The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-08-06
THE LATE BAccHUs ]. SMITH

| Mr.. Smith was born three miles we5i
of Asheyille, N. O., August 9Th, 1804, died
July 31st., 1886. Had he lived eight days
longer heswould have been 50 years ol
age. The years of his life, covering more
than three quarters ofa century, embrac
ed historic period full of events and
political change. He was at all times
fully alive to passing events, and possess
ing an unusual memory, he could give
an intelligent account of the influences
which certain changes had upon the pub
lie mind. In 1920 his father removed to
the Tennessee Valley, now Macon coun-
ty, where our subject was reared ON a
farm. In 1927 or % he came to Hay
wood county, and engaged with Capt N.
S. Jarrett in the ginseng business. In
about 1880 he went to Caney River, then
in Buncombe county, now YanceY, and
engaged in mercantile pursuits and the
collection and manufacture of Ginseng,
with Gen. ]. w. McElroy as his rtner.
When the county of Yancey wa organ
ICED the firm moved to BurnsYille. He
was elected torepresent that county in
the constit itutional convention which met
in 1886. The business of Smith and Nc
Elroy continued until 1883. The season
of 1887 was the most prosperous year in
the ginseng business which the firm ever
had. That season they collected at two
factories, one at BurnsVille and one in
sAshe county about eighty-six thousand
pounds of greemroot freshly dug which
they steamed and prepared for the mar
ket. Soon after the firm closed Mr..
Smith moved to where Marshall now
stands and engaged with his brother-in-
law, the late A. E. Baird, in mercantile
pursuits and in keeping public inn for
the accommodation of the great stock
travel from Kentucky and Tennessee to
the South, and to and from the Warm
Springs. From thence he moved to
AsheVille where he closed his long and
active life in peace with God and man.
kind. Mr.. Smith was an honest man.
The business of Smith and McElroy and
that of Smith and Baird which lasted for
thirty years was closed without hard
words or a murmur. The loss of an
honest, truthful, and conservative>man is
a calamity to any community, and such
was B. J. Smith.
The patriarchal men who were con-
nected with the early times and opening
of this wild mountain region deserve
information which would have added
greatly to the history of our State, had
the facts been reduced to writing and
preserved. Mr.. Smith could have given
an interesting account, of service his
father rendered about the close of the
trouble between the Cherokees and
whites just after our revolutionary war
had ended. Before any white family had
settled west of the Blue Ridge his father
who was reaching mans estate, was sent
out as messenger by the commandant at
Old Fort with letter to the head chief
of the Cherokees at Coosawattee towns,
some 25 miles from Rome, Ga, in refer
ence to an exchange of prisoners. He
was.under the protection OF trusted In
dian having some authority. He crossed
the Ridge at the Swanranoa Gap, and
following the principal trail held talk
with the Indians at the Cowee towns in
the Tennessee Valley, and again at the
Valley towns and last at the Ellijay towns
from which he was allowed without fur
ther parley 70 pass on to Coosawattee.
The chief received him kindly and af-
ter favorable consideration of his mis-
sion gave him safe return by the same
route. We mention this fact to show
how our aged men who are but few and
are rapidly passing away connect us
with many thrilling incidents of the
past. B. j. Smith was of retiring dispo-
sition and did not write for history
but had some oneinclined that way in
terviewed him, they might have gained
many facts of interest for the future his
tory of this transmontane region. But
he has passed away, and his knowledge
of the past with his quiet, exemplary
life are buried together. He has very
large connection of relatives, in this and
counties. Rev. DIR. c. D.
Smith, of Macon, is a brother. Mr..
Smith was, we believe, a member of the
Methodist Church. His virtues, as we'll
as strong, good sense, made their i'm
preston upon his fellows, and ii hon.
est smile will be sadly missed by : very
large circle.