The Idaho recorder., 1922-08-04
NEW ENGLAND Y
ZUZH$ ZzAP PoF1Z!N EY9zATD
g,.9;''. ~

in 1880 in Lincolnshire England. At 16 he ran
away from school and served year or so as
soldier In France and the Netherlands Finding
he knew nothing of the art of war he went home
ana studied and planned campaigns for several
months.
Then he started for Transylvania, where the
Christians were fighting the Turks. On the way
his shipmates thought him q Jonah and threw
him into the sea. Smith found his way to an
other ship, engaged in fight with a rich Venetian
argosy, captured 1t, and was rewarded with rich
purse containing $4,000 in gold as his part Of the
spoil.
In his fighting against the Turk he won honor
and fame and a coat of arms and his title of cap
tain. Before Ober Lmbach, in Pennsylvania, he
devised n strategem of lights which enabled the
Christians to annhllate half of the intdel army.
At another time he killed and cut off the heads of
three Turks in lists held before the opposing
armies Finally he was left for dead upon the
field of battle
Sold us slave by the Turks, he was sent to
Constantinople thence he was sent to Russia.
There he was worked In chain gang. One day
while threshing wheat he eXasperated by the
overseCr, whereupon he beat out his brains with
Il ha and escaped.
So Mt 27 we find Smith starting out for Virginia
in 1907 II the great adventure of his life
which gave him immortal fame He was not
the leader of the colonsts He was merely one
of the important men In the party. The year be-
fore the king, James |, had granted n charter to
the Virginia company for the purpose of estab
fishing trading colonies in America. The charter
ran to London and Plymouth merchants who
divided into two sub-companies.
Ii was the London company which made the
jamestown settlement. There were great difficult
ties from the start. The coonists were poorly
selected-there "forty-eight gentlemen to
four carpenters" The site selected was maarial
Tha rnln nicfo haH
ferring to search for gold. The industrial sys.
TEN, under which all labored for a common store
did not encourage thrift. The government was
cumbersome and the kings appointees were incom.
petent.
Smith became involved In a serious difficulty
before the voyage was finished and actually
landed in chains, Edward Maria Wingfeld had
charged him with mutny. The opening of sealed
Instructions showed Smith TO be one of the council
and he released Later he was given charge
OF the supplies. In December 1907 he was can
tured and saved by Pocahontas. He was tried for
the loss OF two of his men. sentenced to death
and only saved by the arrival of the First SupnIv"
from England. Soon after he was elected presi.
dent OF the council. During the winter OF 1908
09 the colony nearly lost 60 out of 100 and nearly
perished from starvation. Smith saved II by
getting corn from the Indians.
Smith sailed for England In 1909 for trestmep,
OF a severe powder burn. He never returned IN
the colony. He travelled in England preaching
the colonization OF America In 1914 no ax
plored the coast Of New England in the Interest
of private adventures, made good man a, !,
and gave II It's name He published n nunher ~,
books about his experiences i'm America and elsa
where from 1908 10 1881. the year of his da,th
Capt John Smiths claim to fame rests ,non
the fact that II was he who kept the Jamsstovn
colony together for two years He was tho ,,a
capable man among mishts. He drilled the sol
diers He compelled labor-"He who will no,
work will not eat was his dictum. He renaired
the fort. traded With the Indians kent their
friendship under difficulties and made daring WOW.
ages OF discovery. He actually succeeded in riy.
ing the colony the character NJ permanency
Because he did this the London comnonv ho,
the courage 10 keep on A new charter was Co
cured and Increased efforts made. Success finally
crowned these efforts, There followed tho pt
grims and the Purtans and English settlement ~,
the Atlantic seaboard assured
With the name and fame of Pocahontas ,hora
fore, is Joined the name and fame Of Can, Johr
Smith She saved him and she helped him ssva
the jamestown colony.
focahontas In bronze at jamestown should he
ioined by Capt John S'u!th In bronze"