The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-03-17
A Splendid Record Made by Judge s. r.
Smith.

Smith.
From the Livingston Republican.
Stearns r. Smith, who was re-nominated
on the republican ticket last week, is strong
man, clean man, man Of the people and
for the people, and he Is also an able
lawyer and an impartial judge. His record
on the bench is one of which any man
might we'll be proud.
In the trial of case he Is cool and col
lected and knows neither friend nor foe
Nothing but the facts In the case can move
him. He Is distinctively self made man.
He began life on the farm and has worked
himself up by hard knocks. Such men are
not made of putty to be influenced by every
wind that blows. He is just the man the
people delight to honor.
Mr.. Smith, too. is distinctively man Of
the people. Having lived on the farm he
Is in sympathy with the tillers of the soil.
He knows the iaborer with the dinner pail
Just rs readily as the man who wears plug
hat. And, Furthermore, he knows them all
the year around as we'll Is just before cleo
ton.
Mr.. Smith came with his parents from
Ohio when about 10 years Of age and set
tied In Perry township, Shiawassee county,
where he remained about two years and
then returned to Ohio. He attended school
at Hiram when James A. Garfield was
president of the Hiram Institute. When
out of school he worked on the farm or at
anything else by which he could turn an
honest dollar, but all the time kept up his
study of law.
In the spring of 1859 Mr.. Smith was
caught in the gold craze; started on an
overland trip to California, where he re-
NAMED about seven years, returning to
Michigan in 1865. In California he en-
gagged in all kinds of mining and lumber
ing.
For some three years Mr.. Smith was en-
gagged in building q private toll road over
the Sierra Nevada mountains to the great
Comstock mine. In this work he had sole
charge of the expenditure of about $500, 900,
having in his employ from 100 to 500 men.
On his return to Michigan Mr.. Smith
built mill in Perry township and after a
year went to Saginaw where he was en-
ployed IN building and operating two of the
largest saw mills In the Saginaw Valley.
UNIVERSITY LAW COURSE.
While at Saginaw Mr.. Smith decided to
complete his law course and went to Ann
Arbor and took the full law course in the
u. of M, graduating In 1878 He then put
out his single at Williamson, remaining
there about five years. when he removed to
Owosso where he has since practiced law.
The next year he was appointed city at
torney, holding the Office nine consecutive
years. During the time he served six years
on the board of supervisors of Shiawassee
county. In 1884 Mr.. Smith was elected
prosecuting attorney and two years later
was reelected by about 1, 600 majority. In
1890 he served one year as mayor of
OwOssO, refusing to run again.
AS JUDGE.
In October 1895 Mr.. Smith was ap-
pointed Judge to take the place of l.. 8.
Montague, who died In September of that
year. The following year he was nomin-
ated and elected to fill out T., s. Montague's
unexpired term ending December 31st,
1899. His service on the bench Is we'll and
favorably known by the people of this
county, to say nothing of his home county.
He should be reelected by a large
majority.