Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-07-03
TAKES UP HUSBANDS WORK.
st. Louis Woman Assumes Construc.
ton of Worlds Fair River Channel

Some time ago George C. Smith, a.
contractor residing in ST. Louis, en-
tered into an agreement with the
worlds fair managers to dig chan
mel for an artificial river to run
through the exposition grounds and
to do other work of like nature He
had business engagements which
called him elsewhere before the work
had made much progress, but his con-
tracts have been assumed by his wife,
and will be fulfilled to the letter. The
stream, which is now tortuous creek
in Forest park known as the River
DeS Peres, has to be Strengthened for
a distance in order to prevent the.
overflow of water which will come
through the channelway through the
site. Mr.. Smith secured this contract
some time ago, after finishing a great
deal of eXcavating at different points
on the site, and has been pushing the
task until it is nearly completed.
There is not now sufficient work to
warrant him in centering all his forces
here, and he has just closed a $4,000
contract in Arkansas, where he will
construct railroad bridge across the
White river above Batesville. This
work took him south recently, and he
will soon find it necessary to pend
the greater part of his time there
Mrs. Smith will remain in St. Louis
and finish her husbands work.
''The work we are doing here now"
said Mrs. Smith the other day, sis a
mere trifie compared with what hope
to do a little later. l fully expect to
get the contract for the excavating for
the liberal arts building, which will in
volve the handling of about 100000
cubic yards of earth. That is a piece
of work large enough to be interest
ing, and is also of sufficient magnitude
to be worth getting. I have been q
student of such work for some twenty
five years, and am perfectly willing
to pit my judgment and experience
against any Of the contractors with
whom | may have to compete | shall
maintain the camp here which Mr..
Smith has established, and if he finds
it necessary to his work in Arkansas
to reduce the force here any / shall
gradually restore the number of work
men and teams to their present num-
Der. In all probability / shall estab-
lish larger camp than we have had
heretofore. l suppose I may have to
get the contract in my husbands
name, as the exposition officials may
be afraid of intrusting so large task
to woman. But they will never know
the difference when l get my forces to
work. | shall have a good horse, so
that can keep an eye on the progress
of the work from day to day. have
some excellent foremen, but there is
nothing like seeing every step Of the
work for yourself. Then you have no
body to blame if things go wrong"
Mrs. Smith is comparatively
young woman, but has been intimately
acquainted with camp life and the
construction of railroads from her
childhood. Since her marriage she has
been constant assistant to her hus-
band, in addition to raising a good
sized family. She declares that the
sound of the first scraper in the spring
is more stirring to her than the strains
OF brass band, and that if she were
not involved in some large contract at
such a time she would be entirely
miserable. Mr.. Smith says he has no
hesitancy in turning his interests
here over to his wife, his only doubt
being that he may not be able to con-
duct his work in Arkansas so success
fully without her.