Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days . political office. His forty years holding of pub-lic office and of fiduciai-y trusts was in response to the spontaneityof public demand, regardless of politics. Socially, he was the embodiment of all that is good and ennob-ling in social life. His sympathies embraced all human hold upon the hearts of the people was marvelous. At socialfunctions, he was always a favorite; at banquets, as toastmasteror after-dinner speaker, he had few equals. In fact, he was pre-eminent in the social life of the entire state. In every
Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days . political office. His forty years holding of pub-lic office and of fiduciai-y trusts was in response to the spontaneityof public demand, regardless of politics. Socially, he was the embodiment of all that is good and ennob-ling in social life. His sympathies embraced all human hold upon the hearts of the people was marvelous. At socialfunctions, he was always a favorite; at banquets, as toastmasteror after-dinner speaker, he had few equals. In fact, he was pre-eminent in the social life of the entire state. In every departmentof civic life, he exemplified the highest type of manhood, an inspi-ration to the young, and the pride of the Commonwealth. By profession of faith, he was a Methodist, but his broad, cath-olic spirit accepted and cherished the Christianizing influence of alldenominations. His home was the reflection of his beautiful nature. Withia itsportals there was love, content, and happiness. He deceased January Eleventh, 1896. Jime Third, 1906. Vol. II—( JOHN L. SMITH JOHN L. SMITH ACO!NSPICUOUS and familiar personage around town inthe early days of Fort Des Moines was John L. Smith. Anative of Cazenovia, ISTew York, when sixteen years old, hewas forced by the circumstances of a widowed mother to look outfor himself. Being of migratory temperament, he entered theservice of the American Fur Company, owned by John JacobAstor, of New York, as disbursing agent and trader, the headquar-ters of the company being in Chicago. He went to the Lake Supe-rior Country, where he remained several years, trafficking withChippewa and Winnebago Indians, during three years of whichhe did not see the face of a white man. It was hazardous business,as he had to travel through the wilderness on horseback, carryinglarge sums of gold and silver from one post to another. The Chip-]>ewas and Winnebagos often got at war with each other, and hewas liable to get mixed up in it through suspicion of
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