The Pulaskian., 1916-12-01

1
 The man who gives credit for his success to the merchandise sold by him, without reserving a bit for his personal ability, is rare specimen, and as he has done this very thing, c. E. Smith of the G. E. Smith Grain Company must be given the credit at least for holding onto a good brand of goods until it made him one of the big flour men of the Southwest.
 c. E. Smith may sell one Of the best Hours in the market, but those who know him also know that he would have made a success had he been handling paving blocks, or selling pat ent medicines. MT. Smith was a bus mess success before he ever knew 1 there was an Orris flour manufactur- ed, and before he entered the flour business, so after all the flour must accept the secondary place in the list of successful Smiths.
 Like many of the other prominent business men of Little Rock, Charles E. Smith is a product of the farm. He was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala, but 1 left too early in life to have much farming experience, going with his parents to Ripley, Tippah county, Mississippi, where he secured practi- cal education in agricultural pursuits first hand.
 When young man, Charlie Smith l followed the advice of Horace Gree 1 ley and went West. To those resid- l ing in Ripley county in those days, the West was surrounded entirely by the boundaries. of Texas. To this vast empire went the future flour 1 merchant, locating in Mexia. Three i years of Texas was enough, however, and back, back to Memphis, Tenn, famed in song and story, went Little Rocks MT Smith.
 l For a number of years MT. Smith travelled over Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, making his headquar- 1 ters in Memphis. The more he trav eled Arkansas the more he yearned to make his home among us, so final l ly he yielded to temptation, and in 1887 he became a naturalized Arkan- sas citizen.
 About the same time MT. Smith was married, and went to housekeep- ing on West Fourteenth street in the house where he resides today.
 After locating in Little Rock, MT. Smith opened a grocery store, and specialized in feed. This gradually passed to flour, and disposing ot his retail interests, he started out in ear nest on his successful career. At first was operated brokerage or flee, handling the account which per mitted him to sell Orris flour. His first. office was in the Moore & Turner building, and when the Southern Trust Company erected it's magniti- cent building, Mir Smith took offices l there.
 Within few months MT. Smiths business became of such magnitude that he was forced to operate ware house, and later he moved to Cum berland street, where office and ware rooms could be combined. Three years ago ground on Third and Sher- man was purchased and the building erected which now houses the c. k. Smith Grain Company.
 l Orris flour has kept right on mak- ing the business bigger and bigger, now the services of two are required to manage it, so c. Eugene Smith, Jr., was year ago made member of the firm, and is now actively engaged in assisting Orris flour to increase the prosperity of the Smith firm.
 l Charles E. Smith has gained some l success that he cannot share with Orris flour, for he is serving his fourth term as a member of the City Council of Little Rock from the Third ward The name of his priZe-takins flour did not even appear on the bal lots which were used when MT. Smith was elected. A member of the Lit tie Rock Lodge of Elks, of the Little Rock Rotary Club, the Woodmen of the World, and at one time Charlie Smith served as mayor of Little Rock, during the absence of Mayor c. E.. Taylor from the city.