The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-09-09
REUNION OF THE SMITHS.
Immense Gathering i'm New Jersey of
People with u Familiar Name
over 5000 Partako of the
Feast and GlOrify
Their Common
Creator.
New York Herald

Creator.
New York Herald
The annual reunion OF the great Smitl
family of New Jersey, was he'd yesterds.
in beautiful grove of apple trees on the sit
of the old homestead of Sarah Smith, at Pea
pack. 1t was perhaps the largest fsmil,
gathering ever yet taken place. There wer
fully three thousand persons present, al
supposed to be lineally descended from o
connected with the original John Schmidt
OF Holland, who settled in Stanton, Hun
tington county, N. j., over one hundred
and thirtyhve years ago, and changed hi:
name to Smith after he understood the ways
of the country. He was genuine Dutch
man-slow, plodding, industrious and hon
est--and the impress of his character is left
upon agoo1 portion of his progeny to-day
His descendants came from near and far to
the picnic. They came in multitudes from
such places in the state rs Stanton, Somer-
vile, White House, Morristewn, North
Branch, Dover, Chester and Warren
county, and in struggling attachments from
New York state, Michigan, Virginia, Cali
fornia, Florida, Texas and Ohio. The
roads leading to Peapack for forty miles
around were alive with people, all in
holiday gsrb, moving toward the one
great point ofattraction in vehicles of every
imaginable kin1-bugges, carriages, soda
water wagons, and even tru ks fitted up for
the occasion. The weather was in every way
favorable, especially in respect to the travel
ing, the dust being laid by the late rains,
while the teecy banks of clouds kept of the
intense heat of the sun.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE DAY.
AT II O'clock the president of the associa-
ton, Mr. Isaiah Smith, of Mllburn, called
the company to order, and said: "We allow
ladies among us to vote, and if they don't
vote now on the election of officers for this
association they won't know how to when
tho time comes to vote for president of the
United States. Who will you have for
president of this association for the next
year. His own name was
proposed by one of the in
mum rable Smiths around, and he was elected
by reclamation, but not until he had to call
upon the ladies to speak up and declare
themselves Abraham Smith was elected
vice president, James 9. Smith secretary,
Charles Van Arsdale recording secretary and
Oscar Smith treasurer. Shall we hold
another re.union?" cried the president, and
then the ladies were heard ia a shrill affirm
alive: "Where shall we hold it? On the
same grounds" continued the president, and
again the ladies responded with hearty
Affirmative to the second clause of the in
quiry. AT this time all the most distin-
guiShed Smiths were seated on the platform.
Not single plain John Smith was on the
grounds; in fact tho only one bearing the
christian name of the founder of this vast
ia miy is John Dayton Smith, but the middle
name takes away from the exact verisimil-
tude. At IL O'clock, when the dinner was
announced the grove was so full that the
tables were inadequate to accommodate the
throng, and hundreds retired to the green
slopes in the vicinity, or to their wagons, and
refreshed themselves there.
SAYING SOMETHING THE SMITHS.
ATT o'clock speaki began with dis.
course by Rev. Charles H. Anderson on the
relations of the family to the state. Usually
Mr.. Anderson deliver, an historical address
concerning the Smith family, but as he has
already done so six times he concluded hi,
audience desired a change, So he gave them an
interesting essay on how tho family affects the
moral, religious and intellectual tone of
every man and woman. The Rev. Charles
Woodruff made the ladies giggle when he
said, referring to the multitude of children
pr sent 81 have heard the cry of the Smith
infantry in these woods, and am satisfied
there is no fear Of failure on the part of the
great Smith Manutactnr ng company" Rev.
Robert l.. Day, of Cokesbury, N. j., and
Rev. Mr.. McNair, of Bedminster, made ad.
dresses, and 50 did some half dozen of the all
pervading Smiths. The name Of Smith
filed the air and echoed through the woods.
1t was Glow dye do, Mrs. SMITH" GLOW
dye do, Mr.. Smith, "How dive do. Miss
SMITH" No zephyr waited through the
trees but famed the faces OF dozen Smiths
no horse hitched by the roadside fence bn,
claimed Smith for an owner, no apple fall
ing from the overlade1 trees in the grove
but fell on the head of Smith
1t was Smith here, there sad every
where. Of course there were many of othe,
names, and the Garrabrants, who mar
ried exclusively into the Smith fam
lily, were, perhaps the most numerous; but
immortal name OF Smith dwarfed all othel
names or combinations OF names into ute
insignifcsnce. At 4 o'clock, while tho shor
addresses from the platform were still pro
ceeding, the number present was so prea
as almost to impede locomotion in III,
grove. The road for almost milo and
half away was lined with horses and wsg
ons, while hundreds we're draw n up in m
yard and sheds Of the old Smith home
stead. There was great display of prett,
Jersey girls-pretty rs their own nativ
peaches, and dressed with taste and sim
plicity that made them doubly FASCINATING
Many nice young men were also on hane
HISTORY OF TUE SMITH YAMILY.
: john Schmidt, the founder of the fam
ly, came to America from Holland in m
year l743, landed vt New York and witho,
delay crossed over to New Jersey and settle
at Stanton, Huntington county. Here he re
q manned until his death, In l776. He was
farmer by occupation. A year or so after h
}. settled in Jersey he married Christians Hu
y sol, German girl living 10 the vicinity. III
rair had seventeen chiIdren--nine bows An
; eight g'rls--named respectively. Christophe