The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-05-22
BILLY. SMITH
PASSES away
VETERAN CoNbUCTOR ON
SOUTHERN COLLAPSED
WEDNESDAY
FIFTY-FOUR YEARS
More Than Half 3 CentuFy Had
Served the Company and the
Public Most AeccptaBIS
FIFTY.FoUR YEARS


last night, without sorrow. pain,
or care. 1t was not death, this pass
ing OF a man without an enemy. this
ending OF life without a reuroach.
The venerable conductor has received
his last train order and has register
cred safely at the destination whittier
are freighted the lives Of the just.
While he had been in very feeble
state of health for four monthsJ most
OF that. time confined to his bed, vet
Capt. Billy Smiths end came some
what unexpectedly. He ate some broth
Sor dinner yesterday and seemed, to be
IN cheerful spirits. and was joking
With those around him But within half
IN hourshe had suffered an entire col
!apse and, never regained conscious
ness although the approach of disso-
luton was stayed until after the mid
night hour, and his the gently lived
life d1ttered gently out at this morn
ing.
4 Long Career.
Cap. Billy" Smith was one Of the
best known citizens of South Carolina.
He was indeed known throughout the
United States as having had a longer
continuous service as railway conduc-
tor than any other man, for he passed
beyond the remarkable period OF fifty
years: He was not such an old man, as
years go, but he had a long and event
full and active and useful life He
would hsye been Is e. years years CO ase CT the
18th OF next July. He served contin-
uously for "a years In the service of
what is nowfthe Southern Raifway.
and the fact that he was physically in
capacitated from taking his train out
any more seemed to grieye him and
'hasteh the5end of hisi life4Y " t5st3 81 &
His father was William Gelky Smith
and his mother was Charlotte Eliza
beth GastoIs both born and reared in
Anderson county In 1888 they moved
to Pine Log alley, F9rdon county.
Georgia, where on the 15th OF July, 1S- ]
80. Cant. Btlly,si Smith Wasf born.
He married A5is ~ " Harris tilson
of Helena, S. ol she $th Of Febrl-,
ary 1886. 9 Y y. t7 = -
AT the age age e,f Of is. in isaS: Id came
to South Carolina, on aecotiEt OF his
health, He stopped at WIlliamston. AT
The time he was stud ying to be d .pfiysi-1
cia. but was advised that he needed ap.
active employment. On the fourth Of
October 1888, he started railroad work
on what was then the Columbia ana
Greenville road. and about the last of
that year or the first OF 1859 was ma de-
conductor, serving the railroad and
the public in that capacity for, "a yea !s
or until Jan. 1st, 1912, when he resign
ID from the road. and came to I've in
Anderson.
He was conductor on the Columbia
and Greeuville all during the war and,
handled between forty and fifty }thous-
and OF the soldiers of Lees and John
sons armies and was one of the three ]
men to guard the entire residue of the
Confederate treasury of Alston S. C.lI
when President Davis was making his
way westward after the evacuation OF
Richmond q - = - .,;e,.@
He was then living ait Helena, lin
the outskirts of the city of Newherrys
where the shops Of the road were, To-
Gated. In 1871 he moved to Column
bia In 1873 he was given the train
on the Blue Ridge and moved to West
Union where he lived until 1895 when
he moved back to Columbia, running
from Columbia to- o'Greenville. He lived
In Columbia until the end OF his rail-.
road service.
He Is ,survided by his widow and by
the following chilarep 81 Mrs. ~ II. 4
FAINT of Walhalla; Mrs. p. e.. Epting'
of Williamstoh; Mfst ~ A. +. RatclIife,I
DR.. w. j. Smith and Kurtz p. Smith
OF Anderson and by O half brotho~ OF
Calhoun, Ga. When Il became known
yesterday afternoon that Capt. Smith
was dying, the court OF general aes-
sions recessed until this morning out
of respect OF Solicitor X. p. Smith.
No Funeral Arrangements.
No announcement as to the hour of
the funeral services was made, but IL
will be some time during Saturday
Capt. Enlith was q member OF the Or
der nf Railway Condnctnre and they
wished to send d delegation to the
funeral, which will be held In this city.
One of the last times that Capt. "Bii-
"" Smith was able to appear in pub:
lie was in attending The funeral In
Williams, who hid been a tRainInan
with Capt Smith ana was superinta1id-
ent OF the road III. the time Of hislI
death. f9sl.3 #
Capt. sBlllyt Smith was a horn gem
llemaIi, and every moment OF his ON
.cia1 life showed his devotion 20: the in-i
terests which be served and hisssoliole
'tude for the welfare of the women and
the children. The old and the feeble
where his especial care and many %
the kindness that he has rendered and
many Is the heart Ia w:..ss.ss 1 no VII - "a a a
held In loying memory.
{ His quaint sas inBs and fsaaneFissfTis | |
will Cor long time be fresh In the |
memory OF those who have travelled !
with him While he esas s competent
and active railroad cont ductor. yet he |
was af the same time never IN too I
much OF q hurry 10 try 20 Tighten flle
burden of 81 nfssorne Journey or 20 ]
make happy aud looked upoE his pes
sengers as his big family. and indeed |
he knew most cE Che people who rode