Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
SMITH AND OTHERS.
Big Families Recorded in the Page,
of Foreign Directories.

| Big Families Recorded in the Pages
| of Foreign Directories.
| From the New York Sun.
! The New Yorker who offers a timid apol-
| ogy whenever anybody makes some caustic
remark about the city directory ought to
! take peep at the foreign directories.
What If New York has fifty-two columns
| of Smiths. with the various spellings, four
| teen columns of Johnsons, eight of Joneses
| and ten of Whites? Is that anything to be
ashamed of? They are NICE honorable
| names, and European cities are glad to put
them on the list.
Take Smith, for instance. There isn't
town in Europe big enough to boast a city
directory where Smith has not worked his
way to the front. London is fairly over
flowing with Smiths, but then London is
the home Of the Smith family, and the sew
enteen columns of the commercial direc-
tory, and the twelve Of the court directory,
not to mention the thirty columns of plain,
every day Smiths, do not excite the least
surprise or derisfon London also has her
full quota of Joneses. Greens and Whites
but that, too, IS a matter of course.
When you come to Berlin you might ex-
pect to find things a little different, but
you don't. The German capital is quite
proud of her Smiths-Schmidt they spell it
there. The directory shows sixty columns
Of them, and everybody knows what the
column OF Berlin directory is-long and
impregnabie, with eishty-five names to the
able to ascertain that that amounts to
quite nice little family of Smiths But
Berlin's banner family is the Schultzes
There are seventy columns Of them This
Is a creditable showing, but they are close
ly pushed by the Mullers, who can point
with pride to sixty-seven columns. The
business directory of Berlin is Interesting
Judging by this proper, matter-of-f fact book
1t would seem that the people of Berlin
must take pains to kick out their heels and
toes. for it takes f1fty-two columns of shoe
makers-still eighty-five to the coIumn-to
repair their boots and shoes. Of bakers
there are fifteen columns. milkmen, six
teen; butchers, eighteen, and last, but not
least, come the BARRIERS, who muster I'D
thirteen columns strong.
What Smith is to New York. Martinez or
Martinez is to Paris. with the Girards, the
PlcardS and the Moreaus bringing I'D the
rear. But even in Paris the Smiths are not
downed- There is almost half a column of
them their vacations ranging from import
ers and lawyers to bicycle repairers Paris
also mas eleven JoneSeS, one of whom is a
dentist and another a perfumer.
Romes long suits are the Albertinis, the
Rossinis and the Guilds. But with all his
wealth of poetic nomenclature the etc iaI
city still clings to Smith and proudly an
nounces that at 119 Princess Margherita
street there Is one Tullia Smith, who is en-
gagged in the peaceful calling of making
candy. AT % in the same street is an
other Smith, Luigi by name, who is a bar
Der. while not far away is Angelo, dealer
in toilet supplies.
LII Naples the MOTelllS ana t1tell1S
dominate They do not exclude Mr. Smith
however, for he is here, two of him. One
is called Enrico, the other Robert Enrico
has an office at 66 Riviera de CHART and
sells agricultural implements; Robert sells
liquors.
Brussels Is alive with Jannsens but they
have not exterminated the Smiths one of
whom is dealing in tobacco at 81 Lesbrous-
Sart street.
The land of the car bids the Smiths well
come and a few Of them have gone boldly
into competition with the Smirnovs, who
are, all odds, the most numerous of all
families In Russia. In St. Petersburg Otto
Smith is a glass merchant and Theodore
and w. T. Smith regale the public with
wines and spirits. Even in Odessa Alex
ander Smith has settled down and earns
his living by making sailors suits.
1t did not require Ii Hung Changes visit
to America to induce the Smiths to recipro-
cate by emigrating to the celestial empire,
for many years ago, according to the direc-
tories Of Chinese cities. the Smiths had
sought their fortunes in the orient. one of
them being a cabinet maker in Shanghai
and another an auctioneer in Canton.