New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-01


who died yesterday.
Church OF ST. Nicholas. Fifth avenue and
18Th street. tomorrow morning. at 10
O'Clock The Rev DR.. Edward r. COe.
pastor emeritus Of the Collegiate Church,
and the Rev Dr. william Rogers Richards.
Of the Brick Presbyterian Church. viii Off
ciate. Burial will be at Woodlawn Gene
terry.
To Charles Stewart smith this city owed
much He devoted himself for years to the
procurement OF real rapid transit. For
nearly a third OF a century he was con-
nected with the Chamber Of Commerce
and was chiefly responsible for the success
Of many OF its important movements. For
generation he was i leader IN the COM
mercial life Of this city. as one OF the
founders Of the Fifth Avenue sank and
Of the German-Ansrican Insurance Com
pany, as a prominent figure in the dry
goods trade and director of numerous cor
pOrations. In 1894 and 1897 he was leader
in the anti-Tammany campaigns. He was
a philanthropist AMI an art collector.
Mr.. Smiths ancestors came from Eng
land and settled IN the Connecticut valley
in early Colonial times. His father. the
Rev. John Smith. was a minister Of the
Congregational Church at Exeter, N H..
where the son was born in .s32. His mother
who was Mary Esther Woodruff, was a
daughter Of Aaron Dickinson Woodruff. OF
Trenton, y. j.. a distinguished lawyer.
and for many years -.ttorney General OF
that state. An ancestor Of hers was Elias
Woodruff cOmmissary general Of RevOIu-
tionary forces in New Jersey From lis
father Mr. Smith acquired the aud ments
Of good education, including Latin and
Greek Then he went 70 the village school
and academy. and at he age OF fifteen was
able himself 10 become a sch0o teacher IN
a Connecticut village. A few years later
he came 20 New York, and at once fell
into the business pursuit which was TO
claim his lifes attention
He became a clerk in a drygoods Job
bling house. In a short time ne was mas
ter of the details OF the business Promo
ton followed rapidly. At the axe Ct
twenty-one he was admitted to partnership
in the important house Of :. g. Chitten-
den Co.. and thereafter lived abroad
for several years az It's European repre-
sentative. His experience there was just
what was needed to complete MS training
as a man OF affairs On his return to
America ne organized u lrm Of mis- own.
under the name OF Smith. Hogs & Gard
ner. which succeeded TO the drygoods COM
mission business Of ne Boston house of
A & a. Lawrence. and Tor quarter OF
a century had a prosperous career In
1881 he retired from active labor. though
retaining mis- financial interest in the firm
His ability as a fnancier naturally ed
him inuo other enterprises. especially bank
ing Besides his connection with the Fifth
Avenue Bank and OF the Gerrnan-American
Insurance Company Mr.. Smith was vice
president and director OF the CITY and
Suburban Homes Company. president and a
trustee OF the Mercantile Real Estate Com
pany, a trustee OF the Metro pOlitan Museum
OF Art. president and a director Of Wood
lawn Cemetery, a trustee of New York Uni
versity, a trustee of the United States Trust
Company. trustee OF Barnard College. and
a director Of the Fourth National Bank. the
Merchants National Bank and the German
Alliance Insurance Company.
The esteem in which he was held by his
associates In the business world was strik-
ingly shown by his election in 1851, as
twenty-sixth president OF the Chamber OF
Commerce and his unanimous reelection
fer seven successive terms. Recently h.
was made a member OF its executive COM
mittee. He took a good citizens active in
D0utiG1I
office The nomination to the Inayoralty
, of the city was once offered to him. but he
declined. That was in 1884, when he was
largely Instrumental IN the organization of
the Committee % Seventy whose work re-
suited In the overthrow OF Tamnanv and
the election OF Mayor Strong As chairman
Of the executive committee he led the cam
p2ign- He was chairman OF the Citizens
I Union executive committee i'm 1887 when
Low was elected. and was also a member
Of the Committee OF Fifteen in 1890
He was a member OF the Union League
Metropolitan, Merchants. City and Law
yers' clubs. the Century Association, the
Players an OF the New England So
ciety. He was frequently tOastnaster
or speaker at public dinners ana meet
iHgs. He was a life member Of the
Academy OF Design and Of the MetropOi-
tan Museum OF Art. and possessed many
paintings. He presented 10 the MetrOpOIi-
tan Museum a rare collection OF japanese
china and other objects. Mr. Smith was a
frequent contributor 10 some OF the best
magazines and reviews on topics OF popular
and practical interest.
lie was especially an expert on all mat
tiers relating to railroad cIassifeations and
the relations OF common carriers to the
public. Whenever matters having 10 do
with this involved subject came up for pub
lie attention Mir. Smith was almost invart-
ably consulted. He led in the early SOS
the fight for the equitable classification OF
rates by the railroads In 1896 he became a
member OF the RAPID Transit board. and
had as colleagues such men as Morris r.
Jesup John II. Starin. Alexander r. orr.
Woodbury. Langdon, j. Edward simmons.
Cornelius y. Bliss and others. When tie
act for the formation OF the Rapid Transit
Commission was passed by the Legislature
OF 1884 il was understood that Mr.. Smith.
who was then president OF the Chamber II
Commerce would be- a member provision
being made therefor by designating the
PRESIDENT of that body member Officio
But before the act took effect Alexander l..
orr had succeeded Mr.. smith. Mr.. or was