The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-31
" HERE Y'ARE, Mr.. SMITH"
THREE THOUSAND orr GREAT Fam
ny PICNIC At PEIPICH.
A Difference. Now of As PeEvory Man By


Tvo It,sre Loaders-rnch Arrival .
s,ort Cu, TO Friends Nhnd Fodder in
,h. p. T. smith Grove Ono Jones.
7, tho preat book OF Smith. whereby that
Immortal iamily's dolnRs are governed. IL is
vritten that once every summon the bearers
=, tbo name who live within king or driv-
Inc distance, or who. being further away.
have tho price OF railway transportation. shall
.,semble at Peapack, n. j., and celebrate them
,.Iv.s For tho twenty fourth time they as
.ombled Yesterday. at the farm OF the late
Peter z. Smith. and in the grove near the
Smith homestead held high carnival on lun-
cheon which they had brought with them and
ginger beer sold on the grounds. and did
then and there exalt the eoRnomen
~ Smith TO the smiling skies.
There we're New Jersey Smiths from Smith
burg and Smiths Landing. Smith Mills. Smith
Mil, switch and smlthvile: there were repre-
..ntatiyes OF the families that settled and gave
the prestige OF the name to such Empire State
.artres n, com I'm erce and culture as Smithboro'.
smitbaeld. Smiths Basin. Smiths Landing.
smiths Mills. smithtown. smithtown Branch'
smith Valley smithvile Flats and Smithville
south. Long Island; there were Pennsylvania
Smiths whose ancestors wOre probably
scbmidts. from smithdale. Smiths Camp.
smithton. Smiths Run and Smiths Ferry:
there was lone Smith from Connecticuts one
and only geographical representative OF the
race, Smiths: and from hundreds OF other
towns and centres not named after the fore
most citizens. hurried hundreds OF Smiths
smithyard to the grove on the farm OF the late
Peter T. Altogether counting men. women
and children. there were some 5000 OF them
in P.apack yesterday.
Ten o'clock was the hour set for the begin
ming OF the festivities. but as the ratification
announced postponeme mt should the weather
prove unfavorabie. and as gray skies were
spread between the Smith family and an un-
fortunate sun at that hour. few were on hand
early BY noon. however. the clouds had
passed and all the roads for miles around
were overhung By a dusty fall raised by the
wheels OF the Smith family turnout. At the
station each train was met by carry ais with
springs, cushions or other considerations for
tender feelings. whose drivers acoosted the
newly arrived passengers by name:
Here y'are. Mr.. Smith. Take you TO the
grove In fifteen minutes"
This was som ething OF an understatement
The announcoms nts had Il that the picnic
grove 10 one mile east OF Peapack. 30 It may
be, OF the limits OF Peapack. but the crow
doesn't fly that can make the trip from the
station In that space. and the road does net by
any means follow a crows flight. unless It be
the flight OF very much inebriated crow.
However. the Smith grove 10 worth getting to
when one gets TO It It lies in q little shady
vale through which q clear creek runs between
banks that already wear autumn's royal colors
Of gold and purple. On either side OF the creek
are long lines OF fence to the rails Of which
were tied yesterday hundreds OF horses hitchod
to vehicles OF all descriptions from rather pre-
tentious dogcart to hay-wagon with its load
upon which jubilant party OF 5mithlinGs had
come to the festivities. The bulk Of the crowd.
arriving about noon. found the Raritan Cornet
Band dispensing m usio from one stand. while
another held number OF gentlemen who. from
their preternatural absorption. were obviously
struggling that that which they had carefully
prepared for delivery should not escape their
minds before the time for oratory arrived. Be-
tween two trees was stretched an enormous
banner bearing the portraits Of two American
progenitors OF the family. worthy looking old
couple who contemplated with quite obvious
surprise craft which appeared to be COM
promise between Roman trireme and an Ice
WAGON. This was presumably the craft that
brought them TO the land which they were
destined to do 40 much toward populating. and
their expressions Of surprise were doubtless
due to the fact that they had ever got across In
the thing. Under the ship wus tho legend.
ton on the banner was:
Welcome to the Smith Family and Friends Reunion.
In Memory OF our Ancestors.
Organised. Sept q, 1879.
Various other messages OF welcome were
blazoned on tree and fence. and enterprising
advertisers had scattered dodgers abroad
headed Hello Smith, and advocating the use
OF soap or baking powder or horse-liniment or
fve-cent cigars or something to which the
Smith family ia supposed to be promo. In COM
mon with other mortals. Luncheon was an
important consideration and. as no refresh
ments other than ice-cream. ginger beer and
cigars were allowed to be sold upon the
grounds. there was mighty opening OF lunch
baskets at the temporary encampment upon
the Rreensward. THE Sun reporter 10 able to
assure an anxious world that the Smith family
hasn't lost it's appetite. At the end Of an hour
the creek was carrying to the sea largo quanti-
ties OF paper bags. boxes. bits OF bread. egg
shells and other odds and ends at which my
RAIDS OF minnows darted and tugged, and tho
sound OF the sigh OF reflection was arising
from the multiple Smith bosom. Then the
band. with its collars limp and wilted from
previous e1ertions. struck up tune. after
which somebody announced that there would
re speeohmakng and the speakers stand pre-
sented that al pearance OF miserable trepida-
ton characteristic OF chicken coop when the
selection for dinner is about to be made Being
eharltably mooded the committee led of with
the Rev. |. Waiver Jones. who didn't seem to
share the distress OF his compeers and who
had been invited as a fitting repre-
sentative Of the next greatest family
the Smiths. He extoled the great deeds
OF the family whose guest he was
and put In few words for his own clan and
was nightly appauded. Then other speakers
let go the oratory to which they had been
iranticaly clinging for so long but nobody
minded 1t much. and the Smiths got together
and exchanged gossip whilo vibratory elo-
QLence rustled the leaves over their heads.
Well. Matilda Smith Who'd a. thought to
see you here! How's your rheumatic
"Howdy Jabez! I'm rel glad to find you're
"St'll Twin. Pretty poorly In the spring. wasn't
you? ?"
Ezekiel Smith ? Ezekiel Smith? Oh. YES:
} You must be the son O. Jim Smith that kept a
grocery up to Paterson an hem! | mean
ter say your father was highly thought o; as a
deacon. Amt dead yt, is he?"
Hello. Charley, Hear your married and
theres another Smith in the family. More the