Evening star., 1931-06-21
Fate Couldn't Hide Him
A PERSONALITY THAT LIVES AFTER 500 YEARS.


So vivid Is his personality today that
It Is dificult to realize that it is indeed
three centuries since his life closed. He
has an indelible place in the memory
of mankind. His story Is known to
every child who has ever been In an
American school, and his example Is
part Of the tradition inherited by every
English lad who loves the sea. Two
nations possess him--the one which
gave him birth and the one which he
labored to establish.
Soldier, sailor, pioneer, administrator,
organizer, propagandist, he Is certainly
the most famous person whom Fate
ever tried to conceal "by calling him
Smith"
He was born at willoushby, Lincoln
shire, probably in the frst week Of the
tism Is dated January 8. His father
was George Smith, Of Lancashire stock.
q fairly prosperous farmer, Q tenant
Of Lord Willoughby de Eresby. His
mother was Alice Rickand, or Rickard,
Of q Yorkshire family Both parents
were of gentle blood" John had
younger brother, Francis, and Q sister,
Alice. The father died In 1895, and
presumably the mother did not long
survive.
John was sent to school at Afford
| and at Louth, but his mind being
! even then set upon brave adventures"
he did not attend very closely to his
academic studies. At Is, he was ap-
| prenticed to Thomas Sendan at Lynn,
| ''the greatest merchant Of all those
parts" but he did not flnd "the least
| pleasure in big employers counting
! house" The rhythm Of the sea was
in his brain. the thirst 10 visit dis
tant lands was so insiStent that 1t
| - hA
plotted and planned, over and over,
how an escape into the wider world
might be arranged. Finally an oppor-
| tunity came in the form Of an invita-
| ton to cross the Channel to France
with his friend the young second son
| of Lord Willoughby, who was on his
way to join his elder brother at school
! at Orleans. He obtained 10 shillings
| from his guardians, spent six weeks
vicinity of that city and then set on
for Paris alone.
From Paris he moved on to Rouen,
| then to Havre, where he meant to
| join up as q soldier in the French
Army. Peace intervening, he trans
| ferred himself to q company OF Eng
lish free lanceS commanded by Capt.
Joseph Duxbury. From 1895 to 1900
| he served in the low countries, light
ing for the Dutch against their religious
enemies" These four years furnished
him q stern enough school; he emerged
from them man and a frSt-cltss
fighter.
Received with Enthusiasm.
In his twenty-first year he sailed
from Enkhuizen, North Holland, for
Leith, Scotland. The vessel was
wrecked on the Northumberland coast,
but John managed to get ashore. In
| Edinburgh he found 1t impossible to
find congenial employment and after
some wandering in the north he re-
turned to Willoughby-a prodigal son,
more or less, but "he was received with
enthusiasm" for he had interesting
yarns to tell"
However. he had no intention Of re-
manning at home. Indeed. after a few
days. he built himself "a pavilion of
boughS" in little wooded pasture "a
good way from any town" and like
Thoreau and Whitman in later times,
retired from society for q while. We
are told that he had with him two
books-Sir Thomas North's THE Dial
of Princes" and Machiavelli's art of
War;" the former based on the
Thoughts, of Marcus Aurelius, Stole
philosopher and Roman Emperor.
From this solitude Smith removed at
| length to the household Of the Earl Of
Lincoln, at Tattersall, but he did not
remain long in this employment. He
was desirous to see more Of the world.
and try his fortune against the Turks. 7"
There followed q period Of wandering
on the continent; an adventure in
piracy on the Mediterranean; an ex-
pedition into the Balkans as q soldier
of fortune, He was taken prisoner and
sold into slavery, but eventually killed
his master in Turkey and escaped,
landing in England at last, after an
other long period Of wandering about
the continent.
BY this time q new idea had taken
the place in his mind formerly occupied
with the thought Of fighting Turks
1t was nothing more nor less than the
establishment of q new Britain be-
yond the Atlantic in America. Other
men had the same dream. But in
Smiths case it burned with q brilliant
flame. From 1904 to 1905 he tirelessly
devoted himself to the cause Of colonial
expansion. He was one of the pro-
moters of the Royal Virginia Co.,
granted q patent in 1906. He was as
sociated with Capt. Bartholomew Cos
mold in his campaign for a Virginia
colony. In the Fall Of 1905 Smith was
ready for his greatest adventure.
Plot Develops in Party.
We cannot review in detail the his
tory Of his career in Virginia. A brief
outline must serve. He sailed from the
village Of Blackwall, Poplar Parish, on
10, 1906. There were $50 men in the
party destined TO constitute the planta-
ton party. These were distributed in
three sips, the Susan Constant,
God Speed and Discovery. The
craft had "unproSpeYouS winds" at the
start, and 1t was not until New Years
day, 1907, that they really got clear Of
the Downs. Meanwhile dissension was
already ct work among the colonists.
The final arrangements for the govern
ment Of the plantation could not be
known until tbs coast Of Virginia had
been reached, but there was much
speculation and some plotting and al
together an atmosphere Of rivalry in
stead Of one Of cooperation and fellow
ship.
The expedition arrived in West In
dian waters March "A, 1907. BY this
time scheme to hang Smith had been
developed. just why we do not know.
What Is clear Is that certain important
members Of the company were mere
idealists, totally without experience in
practical affairs, and apparently Smith
! incurred the vehement dislike Of some
of these persons by well-intentioned ef-
forts to protect them from the newt
| able consequences Of their own folly.
Smith was q man Of broad experience
and they were not-they could not lead
him; they would not permit him to lead
| them.
The Virginia coast was sighted at
dawn, April as, 1907. The same after
noon the three ships entered Chesa-
peake Bay. A landing party Of 20 or
80 went ashore. That night Capt
| Gabriel Archer and q sailor, Matthew
Morton, were wounded by Indians, who
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