The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-30
AN OLD FAMILY.
i SSme Which Has Survived Many
Changes, Troubles and Temptations.

Nam. which Has Survived Many
Changes. Troubles and Temptations.
The Smiths are numerous tribe.
Who hath not known Smith? They
are an old family. History makes
no mention of the time when there
were no Smiths They take their
name from the trade of their founder,
as do most families in some way or an
other. The Fletchers were arrow
makers, as their name signifies, and
the Taylors, the SINNERS, the Butch
ers, the Brewers and other familiar ex-
amples. Probably the original Smith,
old Smith, father of the first Smith"
boys" was Tubal Cain, who ran a
large establishment where swords ana
armor were fabricated in quantities
to suit. Tubal was familiar figure to
school-boys of thirty years ago, and
they delighted to read sin concert"
that is, in dissonance. that BY the fierco
red light of the furnace bright the
strokes of his hammer rang. But we
iigress. and have been led into the di-
erosion by reflections on the antiquity
Of the Smith pedigree. That it is an
cient is evident; that the family
s still numerous and flourish
ng is made equally apparent by
he great gathering of the Clan
Smith At Peapack, n. j., when three
thousand Smiths. descendants of Zach
arlah Smith, who settled there a GEN.
Jury or more ago. reported for pleas
are. One is readily prepared to accept
when the three thousand Smiths sat
Down to dine together, three thousand
smiths feeding rs one, the scene beg
CARED description. Among so many
people there were of course many types
Of the genus Smith. There were Smiths
with raven tresses; Smiths with golden
locks-called red hair by brunette
Smith girls-tall Smiths. short Smiths;
who firmly believe all Smiths
are created free and equal; patrician
and exclusive Smiths, from Smithbor-
ough, who wish it distinctly under
stood that they are the same in blood
with the Smiths OF Smithyille, but in
worldly circumstances far different.
All these and many more were present.
Lizzie Smith-lives there a man with
so circumscribed that he
has not known q Lizzie Smith?-read a
poem written for the occasion" In
this poem she remarked
The Smiths are here with much to boast
or hOuOred names; a mighty host
OF poets. authors and divines:
Their words appear in golden lines.
The family tree is spreading still.
And Smiths are crowdng vale and hill.
Three cheers for all good Smiths we say,
And greeting give them all to-day.
Really. we don't know why the Smiths
have not good reason to feel that the
poet was only stating the facts. For
the Smiths have given to the world
many men of tirst-class talent, if they
have not swayed empires or written
popular novels. America has special
reason TO remember the Smiths, for the
name is intimately associated with her
history from the time of that never to
lie forgotten club meeting at which
Captain John Smith came so near be-
ing inundated by the first families of
Virginia. Probably the doubts which
are cast upon the authenticity of his
are due to the hostility of the
Browns or some other clans a little less
than the Smiths. That
"Slniths are crowding vale and hill'
hardly needs demonstration, but if il
did, the circumstance remarked by one
speaker at Peapack, that on the Dor.
icrs of Cayuga Lake dwell four hundred
Smiths, who hold reunions annually,
would be accepted as evidence. The
Smith' may fairly claim to be one OF
our oldest families. Boston transcript. !