The Washington times., 1905-02-02
Remarkable Career
OF <Pittsburg Phil"
Built Marble MausOIeum in Which His Body
Will Rest After Eight Years of Waiting.
Gained Sobriquet.

PITTsBURG, Feb. 2.-To the rest Of
the world George E. Smith was known
as ''Pittsburg Phil" but TO his people
here, those who knew him best, he was
known simply as Phil" and was be
loved by all
And now after eight years OF empu-
ness and waiting. a beautiful $4,000
mausoleum in the Allegheny Cemetery
will claim its own With that rare fore
sight and carefulness which marked his
way through life Phil some years ago
drew the plans for his own burial house,
chose the Italian marble himself ana
watched week after week while the
workmen built the little house which 1t
some future day would hold all that re-
NAMED earthly of him. 1t is one Of the
finest bits of architecture in the ceme-
terry and has been since it's completion
the source of many jest at the eX-
pense of the plunger when he made his
annual visits 30 his people here
Discovered by Accident
1t was only by accident that Phifs
idea of having nice and neat resting
place for his body was discovered. In
the fall about eight years ago John
StaIey and some other friends of the
plunger crossing the cemetery came on
Smith experimenting party OF men at
work on a mauso1eum.
What are you doing?" said Mr.. Staley
to Phil
Don't you see,'' grunted Phil. nod
ding toward the beautiful structure of
marble which was beginning to take
definite shape.
Who's it for?" continued Staley. re-
ferring to the mausoleLr..
Me"
You're not thinking of dying, are
you, PHILIP"
Got to some time" said the famous
pIunger as he sat down on a block of
marble and coOlly discussed the hereaf-
ter. He had ways had horror of the
earth and haG early in success de2ided
that a beautiful nlausoIeum would be his
as soon as he could get time to build
it. 1t could wait after completing until
he was ready to occupy it.
Annual Visits.
And since 1t was completed Phil has
not missed a year in which he did not
visit it and see that the sexton had kept
Ii well fixed up. The sexton was his
pensioner, and was paid mere than
well for attending 10 the ma usoleum
against the time that Phil should be
carried into it.
P1ttSDuFS Rnll Y as more THAN plOfl-
dent instead of being Il spendthrift, as
many supposed. From the time he first
found success his future has ever been
provided for, for with the first $4,000 he
ever won he bought a life annuity. just
to beat bad luck" he told his friends,
and bad luck did not come, so the SIS, UJ
yearly income derived from that has
been turned over regularly TO his moth
er, now Mrs. Elizabeth Downing, a wild
ow who has two fine residences here,
one in Allegheny City, the other in Ava
lon, suburb.
Forty-two Years Old.
''Pntsburg Phil" was born in Sewick-
~, Pa. about forty-two years ago. He
was of German-Irish extraction, his ia
Their being a native of Germany and his
mother a native Of Ireland Smith was
a young boy when his father died and
the family moved to Allegheny City, Ia.
Many persons other than his close
friends believe that Smith was a ftnan-
ciai genius. and say that If fate had
with the great men II this country he
would have been in the front rank. As
it was. he died worth 81. 800, COO.
Young Smith began to take an interest
in contemporary sports before he was
eighteen years old, ard soon began to
speculate on the results of baseball.
Ther he commenced betting on horse
races. and when the P!ItsSurG poolrooms
were closed down he went to Chicago
Purchased Pools.
There he played the races and pur-
chased pools auctioned by silver BIZ
Riley, who is still an active bookmaker.
The latter called him 'Efttsburg Phil
to distinguish him from half a dozen
other men by the name of Smith Under
this cognomen Smith became famous as
a dangerous foe TO the boOkmaEers.
In order 10 keep Informed as TO the
private form of horses he employed the
most yigilant track watchers or clock
ers. whose identity was not known for
years At one time he is said to have
had half dozen such men on his pay
roll, and thus equipped himself 10 beat
the bookmakers at their own game and
with their own Implements