The Glenwood post., 1911-02-04


fellow-men and welcoming them to
the solitude of his cabin when they
chose to come.
Well educated. graduate of the Uni
versity Of Virginia, said to have been
on the STAFF of General Lee, a colonel
at the close of the civil war. 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 naturalist. He never
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
theatrical performance, his son be-
ing 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 a
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 1t is
he has finally yielded to the appeals
Of a son and daughter, who live in
Paris to come to them There is
enough authentic Information current
in regard to him to furnish 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 life Of soil
tude in the middle west. For some
years he was on the Mississippi river,
but 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 1t was,
Captain Roland B. Smythe." and so
he was known for the thirty years.
He is now more than eighty years
old, but has the appearance of a man
of fifty. He has still the military
bearing first acquired in the Virginia
militia and later in the Confederate e
army.
Smythe's health improved steadily
after he came to the banks of the
river, notwithstanding he squatted in
place where the pioneers suffered
with chills and fever. widely known
in the early days as "the Wabash
shakes" He has not been Ill day,
reads without glasses has firm
step and the grace Of an athlete.
He did not like publicity or noto-
riety especially in the pose of her.
nit, but he welcomed visitors, espe-
cially those with whom he could talk
on matters worth while. Asked to
write as a naturalist, If not of his
"reminiscences. he replied: THAT
would be petty satisfaction of van
ity, and If I became successful
writer 1t would defeat my purpose of
living out my years as l am doing"
This was few years ago, and,
commenting on vanity, he said: 81
have not seen my own face In any
kind Of mirror for eight years, except
the disturbed reflection of the water"
He preferred to live his song rather
than to sing 1t.
Long will the lovable old man be
remembered by those who visited
him. His gentle voice, sweet tempera-
ment, dignified and gracious bearing.
He loved children and showed them
photographs of his own, now grown to
manhood and womanhood.