The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-15

Mr. Andrew II. Smith. the weil-known
Tacoma architect and building contractor,
who appeared as the subject Of an article
In recent issue OF the Post-Inteiligencer.
writes 10 this paper 10 make some ccrrec-
items in the article mentioned The story
printed about Mr.. Smith was that he was
preparing for mis- own funeral. being vic
tine OF cancer, and had agreed 10 make
the plans for an addition 10 the residence
payment for . casket and expenses Of In
ternent.
Mr. Smith writes TO say that the con-
tract between himself and Mr.. Hoska,
while Il was once actually entered into,
has been declared OF, and that he pro-
poses to demonstrate the unreliabiltty OF
the predictions that had been made OF him
that he could not survive more than six
months. Mr.. Smith says:
1.-The anatomical pest (the cancer1 to
which you refer has disappeared and i'm
mediate death from that source no longer
stares me In the face. and the contract
which / entered into with my undertaken
has since been abrogated by mutual con-
sent. He retains the casket I contracted
for, / allowing him the usual manufac-
tnrers discount. which he assured me was
s. per cent. OF the price ne had made to
me. At this rate Of discount. you can see
IL hardly pays me to live, but consented
to IL.
Some may think 1t strange .of a per-
son to make a contract for his own
funeral. and though you partly explain
my motive as being with thought OF
economy. I wish to add that a part of
my object was also to encourage my
friend Hoska In his undertaking business,
for 1t is well known fact that our Ia
coma undertakers are always at the
nj -
ever dies here: fact. By the way. which
In part accounts for our rapid increase
In population, and can no doubt be at
;ributed to our exceedingly invigorating
atmosphere here in the foothills of Mount
Tacoma, combined with a certain amount
or see breezes from Puget sound not APP
propriated by Seattle.
II would like to inform my friends
who read your article how l became a
we'll man. / was operated on In this city
nine weeks ago for the trouble you stated,
and the doctors found what they termed
q cancer Il prefer to call II tumor) in
my abdomen: but. being well supplied
with blood. they concluded II would mean
instant death to remove II. ana so clamp
ed me together again and said I was at
liberty TO die at any time inside a year.
They told me not to disappoint Them
NOW this Is where our Puget sound and
mountain air again got in its work NY
Intention was to obey the doctors, as my
preparation for departure proves. but the
simple fact Of opening the abdominal
cavity and allowing our pure air to en-
ter made the growth completely disap-
pear in eight weeks, and am today as
we'll as ever.
Now I ask. where is the necessity
after this for splitting q fellow wide
open for trouble Of this nature. when
all doctor has TO do is to take his pen
knife ana his bicycle pump. and with
natures own remedy so abundant restore
his patient to perfecf health?
Il have failed to mention one item con-
tanned In your article OF the 9Th. which
am especially particular about having
corrected 1t is the assertion that have
some money saved up. This Is not true;
we are not mean enough to do the likes
OF tnat here In Tacoma, and 1t is not only
not true, but II is mischievous; Il makes
my creditors uneasy, and to do Complete
justice to me this correction should an
pear In display type. But I will not IN.
sist upon that II you viii promise, IN
printing this. not TO nickname Mount ra-
eoiiid' ANDREW III. SMITH"