The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-08-04
Famine Is Threatened.
OSTON MASS. Special -WASse
JOHN SMITH IS
KNOCKED TO BITS

thousands who bear the honored
patronymic Smith will experience a
distinct sense of sorrow when they
learn that their distinguished ances-
tor, Captain John Smith, of jamestown
island and colonial fame, recently got
his esteemed head knocked off and
was otherwise so mutilated 1fhat il be-
came necessary to dump his shattered
skull and dis1ecta membra into the
turbid waters of the James
fortunately for history and for the
refined sensibilities OF the multitude
nous Smiths, Captain JOhms ':alter
ego exists in bronze shape on James
town Island, and, therefore, all may
be assured that he Will Rppear in
concrete form for many centuries vet
TO come.
into smithereens last week was a re-
production-one dares NOT use the
word "replica"-of the statue that
now adorns the place known as the
cradle or Anglo-SaXon civilization in
America.
This plaster efigy. now that its
short life has ended, can truly be said
10 have had storm~tossed career, just
as did the real Smith when he ap-
peared in the flesh.
1t was presented to the Common
wealth by the Association for the
Preservation of Virginia antiquities
ana was assigned to place in the ro-
tunda of the Capitol
The plaster John got here in
wretched shape, with one OF his arms
broken off and other pants of his
anatomy and clothing more or less
SCARED up.
An expert gave him another arm
and mended his top boots and pic
turesque attire, so that he looked al
most as good as new.
But these little matters had hard
~ been adjusted before people of
acute artistic tastes began kicking
Tn1N u
stood in the same rotunda with the
marble Washington and other oeleb-
rites carVen in pure white stone.
II was said that he didn't belong
there, and that his presence was a
disc0rd. Some even drew the color
line on him because he was almost
black Then the Legislature came
along and ordered the removal of the
plaster of Paris wanderer, who was
shipped over to the exhibit hall of
the new library annex.
In the bis exhibit hall, the plaster
smith, who had had a terrible time
making the journey from the rO-t
tunda to the Library Annex. spent
many Wearis0me months looking
doWn on gigantic melange of stuff
ed BIRDS and beasts, minerals and tim
bers that had been shipped there
from the jamestown EXPOSITION.
Ihere was absolutely naught for
hln 10 DO but to stand majesticallv
on his wooden perch and await a.
Velopments.
Week after week went by. and al
Inough tons OF stuff were shifted and
me birds and the fishes and the four-
rooted varmints were gradually as
stsneu TO their positions in the hall
the lonely Smith remained ignored.
ana MS soJourn would have been
sui more uncomfortable had he
known what was coming to him Lost
week the workmen prepared to give
smith his supposedly permanent place
in the hall.
But alas, his magnitude was his
uhoolnS- when an attempt was
MADE 10 move him, there came an
awful, blood-curdling crash. The
Whiskered skull of the mighty man
NIT the tesSellated floor below with a
duil and sickening thud, while other
parts OF him likewise went to smash.
An examination proved that the re-
oouotaDle Smith, who in the flesh had
long withstood the Turk, the red man
and the rigors of the American wilder-
ness, was gone beyond recalI-a mere
mass of painted chalk beyond recogni- |
uon and unworthy of notice save as |
rubbish
And so 1t came to pass that disre- |
spectful hands carted him away, and |
cast the debris into that meanderif4g
stream whose history this same Smith |
had helped so much to make.
The people who might furnish the
details about the passing of Smith and
the deep damnation Of his taking-off. |
are reticent, and seemingly they sor- !
row not.
To tell the truth. this particular