Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-06-04
MILLIONS OF SMITHS.
mi. wonderful Eamily Penetrates
Every Grade of Society.

This Wonderful Family Penetrates
Every Grade of Society.
Three thousand years ago the Hebrews
were under the dominion of the Philis-
tines. Then arose perhaps the strangest
ton by conQuering one. The Scriptures
themselves tell the story in these graphic
words:
Now there was no smith found
throughout all the land OF Israel, for the
Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make
them swords or spears; but all the Israel
ties went down to the Philistines to
sharpen every man his coulter, and his
Ak, aud his mattox."
Thus the Hebrews were obliged TO tray
Ell from 100 to 200 miles to find smith.
hardship that is quite inconceivable to-
day, when the country swarms with
them. II there had never been any ar
tisan smiths there could be no surname
Smith today. And what would it mean
to US IL there We're no longer Smiths (by
nance in our land? 1t would mean va
cancies In the professors chairs and upon
the judicial bench: 1t would thin the
ranks OF the lawyers, ministers and doc
tors, OF the merchants, brokers and man
ufacturers, and OF the railroad. CONNER
cinl and financial magnates; L would
diminish the number of scholars. reform
ers and philosophers and deplete the
ranks Of sailors, soldiers. farmers, me-
chanics and all the rest Of the great la
boring world; the tramps, beggars and
jailbirds would be less often met with.
and cranks. politicians. drunkards and
criminals fewer in number. In fact, not
rank or graduation OF our whole social
system but would be affected. Some
genius OF computation has figured out
that IL all the males Of earth were en-
rolled there would be m army Of 7,OOO,-
600 Smiths among them Allowing the
feminine Smiths to be as numerous, the
world has 100000 living Smiths
| Whether the number be as prodigious as
this or not there is no question that it
runs into the millions. A family SO nu-
1 merous and SO universally infiltered
through every caste and class commands
at least the respect due recognized mag
nitude and aggregated power.
Literally smith means smiter-i. e., one
| who smites or hammers. And in old
4 days when every bit of metal. copper.
iron. silver. gold or brass. had to be
pounded and hammered By mighty
strokes into armor. tools. plate, utensils
and Implements, there was need of
many smithers. These smithers, or
smiths, were not men Of Drawn alone;
/ they had to possess the ready brain and
1 skill to sharpen alike an implement. re-
pair an armor or shoe horse. Theirs
4 was an honest and lucrative trade. and
every road. street and hamlet had Its
smiths. Not only were there many
30 n.
cry abounded, and thus numerous com
pounds and derivations Of Smith came
into existence. Among these are Smith
rowsmith, Goldsmith. Silversmith. Cop
mersmith, Hocksmith. Hockersmith
Wildsmith, Wintersmith, Hoffsmith
Watchsmith, Kleinsmith and Smithdeal.
Strongest OF all these perhaps is Few
smith. Sometimes, to distinguish severa
Smiths in one street or hamlet, a Chris
tim name was incorporated with tn
usual name. Thus came into usag
Smithpeer, Hillsmith, Helensmith an,
Aaronsmith.
incidentally IT may be mentioned tina
otner lunRuages nave luelI Snutns. oe'
mans have nnmberless Schmitz an
Schmidt, the French have LIE Fevre.
: the Spnniards Gunsulus the Russia
Smithtowskies and the Irish have Gava
and Gowan, each meaning Smith, an
: McGavan and MCGOWAN. meaning th
son Of smith.-Philudelph Inquirer.
Eczema, salt rheum, letter. chatting
:, ivy poisoning and all skin tortures ar
quickly cured by DeWitt's Witch Haz
;, salve. The certain pile cure. Geo. I
Powers.
i Fire in the repair shops Of the Mil
: neapois &; Omaha railroad at Hudson