Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-19
exit SOL,
Death of an Old and weII-hnown
Comedian.
From the st. Louis Republican. Feb. Is.

illness at his residence, in this city, yes
terday morning, at l016 O'Clock, in the |
bSth year of his age.
Sol. Smith was numbered among our
oldest citizens, and probably no resident
OF the city was more widely known, he |
having been for long series of years a
theatrical manager and popular actor in
most of the principal cities of the West |
and South, and during most of these |
years he regarded st. Louis as his home.
His loss will be deeply regretted by our
citizens generally, but especially by those
to whom he had been long socially known.
Sol. Smith was born at Norwich, o.
wego county, New York, about the be-
ginning Of the present century. His
father, Levi Smith, when a boy, was
fifer IN volunteer company in the Revo-
lutionary War. After the close of the
war he learned the trade of a goldsmith,
married and finally settled on military
tract, where he had located forty acres of
land for which he had received patent
for his military services. This was in So
lon, CORTLAND county, New York, then
almost wilderness. Here, and in the
immediate vicinity, Mr.. Smith spent
twelve years of his boyhood in log
cabin. There was large family Of boys,
and some Of them at an early age were
obliged to earn their own living.
Solomon worked on a neighbOring
farm for four years, and in the winter
season got three quarters schooling-all
be ever had. At the age of thirteen he
was taken into the store of his brother
Silas, in Boston--where, however, he did
not remain long. He early exhibited an
adventurous spirit and a disposition to
change his place Of residence.
In 1914 he moved to Albany, New
York, and engaged as clerk in the store
of another brother, where he remained
three years. Here he employed his
leisure time in reading Shakspeare's
plays, with which he became familiar bes
fore he had ever seen play acted. While
in Albany, he went to the theatre for the
first time, and, as he himself expresses
it, I" his head became full of acting" He
was seized with an incurable stage mania,
which eventually determined his profess
sion. He often went to the theatre by
stealth, and was finally enrolled as
"supernumerary."
At length he made up his mind to APP
pear on the stage as an actor, and ran oil
to Troy, New York, for this purpose. He
did not succeed in getting an engagement,
and wandered to Saratoga, thence to
Schenectady, and finally started to the
West, travelling and working at anything
he could get to do to replenish his purse.
By these means he reached Cincinnati,
and remaining there but short time, he
proceeded to Louisville, and engaged
himself as an apprentice to the printing
business, both working as compositor
and carrying the newspaper. Becoming
dissatisfied with the treatment received,
he migrated to Vincennes, Indiana, and
again engaged himself as an apprentice in
a printing office. Here he became so ex-
pert that he was promoted to the fore-
manship Of the establishment. At Vim
cennes he Joined a Thespian society, and
played comedy parts with some success
as an amateur. At length the printing
Office burned down, and he wandered to
Nashville, where he engaged as ajourney-
man printer.
After working at the case for q short
time, he left Nashville and travelled on
foot to Cincinnati, where he Joined his
brothers, nearly all of whom had settled
in that city. Here he joined another
Thespian club, and acted Young Norv-
al" which character was his earliest ideal
Of hero. In 1920 he returned TO Wins
cennes and there met dramatic COM
pany, which he joined, and commenced
playing on regular stage at salary Of
Sc per week. After playing eight weeks
he returned to Cincinnati, and determined
to study law. He commended the study
in earnest, but his passion for the stage
soon seized him again, and he engaged
himself as ''prompter' in the Cincinnati
theater-season of 1S2l-2-without re-
linquishing his idea Of studying law, which
he continued at intervals for some months.
In July, 1922, he commenced printing
paper in Cincinnati, called the Independ-
emit Press. This enterprise he relin-
pushed the next year, and selling out
the paper, which didn't pay, he went to
Lexington, Kentucky, and, after playing
one night in the theater, he commenced
gathering together q regular dramatic
company, and thereafter for thirty years
he followed the occupation of theatrical
manager and actor.
In Sol. Smiths early career it was
long an undecided question whether he
would choose the profession of prinser,
editor lawyer or actor. The drama was
his first love, and finally triumphed. In
the meantime he had married, and his
wife possessing attractive dramatic tai
ents, probably had much to do with de.
Gliding his profession. He travelled with
mis- company, giving dramatic perform
ances and concerts in the Ohio river
towns, and places of sufficient impor-
lance in the interior, with varying
success. In the winter Of 1928, he
played in New Orleans, Natchez, Mem
pills. St. Louis and other cities on the
Mississippi river. In this city he was the
manager Of the old theater on Second
street, between Olive and Locust streets,
commonly called the "Salthouse," when
a new theater was projected, corner
of Third and Olive streets, which was
opened July 3, 1887, under his manage,
ment. For many years he played his
company between st. Louis, Mobile and |
New Orleans. playing in the South dur
ing the winter seasons.
H. oLonIonoJ thoof,;ooI Il
and all business connection with the |
theaters, in 1853, and soon thereafter
turned his attention to the practice OF |
law in this city. During the latter years
Of his life he occasionally mingled in poll
tics, but had no aspirations for the emolu-
ments Of office, and the whole field was
uncongenial to his nature. In this con-
nection, we may add that in 1861 he was
elected member Of the Missouri State
Convention as an unconditional Union
man, and in that body bore a part in
erecting a provisional government for the
State.
The early part Of Sol. Smiths theatri-
al career was checkersd and marked BY
of fortune in the sparsely
settled West, but he bore up manfully
Under many reverses and finally achieved
substantial fame as an actor and accumu>
ated q very handsome fortune.
He grew up with the theatrical spirit
If the West, and expanded with it. He
became a power in the theatrical world,
md his experience of the stage extended
'ver nearly half century. As an actor
lis forte was comedy, and he belonged to
he old legitimate stock of comedians, of
Vhom so few are left to grace the stage.