Daily Republican., 1884-12-26
JUNIUSSMJTH, IL. D.
BIT JAMES PARTON.

D., who set on foot the system OF naviga-
ting the broad ocean by steam vessels. 1t
was q company formed by him which
sent the Sirius across the ocean in the
spring OF 1888. 1t was he who built the
British Queen. 1t was his faith, his cour-
age, and, above all, his persistence, which
overcaIne opposition, timdity and inditfer
ence, and thus revolutiOnized the com.
mercial system of the world.
And ali he got for It was the privileges
Of writing himself down Doctor OF
Laws.
In 1904 Junius Smith, descended fir IN
an old Connecticut family, was practic
ing law at New Haven, twenty four years
of age. He delivered the Fourth of July
grafton at New Haven In that year ; soon
after which mercantile firm OF that city,
TO which his brother belonged, put into
his hands very important case, which
proved to be the turning point OF his own
career. Their ship Mohawk 1, trading to the
West Indies, WAS captured by British |
cruiser and sent into ToI tOla, one OF the
Virgin Islands belonging to Great Britain, |
where she was condemned as lawful
prize and sold for thr benefit of the cap
tors. The firm appealed to the English
Courto of Admiralty, and asked this young
lawyer to go to London and argue the
appeal.
He went, sailing from New York on
Evacuation day, November 25, 1905.
The law system OF England had not
then been reformed, and 1t was two years
before he could get hearing. However,
his time came at length. He argued his
cause before the Lords of Appeal, who
reversed the decree Of the courttn TortolA,
snd ordered the proceeds OF the sale OF
- ~ tn Utvan the
Iowners.
During this long delay the young law
yer, being . Yankee Of the old energetic
lstyle, made some commercial specula-
4 tions of his own, formed aconnecton with
an important house in New York, and
J found himself, In fact, at the head of an
important business. He made money,
and occasionally lost some, but, upon
the whole, was prosperous merchant.
He Tell 10 love with an English girl,
!, HON he met at the house Of q friend In
the country, whose family he had never
seen. He describes her In long letter
of a later date as All accomplished and
. elegant girl In every respect, as well as
one of the best and most spiritually
minded woman that adorned Great
/, Britain"
He piled his suit with the natural ardo,
ofa Yankee lover, and, as he believed
with some success. Before he had mad,
the acquaintance Of any member OF bei
family, he was obliged to return for a
Isnort time to America. No doubt ht
lhad come to pretty clear understanding
: with the young lady. for he says
D &" sailed in November, 1910, leaving
q, nv delicate domestic affairs in loose
> unsettled state and yet thought SHOULD
> lind my lair one single on my return.
I'll He was gone seven months. Great wa
4 his joy, on reaching England, to lear
that she was not only unmarried but ha'
rejected two good offers of marriage In hi
lahsence. He at once wrote to her fathei
and In the true old-tashioned style, CAV
r him plenty OF " references to American
!. merchants In London and Liverpool. III
found the father much more difficult I
manage than the daughter. 1t was no
( until he had pressed him hard, and, CON
mandatory letters, that the stud
Brton took him by the hand, and pr'
nounced the significant words
r. ~ shall be very happy to see you
my house."
le 1t was enough. The marriage too
g place soon after, and the victoious Yankt
,r became 3 domesticated Englishmal
Twenty years passed, during which b
)r ling success, and then occurred the exper
enee which led him to enter upon ii
business of ocean steam navigation.
>. August, 1882, having business IN Ne
1T York, he set sail, with his family, in Il
Z. English barque st. Leonard, which b
had himself chartered for tn
voyage. The passage was rough and e!
tremely tedious, being protracted to mo
than eight weeks. As he paced the decl
r. Impatient and possibly irritated by Il
- com plants of his one hundred aud fif
~ passengers, the thought occurred to hin
c. Why not do thus BY s.eam''
Ill The more lie renected upon It, the mo
}. sa isfied he became that crossing the oce'
"A by steam was not only practicable, 81
~ was better, safer, and more econm
than the transit by sails. 1t is evide
DC that Junius Smith now caught the man
ra of the imprQver. AS soon as he reach'
New York he began to discuss the pr
r. ject with merchants and others, but VIII
out meeting the least encouragement
, grew more confident by meeting the arg
ments of bis opponents. He says
al answered all DIRECTORS TO my ov
I lsatisfaction, and gathe red strength in t
combat, although l knew that they
manned unconvinced, for iDcreduliiy "
visible upon every feature.
He at lenath resolved, before leavir
. New York, to propose to leading me
tenants and capitalists the formation OF
. company for carrying out the project.
called upon Philip Hone, Goodhuc u CO
= and several others. The answer he I
ceived In substance was
"Try the experiment when you
- back to London, and if 1t succeeds '
will come in and join you"
~ On reaching London, he tried frst
bring over to his views the directors
steamship lines plying between Lond
and Scotland. His letter TO one OF tho
ara, boards, and their very positive and u
ha, compromising refusal have boon preserv
and to this day, together with a mass OF sin
dis liar proofs of his zeal and the indiff'
EEL euce of capitalists. Then he tried to cha
N, thh ter q small stea nship himself Aft
rel some days OF negotiation, he found I'll
mt the chip had sixteen owners, and he
90, nounced forthwith the project of induci
ant sixteen men TO accept 30 audacious
.aci scheme.
asS He next tried 10 form company for
no. purpose, and on June /, 1885, issued
,ist prospectus, proposing to raise one hu
pait dred thousand pounds in shares OF Il
usi hundred pounds each. This he sent
g Al every merchant and capitalist in Gre
'rGS Britain who could be thought of as like
Use; to favor such pro- ect. Not one sha
,UeIi was applied for. Not one encourage
age response was received. On the contral
her the plan was treated with something me
y al, than ridicule which ordinarily ASA
emit scheme, that are considered to belong
ane the bubble species. Merchants engag
n lin American commerce were hostile
hot ho IN ada hia mind