Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-08-01
Died.

Alexander Hamilton smith, aged ~
years.
Mr.. Smith was born near the town of
Potosi. Wisconsin, In 1854. Moved to
Yankton, s. d., in company with his
eldest brother George in 1873, and came
to the Black Hills in 1875. Mr.. Smith
was married to Mrs. Magdalina Sargent
in 1878 and has made Custer City his
home since that time. Mr.. Smith is
survived by his wife and step son August
Fisher and five brothers, namely, George
Spencer, Nelson, Phillip and John who
are aged in the order named, John being
the youngest. There was one sister but
she died many years ago. 1t 30 happen
ed that all the brothers were living in
the Hills except John, who is living in
Colorado, and with this exception they
were all present at his bedsi le when he
passed away.
Mr.. Smith was not a member Of any
church but was a valued member of the
lodge of Modern Woodmen of America
and also a brother in the Society Of Odd
Fellows under whose auspices the fun
eral was conducted. The ceremony
took place in the Congregational church
at 2 o'clock p. m. on Thursday, Mrs.
Katherine Powell officiating. The fun
eral was very effecting, and one
of the most pathetic, that has been de-
liyered by that truly eloquent and spirit
ual minded womsn The remains were
then followed by a long procession Of
friends in carriages to the Custer ceme-
terry where they were consigned to earth
with all due honors under the ritual of
the Odd Fellows lodge conducted by the
Noble Grand Of the lodge, e. II. Hender.
son.
Thus we have briefly sketched the
career and given the record Of brother
and a friend, and q man who was ex-
tremely useful in the community in
which lived and pursued his daily avo-
cation. We question if there was eyer
a man who lived and died in our midst
who had more friends (true friends) or
that eyer passed to the great beyond
more universally regretted.
"Alex Smith," as he was Familiarity
known, was not an ordinary man. In
intellect and education he was above
most of his fellows, while in form and
feature and in muscular prowess he
stood almost a perfection of the human
type. He belonged to a family of
STRONG men, himself among the strong.
est, in all except one thing, he had a
weak stomach. This infirmity often
troubled him to such a degree that he
found no relief except in stimulant, and
this was no panacea, but in its reaction
proved a fatal irritant, and at last it
brought on hemorrhage Of the stomach
which ended his life on earth. He was
never a rough man and he never forgot
that he was a gentleman, and for all his
great courage and cool nerve which
never forsook him in any emergency,
he was kind and thoughtful Of the feel
ings of others, and possessed a heart as
tender as q child. This was exemplified
even in his hour of extreme distress on
the night when we carried him home.
We procured a cot and placed him upon
it, and were carrying him along in the
darkness and the rain, until we reached
the bridge when Alex spoke saying,
"set me down boys, and n of you 60
ahead and tell my wife, it might kill her
if you carried mt in this way" Ever
mindful Of others even when the shadow
of death was upon him. We carried
him in and put him in bed, and left him
with his weeping wife bending over him
in the bed from which he eve arose,
Wife, brothers and friends dry your eyes,
this is but a brief parting o fthe ways, we
shall meet again, yes in a brighter and
better land we shall meet again.