The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-25

terestfng one. He was a pioneer in
Wisconsin and went to Chicago and
was burned out by the Chicago fire.
In the early days he was associated
with such men as Ezra Coming, the
father of David B. Hill, Zack Chand-
Ter, Dan Wilcox, and others. He was
interested in several lines of business
in the early days of the west that
afterward made other men million
aires.
/ NJ Smith was born near Utica,
New York, Sc years ago. He came
from hardy stock for his father lived
to be g years old, his mother "a and
an aunt was 109 years old at the time
New York. for a time and went from
there to Ashland, Wis, in 1910. His
brother drove from New York to Wis
consin with the father of David B.
statesman. Smith went to visit them.
He stayed in Wisconsin but a short
time and went to Chicago and was in
business there. In 1S43 Smith re-
turned to Wisconsin. He went from
Buffalo to Detroit on the Great West
ern.
Il was seasick." said Mr.. Smith in
telling of the voyage 'sOn the boat 1
met Zack Chandler, who was after
wards a senator and a cabinet mem
Der. Zack had his sea legs on.
didn't. He owned a store in Detroit.
He took me there when we arrived
William Hale, afterwards attorney
general of Wisconsin, was with u.s.
In 1849 Smith with Ezra Coming
and a man named Speed secured the
franchise for a telegraph line in Wis
consin and began building a large line.
The system included Green Bay,
kenosho, Ashland, OeonomoWoc and
other towns in Wisconsin and north
ern Illinois. The system was a large
one, for 1913 operators were employed.
Smiths duty was to oversee the entire
system. He Travelled by wagon from
town to town in all kinds of wealth er,
inspecting. the lines and offices. Dur
ing that time he passed the now IA
nous Waukesha Springs hundreds of
times with never a thought that the
waters might be valuable.
business was shaky in those days.
Smith is quoted as saying I'VE had
wild cat money and wild cat banks
and when we sold anything we did not
know whether the money would be
good the next day or not. lived at
Ashland and my wife was often fright
ened by the Winnebago Indians. Busi-
ness was not any too good and Speed
and / wanted to sell out to Coming He
was to come and see US. He came from
ithaca, N. Y, by way of Cincinnati in
stead of by Detroit because he owed so
much money in Detroit that he was
afraid to go there. We owed SO much
for taxes on our lines that we were
about to lose them but we made ar
rangements with the governor for them
to be sold for taxes and we bought
them in for a small sum.
Speed and / met Coming in Chicago
later. He was to bring 5000 with him
to buy US out. We met him and talked
till midnight then he said. I'm busted
We said that was a good joke but we
found it was true. We couldn't hold
out. I tried to get the directors of the
railroad, now the Milwaukee &r st. Paul
to help US in building line from Mil
waukee to Madison 50 miles. We want
kaG 11H6 In rfT Nr-lr f1lFT q
road by carrying their messages. The
directors said they. ayouid carry their
messages on their tfafns. That is the
road George r. Peck IS with now. They
wouldn't help us and I got mad and
sold out for 81 600 and gave the money
to Dan Wilcox, editor of the Quincy,
Ill, 'Whig.' 1 told him I didn't want
it. The father of c. G. Shales, super
intendent of telegraph on the Santa Fe,
afterward bought those telegraph lines.
Then I sold a farm I had in Wis
consin for 81, 500 and with the money
started in business at Janesville, Wis. [
sold wagons and had one of the largest
business houses in that part of the
country. I took notes in payment for
wagons and have a note now for $175
given me by the father of Governor
Budd of California, that has never been
paid From there [ went to Chicago,
and bought two lots on Dearborn street
for $1,000 and was burned out by the
William B. Strong. formerly president
of the Santa Fe railroad was a telegra-
pher on Smiths line and worked in
small office at BelOit, Wisconsin, for q
meager salary. The office did not pay
and was closed. Strong lost his place.
Smith had been near wealth many
times Coming stuck to his telegra phi bus
mess after Smith left it and made money
during the war. He was rated at being
worth $40, 600 600. The lots Smith sold on
Dearborn street are now worth thousands
Smiths grandfather and uncle had a
line of vessels years ago plying between
the United States and southern ports and
they were destroyed by the French;
cousin of Smiths S made application De1Ore
the court of claims in Washington on the
strength of that and got $4,000
Il didn't said Smith, and III tell you
why. While was in Wisconsin BartloW
cavalry came our way and camped. We
had LOCO cords of wood. They seized and
burned most of it. 1t took me so long to
get that claim allowed at Washington
that I decided If ever had another
against the government 1 wouldn't never
try to collect it but would just give 1t
to Uncle Sam.
So Smith has never been wealthy, but
made cider and weather forecasts. They
were both good. Good as Cider Smith,
who was happy with his grandchildren
and his weather warnings Day after day
he got the reports of the climatic condi-
tiOns at various points of vantage over
the country from the newspapers and
made his forecasts systematically and in
The people who for years have relied
upon his reports, telling what would hap
pen for several days in advance, will no
wait for the government to give out the
24-hOur reports, until such time as a
successor to the only Cider Smith is
found
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