The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-22
WHO is HOKE sMITHa
A Pen and Ink Sketch of the New
Secretary of the Interior.

Secretary of the Interior.
"Who is this Hoke Smith-this new man
of the South who is to be made Secretary of
the Interior by Mr.. Cleveland ?"
To this question. which everybody Is
asking, the New York Herald replied as
follows:
Could you Lave seen him as he walked.
or. rather, as he swung, into the Mills
building about noon with his overeoat hung
over his arm; if you could have felt the
elevator ear sag as he stepped into 1t you
would have said TO yourself:
Here is a man who knows how to shoul-
der his way through the world, and. good
ness. what match he would make for
Wilson S. Bissellv'
Tall? Six feet two. Heavyp Two hun
dred and sixty-five, at least. Built like
pugilist, set as squarely on his feet as a
wrestler, with n clear, gray eye; smooth,
firm face: laugh as hoarse and hearty as
a shippers and a smile as pleasant and
catching as a pretty womsn's. No paunch
to speak of, as is mostly the case with heavy
men, and movement Of limb so free as to
suggest that he took and loved much out
door exercise. and yet with a whteness of
skin not at all in keeping with the general
air of high spirits and perfect health that
he wears.
This is Hoke Smith. And when he came
ont of Mr.. Cleveland's ossice yesterday and
said to waiting friends, "Mr. Cleveland has
offered me the place and | have accepted
it." the way the news was received by those
friends showed that he has way of max
ing people like him.
Hoke Smith is 3S years old. He does not
look it. He lives in Atlanta, Ga. He is
lawyer, and an anti-corporation lawyer at
that. which NAV seem strange when it is
known that Henry Willard wanted him to
60 into the Interior Department.
He has been credited with being jour-
nalst. he isn't. except in so far as he
owns the Atlanta Journal. He doesn't edit
1t. aud he only owns it as part OF the
stock in trade of successful Southern poll
tician
Hoke Smith never held an Office. except
that he is a member of the school board of
his town. He was born in Lincolnton. n
C. His father is Professor II. II. Smith. an
educator OF Atlanta.
Hoke was named Michael Hoke Smith.
Hoke was his mothers maiden name, and
her father was Jude Hoke. When he got
old enough to safely do so he rebelled,
QTOppbQ tUe miCHdci, anu HAS sHOuIucIcu
his way through the world as plain Hoke
Smith ever since. He moved to Atlanta
prior to 1880. His father soon followed
him.
Hoke went to the bar and got to the very
front. He has been the best-known
lawyer In Georgia for ten years.
In that orporation-hating State he has
won so many damage cases against rail-
roads and got such big damages that the
Georgia roads would have gone into the
hands of receivers even If the Railroad
Commissioners of that State had let them
alone.
he is a power before jury in his plain.
blunt way. and they say he has set the pace
for the lawyers of Atlanta and they all
want to get damage cases. 1t has become a
craze of the bar. A few days ago when a
woman was hurt by streetcar, six lawyers
called on her to get the case before doctor
got to see her.
Hoke Smith was the leader OF the Cleve-
land forces in Georgia when the Hill men
came so near getting the delegates to Chi
cago. He went to Chicago and was men,
ber of the famous Whitney committee.
This committee was composed OF one
absolutely trustworthy man from each
State.
There was only one thing to dim the
luster of his star mt Chicago. When the
Georgia delegation came to vote for men,
Der of the national committee Clark How
ell beat him by vote of % to 4.
But Hoke Smith did not mind that. he
continues to be the Cleveland leader in
Georgia, and although partisan newspapers
may rake his reputation as a lawyer he will
use his paper to reply and think little about
Ii.
He has been much in this city since the
election. He usually stays at the st. James
Hotel, but he did not go there yesterday.
| The realization of national fame had made
Mr.. Smith think that exclusiveness might
| be wise. So he dned at club and left for
| home on the midnight train.
Mrs. Hoke Smith Is quite as interesting a
| person as her husband. She is beauty and
a lady of fine presence and equally fine ac-
| complishments. She will shine in the Cab
/ met circles at Washington.
| Mrs. Smith is the daughter OF General
| Howell Cobb Of Georgia, who was gallant