The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-02
THE MIGHTY SMITH FAMILY.

| A name which demands a volume 10 do
| It justice is that of Smith. which enjoys
| the proud pre-eminence Of being the com
| monest OF all English surnames-
Il am not sure" says one, but that the
name demands new science 10 be called
| 'Smithology. Ii would doubtless prove
| quite as instructive as many existing
| 'ologies,' and it would have the merit OF
| being more amusing
| The name is derived from the Saxon
| word Smitan-to srnite- 1t was applied on
| ly to workers in metal. but valorous SOL
diers. were called mighty war-smiths -
| The term was not confined TO ian work.
| but was applied to everything which re-
| quired smiling" Thus the poet was ?
versesnite. though he only had 10 snite
| his brains 10 produce results
| In the early pages OF the world every
king and chief had a smith. and great
was the honor paid 10 him. In Wales the
| kings smith sat beside his majesty al the
table. and had a right TO drink OF every
| wine brought into the banquet hall be-
| fore even the guests We're served The
smith then shaped armor and military
weapons. and part OF his duty was 10
| teach young warriors how 70 use the
weapons after ne had made them
Among the Highland clans the smith
ranked third in dignity 70 the chief.
AS surname It is one OF the very cid
est. BY some historians il is said TO be
| the Oldest surname OF all with possibly
the exception OF the name OF King. In
| old records the name appears as Smith.
! Smithe. Smeith, Smyth, Smythe, and
| Smijthe
Germany has its Schmitts. Schmiths.
| Smids. Smidths, SHIFTS. and Schmeitzes.
| In France the name is the more eupho-
NOUS Lefevres- II Italy it is FabronL
| Then there are the Chassis Fabri and Fa-
bricii In Scotland one hardly reccg-
/ niZes the name as Gowans-
1 have a friend who is "Smyth. if you
| please; have y In my name" pray
don't make the objectionable mistake OF
| calling him NJ. Smith. He was prob
| ably Smith three generations ago, but
that makes no difference. because. like all
the rest OF US. ne is very sensitive over
| an error in the pronunciation or spelling
| of his name.
The Smiths OF English ancestry trace
| back TO the Right Reverend William
| Smith, who was born in Lancaster coun-
1 T.. about 1860. He was bishop Of Lincoln
| and Litchfeld, and with one other found
! ed Brazenose College. oxford. He was
buried in Lincoln Cathedral.
one of the immigrant ancestors Of the
English Smith was the old famous John
Smith. who was born in England in 1879
and probably came to this country in 1888.
! landing in Boston. With him came his
! brother Nehemiah. Edward. a nephew,
| came in 1852. He was the first regular
custom house official in the colony.
To John Smith. the second mayor OF
Newcastle, England. and the fifth in de-
scent from Bishop William Smith, was
granted q crest in 1924. the family arms
| having been recognized in 1861. The arms,
a token of proEess. displayed 4 lion ram
| pant; the crest was tiger PEASANT
| wounded on his shoulder.
The proudest earidom in England is that
of the SmthS-the real family surname
of the Earl of Derby. An important or
ganization is the Preston Choral Guild OF
Lancashire. England. The guild mayor
| for 1902 was the Earl of Derby. who is
the fifteenth one TO bear the title.
An American Smith boasts not of crests
and titles but giores in the fact that his
country's hymn was written by a men,
Der of his family, Rev. DR.. Samuel Fran
els Smith, of Newton Center. Mass. Ii
was written in 1852. and first brought into
use at the Fourth of July celebration in
the same year at the Park Street Church.
Boston.
The Smiths could fill every regiment
| and every ship in Uncle Sans service.
so far as numerical and age require
ments are concerned. or the t"t7l apprO-
priation made for the civil service. ST.
| $50, coo is paid out of The treasury u tie
Smith family each year
Seven Smiths distinguished themselves
as generals in the Civil war. One Smith
has been nominated as pr sident of the
United States; six have been members of
presidential cabinets; one was elected
president protein of the senate. one in
every 127 Americans is OF this name, and
one in every seventy-two IN England.
rs Mr.. Smith here some one inquired
at door where a meeting was in pro-
gress.
One thousand gentlemen arose.
1T is Mr.. John Smith | want
Five hundred gentlemen sat down
But this is an old story and probably
originated with some one who had a quar-
rel with his fate because he didn't hap
pen to be a Smith himself. For II Is, II
| not q fact. at least q tradition, that every
| one was named Smith in the beginning.
but as men degenerated and became IN
worthy OF the name. they were given
! others-Vere de We're, Capulet. and Mon
tague or something OF that sort which
really means nothing whatever.