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DEATH CLAIMS CAPT. WILLIAM F. SMITHLtJNG AND USEFUL CAREER ENDEDFinal Chapter Written in Life of One Butts County's Foremost Citizens— Was Editor. Builder And Public Spirited Citizen And Death Is A BlowAfter a lone ami distinguished career. Cant W. F. Smith, one Butts county’s leading citizens, fssed away at his home in Flo-Sunday morning at 11:30 zk. He had long been ill •recently suffered from an lbie for which he under-an operation in Atlanta ?ral months ago. Death v/as due to a general breakdown and a complication of diseases.News of the passing of this pioneer citizen brought grief to -hundreds of friends who knew and admired him for his stainless life and for the good he did toa railroad was thedreainof Capt. [Smith’s life. In July 1909 the city council of Jackson granted Capt Smith and associates a franchise to build n|trolley line on any street in Jackson. Work on this line was started in June 1911 and the road has been built from the Southern depot to the business section of Jackson.The fact that Capt. Smith did not receive the encouragement | in this enterprise ho thought he deserved distressed him and dis-| appointment no doubt hastened his death.Established Newspapers.I Capt. Smith was a pioneer | newspaper man in Butts county. 'In 1875 he established the Mid-Idle Ceorgii Argus at Indian ! Spring. The paper was later sold and moved to Jackson and is now the Jackson Argus. When Capt. Smith embarked in journalism he set type by the light of a little brass lamp and the Washington hand press was in vogue.. He was a Populist in those days and until his death was an advocate of good government.The Butts Countv Progress was started by Capt. Smith in 1882 Cotton was chzap, the country in bad condition and Capt. Smith did his full duty in helping toCAPTAIN W. F. SMITHothers. To the future growth and development of Butts county his death comes as a peculiarly sad blow.Had Useful Career.For more than a generation Capt. Smith had been prominently identified with every move- ( ment for the upbuilding of Butts j county and her resources. He saw years ago the possibilities of! water power development on ti e ( Ocmulgee river and wrote and | talked about this propsition until! he lived to see the Ocmulgee’s waters harnessed and supplying, electrical energy to cities and fac-tories throughout Middle Georgia. With Messrs. Collier and Lindsay he built the Floviila Indian j Spring Railway, in which enterprise he retained an interest until his death. He played an important part in having the Southern Railway built through Butts county, when another route had been surveyed.More recently Capt. Smith had been engaged in trying to build a net work of interuban railways in this section. He was general manager of the Middle Georgia Intcrurban Railway Company, chartered to build a railroad from Griffin to Social Circle. This company owns valuable rights of way through several Middle Georgia , counties.To see Jackson and Floviila nnd ♦•Indian Spring linked together byla. S. L. Smith, of Grand Ridge, Fla.Fought for the South.Capt. Smith served for two years in the civil war as a member of Co. I. 45th Georgia, captain John I. Hall.He was a devoted member of the Baptist church. He stood for temperance, for law and order and was a splendid type of the Christian gentlemen.Was Public Spirited.In these piping •times of commercial greed and sellishess Capt. Smith’s life stood out conspicuously as one who worked for the public good. The hest years of his life were spent in working for the development of his native county. He spent liberally of his time and resources in planning and buitding for Butts county's future growth.The funeral took place from the Floviila Baptist church at 11 o’clock Tuesday morning and was largely attended. The services were conducted by Rev. W. W. Arnold. Numerous and handsome floral tributes were a mute tribute of the esteem in which the deceased was held. The remains were laid to rest at Sandy Creek Cemetery, lie was llie nolilest Itnnnn i*f them nil.tils tile wot gentle; nml the elements So mixed In him, Unit nature might stand up,Anil say to all the world, this was n Mon Ihave better laws enacted. He was a frequent contributor to the local press and was a forceful and entertaining writer.Member Prominent Family.William Ferguson Smith was lvrn Sept. 20. 1845. He was the son of Samuel F. and Annie Lindsey Smith and belonged toone of the oldest and most prominent families in Butts county. His father represented the countv in the legislature in 1877-78. The brothers of Capt. Smith are Hon. Wilson Smith, former representative from Butts county, John R. L. Smith, a prominent attorney of Macon, S. J. Smith, county treasurer of Butts county, A. B..£. K..G.W. andR. V. Smith, Jr. His sisters are Mrs. C. F. Etheridge and Miss Alice F. Smith.Capt. Smith married Dec. 24, 1867 Miss Mary T. Preston of Butts county, who died several years ago. His second wife, to whom he was married Oct 23, 1890, was Miss Martha E. Mitchell. Besides his widow Capt Smith issurvived byeightdaugh-ters, Mrs. N. J. Thomas. Mrs. T. 0. Linch. Mrs. R. B. Thompson, Misses Laura, Maude, Willie and Jewell Smith, of Floviila, and Mrs. T. J. Rhodes, of Hosford, Fla., Mrs. T. J. Brown, of McDonough; live ‘sons, Dr. J. G. Smith, of McDonough, Col. W. E. Smith, of Manchester Messrs. S. P. and D. H. SmiUi. of Flovll-
Newspaper Details
Butts County Progress
Jackson, Georgia, US
Fri, Mar 22, 1912
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Janice R.
GA, USA 16 Aug 2017
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