Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-05-17
57th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Mr.. and Mrs. Charles FL. Smith.
owners of the Smith cottage, 234 East
Wildwood avenue, celebrated, very
quietly on Monday evening, May 9Th,
1918, the 9th anniversary of their
marriage, having been married May
9Th, 1851, at Portland, Maine. Mr..
Smith and his wife are both "down
casters" the former hailing from
Maine, the latter from New Hamp-
shire. Mrs. Smiths maiden name was
Wolcott. She is a descendant of
Joseph Wolcott, one of the, original
signers of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, something to be very proud
Of indeed. In her girlhood days, Helen
Wolcott had formed a prejudice against
all the Smith people, vowing that,she
would never, never marry q man bear
ing such a commonplace name as
Smith. After becoming acquainted
with the young man, who later be-
came her husband, she was at length
persuaded to reconsider her previous
determined position. and finally to
break her resolution altogether. The
man who succeeds in winning a>wo.
mans heart under circumstances like
these, must be ranked as being both re-
sourceful and diplomatic; for, as a rule,
"when woman says she will, she will;
and when she won't, she won't.n
Mr.. Smith distinctly remembers that
a few days after his marriage in '61,
President Lincoln issued his famous
call for troops, the response thereto be-
Ing so rapid and over-met, that it was
said and sung, 1--WE are Coming Father
Abraham, 100000 Strong"
Mr.. Smith was born in 1882. He Is
therefore in his SD year, or SO years
young, as Oliver Wendell Holmes
would say and say truthfully, for a
man is as old as he feels, and Mr..
Smith feels young. Being a mar so
remarkably we'll preserved for his
years, 1t is but natural for him to at
tribute his longevity to his total ab-
stinence from the use of all intoxicants,
and he spoke of Names strong stand
along those lines.
You need have no fear OF offending
either Mr.. Smith or his spouse by re-
ferring to them as Yankees On the
contrary they are a bit vain about being
descended from such hardy, shrewd
colonial ancestors. Mrs. Smith has
been of inestimable aid and comfort to
her husband IN his battle with the
world, and che has resisted times ruth
less methods equally as well as Mr..
Smith has INT this is a coincidence
worthy Of especial noting.
This man from Maine, our Pine Tree
state, cannot forget his native heath;
nor fail to do homage to all of New
England's distinguished sons. How
fhis eyes sparkled as he spoke of James
6. Blaine, the "Plumed Knight" and
you could see he was pleased to know
his State was long considered an.index
for political guidance, this popularity
being condensed into the saying: "As
Maine goes, SO goes the Union.' II
you want to see Mr.. Smith smile,
simply mention "Tippecanoe and Ty-
Ter too" That was a winning slogan
in one Of the earlier political cam
paigns, when "Maine went solid for
Governor Kent, for Tippecanoe and Ty-
Ter too" Ballads for political purposes
play almost as much a part sometimes
as they do for national affairs
1t was because of the rigors of the
New England winters that Mrs. Smith
used her gentle influences to induce
Mr.. Smith to seek for a more ~salubrious
climate. Besides, fhey had heard glow
ing tales about New Jerseys produc-
tive soil and adaptability for growing
of vegetables, berries and other fruits,
for which kind of farming Mr.. Smith
had a prediction. Vineland was the
spot selected and there they lived for
80 years. In the meantime Wildwood
had been discovered, and in 1890, just
rs years ago, Mr.. and Mrs. Smith To-
Gated here. In his boyhood days Mr..
Smith had learned, and thoroughly
too, the carpenter trade, SO that when
he wished to avail himself of this val
liable part of his education, he was
able to build the Smith cottage without
the necessity of consulting any archi-
tects or contractors. His Wildwood
cottage was the fifth to go up here.
The building refiecIs credit on his skill;
If he is not a worthy Wildwood pio-
J neer, pray tell us, then, who is?