The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-17
Family Honor Pledged 10 Unenrth
the Tribes Patriarch.

the Tribes Patriarch.
From the Buffalo Express.
Search for the oldest person named
Smith in Buffalo is progressing. The
Smiths are waking up to the excite
ment of the quest.
A furry was caused recently by the
report that John Smith. who was
SO years old, had been discovered at
his home on Exchange street. 1t was
a false alarm. John Smith, who lives
at 754 Exchange street, in the Fourth
ward, is old. but not so very old. In
fact. he is busy nowadays with a flag
on the Lackawanna tracks, and he is
far from being SO years old.
A poll was started of the other John
Smiths in the city but II developed that
there are flfty-eight of them, with for
ty-nine in the city directory Reports
last evening indicated that none Of
them had reached the ripe age of 80, so
it is probable that some Smith whose
first name Is not John Will win the
priced honor OF being regarded by the
Smiths of the nation az the oldest
Smith in Buffalo.
According to reports received by AL
derman James Smith and other Smiths
in Buffalo. the oldest Smith In this city
muse be past SO in order TO achieve the
distinction of being the Oldest Of the
LIS, 900 Smiths in the nation. A Joseph
Smith cut in Illinois is said to have
the proofs that he was 80 years old
on April 8. so Buffalo's oldest Smith
must be past SO years and two weeks
old or he will be in the younger class,
under a Patriarch Joe Smith OF Illinois.
-. l. Coll
ing of organizing committee to con-
duct systematic canvass Of the eleven
pages of Smiths in the city directory
to ascertain the name and address and
age Of the oldest Smith who can pre-
sent proofs as to the date Of his birth
The Smiths of the nation undertook
also to ascertain the identity Of the
youngest Smith liz this broad land.
They have given IL up as a hopeless
task. Just when they thought they had
discovered the youngest telegram
came announcing a still younger Smith
in another part Of the country.
The oldest Smith Is certain to be dis
covered. In every state the effort is
being made to learn the identity Of the
oldest Smith in the state. Then the re-
ports of the states will be compared
and the task will be simple of solution.
The reports from the states will be
DdSeQ on the Reports ITOUn the 6HllLnS
in the various cities and counties. In
Buffalo, for instance, Alderman James
Smith has been asked by the Smiths
of the nation to ascertain and forward
the particulars of the age and first
name and residence OF the oldest living
Smith.
Fate, in it's irony, may decree that
when the oldest Smith is discovered he
may remember nothing whatever of
his family or of the Smiths of his
childhood. The Smiths of the nation,
however. do not want the oldest Smith
for what he may remember of tho
Smiths. They want him for himself,
as the most valuable and venerable
heirloom in their ever-increasing fam.
lily. They want him as a relic of their
antiquity. as the daddy of all the 9TH
er Smiths in years. as the hale old
daddy who has outlived all Smiths
who have gone before. If the oldest
Smith is a woman. the Smiths of the
nation will honor her, and will contin-
ue also their search for the Oldest man
of the Smiths.
The search is no Jest. 1t Is a serious.
systematic quest The Smiths are or
ganized. They have their reunions and
their periodical and a lot of other
family affairs. Before Sept. / the old
est Smith in Buffalo is expected to be
known.