The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-13

All Provo was interested. Then Smoot was
made an apostle. Uncle Jesse" and others
thought this meant the event would be
called OF. knight met him on the street
the next day and said, regretfully: We'll,
Reed, now that you have been made an
apostle. L suppose that race of ours won't
be run"
That's just where you're wrong, Uncle
Jesse, was the unexpected reply. THAT
race still goes"
And it did go. And Apostle Smoot, as
driver. sent his horse to victory.
This love of horses comes naturally. Reed
Shoots father. Abraham Owen Smoot, was
parents were Virginians, his paternal
grandfather was Scotch and his grand
mother German: Abraham became a veal
thy planter and a stakeholder, as well as
an owner of fine horses. Converted to the
Mormon faith in 1895. he followed Joseph
Smith TO Kirkland, o., and Far West, Mo-,
and Brigham Young TO Salt Lake, reaching
Utah in 1S47. Active as a missionary and
as a religious worker, he gained a high po-
sition in the church. He was elected the
first justice of the peace in Utah, and
served terms as mayor of Salt Lake City.
In 1865 he moved to Provo, now a prosper
Gus city of 5000 inhabitants, in the heart of
a rich agricultural area. He was several
times elected mayor of the city, and at the
time of his death was president of the
stake or diocese.
Abraham Smoot had several wives. The
third, Anna Kirstine Mouritzen, a native
of Brekka, Norway, bore him a son in Salt
Lake City, Jan. 10, 1852, who was named
Reed.
Reed Smoot was given as good an educa-
ton as was available there in the pioneer
days. He went to the church schools and
graduated from what is now Brigham
Young University at Provo. After leaving
school, at the age of seventeen years, he
started In as a porter in the Provo Coop
erative Mercantile Institution, sorting pota-
toes and doing other mental work. Eighteen
months later he had risen TO be manager.
He studied the manufacture of wooden
Provo Wooden Mills Company, a position
he still holds. His rise in bust
ness continued to be rapid His
of considerable wealth. When the
elder Smoot died a few years ago it was
that after paying the debts there would be
little left to distribute to the numerous
family. Reed persuaded the other heirs to
organize the SmoOt Investment Company,
to take all the property of the estate. He
managed this company so ably that in a
comparatively short time it was free of
debt and paying handsome dividends. Reed
Shoots business interests are widespread.
He owns sheep ana cattle and horses in
numbers and is interested in a number of
mining companies, notably the Grand Gen.
trail, of which he is vice president, and
which has paid several hundred thousand
dollars in dividends. Among his official
positions are the following: President
Provo Commercial and Savings Bank; di-
rector Deseret National, Deseret Savings
and Utah National Banks of Salt Lake;
manager Provo wooden mills; president
Smoot Drug Company of Provo; president
Provo Book and Stationery Company; di-
rector in lions Cooperative Mercantile In
stitution, Salt Lake; director Clark
Eldredge Company, wholesale grocers, Salt
Lake.; director San Edro, Los Angeles &
Salt Lake Railroad, of which Senator w.
A. Clark is president. His personal wealth
is estimated at 100000.
ACTIVE IN CHURCH WORK.
Always active in church work, he spent
several years as a missionary in England,
Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland,
Italy and France. He rose rapidly in &c
clesiastical positions until, in 1900, he was
made an apostle. 1t is generally believed
that he was chosen for that position largely
because the church needed in its extensive
business matters the shrewd judgment he
had displayed in his own affairs.
1t has been rumored that Smoot is a po-
lygamist. but no tangible evidence has been
brought out to prove this. His most init
mate friends are sincerely convinced that
he is a monogamist. Certain il is that
even current gossip in his home city up to
the time OF his election as senator connected
his name with only one wife. She was for
merly Miss Alpha NJ. Eldredge, daughter
by a plural wife of Horace s. Eldredge; a
They were married Sept. II. 1884, and have
six children, ranging from Harold Reed,
aged sixteen years, TO Ernest, the BABY. q
little over a year old-three boys and three
girls. Mrs. Smoot is a quiet, pleasant wom-
an, of retiring, domestic tastes. She is de-
voted to her husband and children, and it
is safe TO say that there are few happier
homes in the United States than the com
Portable brick residence in Provo that is
the domicile of the Smoot family. Two
blocks distant from the Provo m
and Savings Bank, which was his principal
business headquarters before he became a
senator. busy man though he was, he was
1 Urnnf q n nGfnn Ih1rhnr nnah rnHfn a - -
with his wife and children.
81 won't talk business after 6 o'clock ex-
cept in emergencies he has frequently
said. MY evenings belong TO my family
But after he became an apostle his even
ings at home became less frequent because
of the necessity for him to attend so many
religious meetings. Ever since he announced
his senatorial candidacy his time has been
more and more taken outside the home.
However, he had an ambition. his fellows
among the authorities decided that he
should go, and the sacrifice had to be made
Of peace and the quiet pleasures of do
nestle life.
He was a trustee of the State Insane Asy-
lum and trustee of the Brigham Young
University at Provo. a Mormon institution.
To the United States Senate was a big leap,
but he made IL easily.
The election of Smoot and the presenta-
ton of his credentials brought the issues
involved strongly 10 the attention of the
country. What had been largely a local is
sue became national in it's character. The
Mormons exercise great influence in Idaho
and other States. If successful in electing
an apostle to the Senate from Utah. this
would encourage them politically i'm other
States. until in time the hierarchy might
even hold the balance of power in Congress
on a close vote. Some of the leading citi-
zens of Utah filed a protest against allow
ing him TO take his seat giving numerous
grounds. summarized at the beginning of
this article. People all over the country
took up the matter. The Senate mmit
on privileges and elections decided TO make
an exhaustive inquiry into the subject. and
now the light is being turned on Mormon.
ism. r. II.
l Copyright. 1904. By Z. b. Palmer.I