The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-04
Epistles to St. Paul.

The late Gen. Smith was known to st. Paul
people generally in his profession of peda-
gogy, and there are perhaps not many of the
younger generation, even those over whose
euucatlon he presided who knew much of
MIN as soldier. 1t Is a fact that Is likely
to be recalled now that. he was a most cour-
ageous soldier of whom many camp fire tales
nave been told. It. would be worth while
looking UP the details of the occasion when
ne came very near being tried for insubordi-
nation when the general commanding his
prlgade ordered retreat before an inferior
force and Gen. Smith begged him with tears
IN his eyes to detach his regiment and let
MIN report that night. Some Of his old COM
RACES VIII presently tell the story, for it was
willie ne was yet colonel and the incident
Will De remembered. He is said to have been
very lovable man in his disposition and he
lived an ideal life
A feature of his daily routine which OBJ
servers living in the neghborhood of the
Madison school have had their attention call
Gu TO many times was the devoted attach
ment between Gen. Smith and his wife. The
most common sight in the vicinity of the
scnool was his coming and going from his
duty Mrs. Smith drove the general to the
school door every morning, came for him at
neon, returned with him after lunch and
TOOK drive with him after school hours.
Inc very children observed the devotion of
their principal and his wife,
Aside from the greater and tenderer attri-
putes or courage and affection-and perhaps
they are twin characteristics generalization
smith mad fund of keen humor even in
the school room that is now remembered by
the men who were boys at the time he was
IN charge of the Franklin school. Charlie
Falrch1ld and lot of well known young
men about town went to school to the gen.
eral there. One of them recalled yesterday
an instance of Gen. Smiths humor.
IL was more years ago than l want to tell
now. The First Baptist church, which had
been built largely through the efforts of
Horace Thompson, of the First National
bank, was close enough to the school so that
we boys used to time ourselves by the church
bell. You don't know it perhaps, but it used
to be said that you could search the list OF
pew renters in the church and get a pretty
fair list of depositors in the bank of which
Mr.. Thompson was the head
'One day at noon we heard the church bell
ring twelve and we thought we were due to
get. The general had evidently not otserv d
the time, so one youngster got up and called
his attention to the fact that the church bell
had rung the hour of noon. Gen. Smith
looked down at the boy and remarked:
Young man, We do not keep time in this
school by the First National Baptist church
bell. 1t is not yet noon'"
A friend of Dow Smiths from the country
wanted to know about, the change from the
cable to an electric system. He caught the
heavyweight superintendent on Fourth street
yesterday.
What was the, idea.. Down. he asked.
why take out the cable system?"
well, I'll tell YOU said Dow. "You see
the chief Of police sent out an order to the
effect that all slot games. had to go and thai
put us up against it,
"Did you ever See "a Minneapolis news
papers South Minneapolis page" asked
Steve Picha of Harry Sundberg.
''No, I didn't: what an idotic question
What about it?''
"Well," said Steve, 'I was looking at the
personal column and 1t looked to me for all
the world like the passenger list of Thing
valla line steamship"