Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1911-02-03

fellow-men and welcoming them to
he solitude of his cabin when they
chose to come.
Well educated, graduate of the Uni
yersity of Virginia, said to have been
on the staff of General Lee, a colonel
at the close of the civil war, a conf
dant Of John Brown in the last days
of the man from Osawatomie while
serving as an officer in the Virginia
guards on duty at Charlestown, the
old man has preferred the isolation
and life of a naturalist. He never
became a misanthrope, nor disliked
companionship.
Once only did he leave his small
home, twenty miles below Terre
Haute, pre-empted when he arrived
there thirty years ago, and that was
when he came to the city to witness
a theatrical performance, his son be-
ing a member of the company Until
ten years ago his children did not
know where he was. Then a woman
of evident refinement arriving at
Merom, the nearest town, asked for
a man named Russell" living as
Smythe did That night he said to
friend: MY children have found me
out. and want me to come back, but
want to live out my life here"
Though ready talker, he never
grew reminiscent to the extent of dis
closing his early life, except possibly
to two or three men to whom he could
trust his secret. One story is that
his name is Caskey. Whatever it is
he has finally yielded to the appeals
of son and daughter, who live in
Paris to come to them. There is
enough authentic information current
in regard to him to furnish a few
facts concerning his life. Besides
there is his own story of his intimate
connection with John Brown after the
latter was condemned to die for the
raid on Harpers Ferry.
At the end of the war, in 1865.
Smythe, who had been rich, was poor
and broken in health He wished to
get away from all that reminded him
OF his former life, and, always a ma
ture student, he chose a life of soil
tude in the middle west. For some
years he was on the Mississippi river,
out there is no definite information as
to what he did.
Thirty years ago his houseboat put
IN at the banks of the Wabash
Some men on shore asked, what his
name might be-" He replied that 1t
might be Smythe"
Captain?" they asked, half in jest,
and he soberly replied that it was,
captain Roland B. Smythe," and so
re was known for the thirty years.
ne is now more than eighty years
old but has the appearance of man
VI hity He has still the military
nearing first acquired in the Virginia
militia and later in the Confederate
army.
1mythe's health improved steadily
"'ter he came to the banks of the
'"ef' Notwithstanding he squatted in
mace where the pioneers suffered
win chills and fever, widely known
n the early. days as "the Wabash
snakes He has not been i'll a day,
eads without glasses, has firm
Nep and the grace of an athlete.
he dld not like publicity or noto-
.ls'y especially in the pose of her.
1it out he welcomed visitors, espe.
''aiiy those with whom he could talk
VI matters worth while. Asked to
D'"e as a naturalist, If not of his
.D!niscences, he replied: THAT
.ouid be petty satisfaction of van
~, and If | became successful
amer it would defeat my purpose OF
4'.Ag Out my years as am doing"
us was a few years ago. and.
,-Henang on vanity, he said: 81
ave not seen my own face in any
~ ~ Of mirror for eight years, except
T. disturbed reflection of the water"
~, preferred to live his song rather
@an to sing it.
long will the lovable old man be
,i-- --sl-oered by those who visited
~ 49, ms gentle voice, sweet tempera.
q. "l dignifed and gracious bearing
rl.. 'o'ed children and showed them
ra, ySSsIaphs Of his own, now grown to
ol and womanhood.