Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-22
Available Alter
Sixty Years

cd fact. Mr., Smith died December
20. is45, His will provided that the
fund for the establishment Of the
school vas 10 accumulate for sixty
years. Hence II became available to-
day. In anticipation OF this date the
trustees Of the school last month pur.
chased = site In Northampton In or
der to be ready for establishing the
school. The purchase consists of nine.
ty-three acres and the tract includes
about all the varieties OF soil desir-
able for agricultural purposes.
Oliver Smith belonged to the same
class Of philanthrophistsa Peter Coop.
er. Anthony Drexel and Charles Pratt.
His aim was to give practical assist.
ance to young men and women striv-
Ing TO get a foothold In life. He Ia
perhaps entitled To be called the pion.
eer philanthropist Of America, and 1t
was early In the '30's that plans for es-
t~ablishing a permanent source OF bene-
ut for young men and women took
form in his mind. His be~nefactions
AZ they now stand are well toward
$1,5O0,0O 0 which Ia not equal TO single
gifts made today by Andrew Carnegie.
BY a comparison. however, qualified
by considerations Of time and place,
the business success and philanthropy
OF Oliver Smith were those OF more
than a millionaire at the present time
and under better financial opportun-
ity.
Oliver Smith was born at Hatfield.
this state. In January. 1866. He never
married. His father died a year at.
ter divers birth and left six sons to
the care Of their mother. who was des-
tribed as an active and intelligent wo-
man. oliver received little education
except that given him by his mother.
He took his share Of the paternal es.
tate when he arrived It the age of
twenty-one. receiving land valued at
$500. In middle life he was the pro.
prietor Of the village store In Hat.
field, in company with his brother,
Benjamin, and in later years he &C.
complished the rapid increase In his
wealth by stock transactions in New
York. But throughout his active life
! a part Of his attention was devoted to
farming. He seems to have been al
ways successful In his undertakings
and conservatism appears TO have
been one OF the most marked traits
Of his character. Belonging to his
family were other celebrated philan.
thropists, among them Sophia Smith.
founder Of Smith co:lege, and Mary
Lynn, founder Of Mount Holyoke col.
lege.
Oliver Smith left almost $500, 900
for charitable purposes. sixty
years this amount has. Of course, vast
IL increased. The reports of the
trustees show that more than the to
tai Of the original amount has been
! paid out to INDECENT boys alone, and
about half as much to INDECENT young
women. In addition about 5000 has
| been expended In annuities to spec
| ial beneficiencies, more than $780, 600
! to INDECENT widows. besides expenses
and taxes amounting to mOre than
$500, 900.
The provisions Of the will rel not
permitted to become established with
out a contest in the courts that was
commensurate in strenuous endeavor
and In the eminence or the counsel
employed with the issue invilved. The
will became the subject Of an encoun-
ter between the two men who were
the giants OF their time in legal con-
troversy and who remain commanding
figures In history-Daniel Webster
and Rufus Choate.
The trial in the supreme court here
opened July 6, 1S47. The accounts
that have been published Of the trial
tell OF an intensity Of interest on the
part Of the people, induced even more
by the fame Of the counsel than by
the great Importance Of the case,
which not only caused the courtroom
to be filed to everfowing. but re.
suited In the placing Of ladders
against the windows Of the old court.
house and the eager acceptance OF
the coveted privilege Of standing for
long hours to watch the progress Of
the momentous struggle. Mr.. Choate
appeared as the leading counsel for
! the Asirs.a.law. and Mr.. Webster for
| the defense. Mr.. Choate. in his argu-
| ment, spoke three hours and Mr.. Web.
| ster two hours. The jury returned a
verdict for the will, after being out
one hour.
The will set aside 100000 for an
agricultural school. the money to be
| placed at interest and to be allowed
| to accumulate for sixty years. 1t Is
| this fund. amounting now to about
$4,000, which became available to-
| day. The provisions Of the will are
that the city Of Northampton shall
| establish a pattern farm. an expert
, mental farm. an agriculture: scnool
and an industrial school to be manag-
/ ed by three superintendent to be
chosen by the city. The tract of lans
| purchased last month was paid for