The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-05
THERE ARE MANY MILLIONS
IN THE VAST ARMY OF SMITHS,
Enough Of Them in the World to Establish a
Good Sized Nation.
The Family We're Eliminated the Population Of the Globe Would
Be Decreased by $4,000. Distinguished
Men Who Have Borne the Name.

1 HREE thousand years ago the
Hebrews were under the dornin-
ion OF the PhfIistines. Then
arose the situation thus de-
III scrfbed in the Bible: Now
there was no smith found
throughout all the land OF Israel. for the
PhiIisttncs said, Lest the Hebrews make
them swords or spears; but all the Israel
ties went down 10 the PhilisfInes to
sharpen every man his coulter, and his
AZ. and his mattock.'"
Thus the Hebrews were obliged to trav-
81 from one to two hundred miles to find
Z smith. a hardship that Is quite incon-
cefvable today when the country swarms
with them.
If there had never been any artisan
smiths there would be no surname Smith
today. And what would It mean II there
wefp no longer Smiths In this land? II
would mean vacancies IN the professors
chairs and upon the judicial bench: It
would thin the ranks OF the lawyers. min.
listers and doctors. of the merchants,
Brokers ana manufacturers, and of the
railroad, commercial ana financial mag
mates; II would diminish the number OF
scholars. reformers and philosophers. and
deplete the ranks of sailors, soldiers.
farmers, mechanics and all the rest OF
the great laboring world; the tramps,
beRGars and jailbirds would be less often
met with. and crnnks. politicians, drunk
ards and criminals fewer In number. In
fact, not = rank or graduation OF the whole
social system hut what would be affected.
some genius Of computation has figured
out that II nh the males OF the earth were
enrolled there would be an army OF 7.00o.-
80 Smiths among them. Estimating the
feminine Smiths 10 be NJ many. the world
has 14.OO0000 living Smiths. Whether the
number be a. prodigious as this or not,
there IL no question but that II runs into
The milItons. A family 30 numerous and
10 universally infiitered through every
class commands at least tho respect due
recognised magnitude and aggregated
power.
Literally smith means smiter, one who
smitea, or hammers. And In old days when
every bit OF metal. copper, iron. silver,
gold or brass. had 10 be pounded and
hammered by mighty strokes into armor.
tools. plate. utensil1 and implements,
there was need Of many smithers. These
s'smitherr" or smiths were not men OF
Drawn alone. They had 10 possess the
ready brain and skill 70 sharpen an Inn
plement repair armor. or shoe q horse.
Theirs was an honest and lucrative trade.
and every road. street and hamlet had Its
amjths Not only were there many
smiths. but different branches OF smith
cry abounded. and thus many compounds
Of Smith came into existence. Among
these are Hmither smithkins. Hmithson.
Arrasmith. Arrowsmith. Goldsmith. Sill
Warmth. Conpersmith. Steelsmith. Lock-
smith, Hammcrsmith. blacksmith, Hook
ernmith, Drskcsmith. rorcesmith. Smith,
am. scxsmtth. campsmith. Bowersmith.
Worksmtth. watehsmlth. Bakersmith,
Wiidsmith, wintersmith. HofYsmith.
Kielnsmith and emithdeai Strangest OF
ali these, perhaps. Is Fewsmiths Some
timee TO distinguish several smiths In one
street or hamlet. Christian name was
Incorporated with the usual name. Thus
came into usage Smithpeter. Bllsmith,
Helensmith and Aaronsmith.
Incidentally It may be mentioned that
the other languages have their Smiths
also. The Germans have numberiess
nchmidts. schmits and schmidts: the
French have Iefevre. the Spnnards Gun
aaulus, thu Russians Smittowskias. and
tho irish have Gavcn and Csowan. each
meaning Smith and Mcdayen and Me-
Oownn, meaning the son OF smith.
Perhaps because they were originally
emithers. the Smiths have ever taken
60 war. There have been Gen. Smiths in
every war that the American nation has
ever had. In the civil war the federals
had no fewer than six Gen Smiths, and
one Rear Admiral Smith. II the ronsed-
crates had less they certainly had one
81 the grittiest OF srniths He bore the
absurd nickname of Extra" Billy Smith.