to reach the top of the monarch Of mountains"
including q vivid and humorous account of his as
cent.-N. J. Post
Ia the town Of Deer6eld, N. H., lives n Mrs.
Anna Jenkins. who was one hundred and one
years old the 18th day January last Her maiden
name was Whidden, aud has been resi- dent Of
this place 80 years; her native town was Green
land, N. H., where she married when but 10
years old Mr. jenkins, who was hut one year
her senior, he died in 1903, aged "A years Sho
has been the mother Of four children. the last and
Oldest one. a son died in 1850. aged o. years
She sta and walks erect as my one, and is MP
parently as vigorous and moro energetic than
most women, and Is n good health, relishes
her food we'll, and has ever been noted for gond
sound common sence, Yet somewhat eccentric in
some of her habits Much Of her present good
health and prolonged life is doubtless attributed to
her early habits Of outdoor exercise for which abe
was % much famed, assisting her husband in
the plonghing planting, hoeius, hayiug and
gathering Of the crops. and even taking the lead
in the varied labor Of the day. and neglccting
not the necessary indoor work Of the family. Sho
was truly helpmate ms well as u helpcat. She is
amember Of the Congregational church OF that
place, and partook OF the sacrament when ninety.
Ave years old Her hearing failing somewhat. her
sight partially dimmed. she has not attended
church, since. Can read in her coarse print Bible
and does 40 daily. For eighty years she has KEEP,
ny her side one hundred silver dollars, which she
could not be persuaded to let or part with on any
account, keeping them, as she said. to pay hel
funeral expenses. Each night they are placed
under her pillow on leaving the house to visi
the peighbors. she places them in her pockets b,
her side. fur safe keeping. The follies, fashions
and silly habits Of the degenerate age she drsoaut
upon freely and huently. This money! had |, bce
pot out Mt compond interest would have ere ,hi
produced over twelve thousand dollars.