Adonriam Judson Smith

SMITH

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 7/7/2014 at 14:21:03

A.J. SMITH

Death of One of Davenport's Best Men.

Tuesday's Painful Attack Indicate a Condition of Hopeless Disorder - Mr. Smith's Long Life in Davenport as One of Her Most Respected Citizens
Sad news for the city of Davenport, this morning, was the announcement that A.J. Smith had died at daybreak. His illness has been known, but its serious character had not been so generally understood. and the people of this city who have been accustomed to see him in his daily walk of business for the past 38 years were not prepared for the sudden call. No man who has left us has been more generally and sincerely regretted.

For the past two weeks, Mr. Smith has been a sick man. His condition has been such as to give his family and friends grave cause for alarm. He has been under medical care, and was thought to be gaining. He was able to go to the polls Saturday and vote for the candidates of his choice, and this week he was able to come down to his store. There it was, early Thursday afternoon, that he suffered a severe attack of pain in the region of his stomach, attended with serious shock to the nervous system. He was taken home, and the best of care was given to him. His condition seemed little changed till Wednesday evening when it was plain that he was sinking. Then, as a last resort, the family sought the last remaining chance in a surgical operation was performed at midnight, the best and most expert hands wielding the instruments. The operation was performed by Drs. Middleton, Hill and Crawford. Drs. Watzek and Hoefle, who had been in attendance till it began to appear that the case was one for the surgeon, were present.

The operation disclosed a state of affairs that made it plain that recovery was impossible. Some form of ulceration of the wall of the stomach had caused perforation of the front wall of that organ. The giving away of this wall it was that caused the severe attack of pain that was first experienced Tuesday, with the accompanying shock. The perforation permitted the escape of the stomach's contents into the abdominal cavity, and by the time the operation had been performed such a state of septic inflammation had been reached that there was no hope.

Mr. Smith rallied well after the operation, but it was plain that the peritoneal inflammation was doing its work. He continued to sink, and at 5:10 this morning he died, surrounded by his heartbroken family and mourned by the whole city as one of the best and most upright business men it contained and one of the finest and fairest gentlemen who ever had a place in this community.

Adonriam Judson Smith was the son of a Baptist minister, and was named by his parents for the world renowned missionary of that denomination. He was born Aug. 28, 1840, at Columbus, N.J. He came to Davenport in 1858, from Philadelphia where he had been located briefly. He began work as a clerk in the employ of his uncle, H.H. Smith, who then kept a variety store of the southeast corner of Second and Brady streets. Sometime later when H.H. Smith retired from business, his nephew entered the employ of Kelley and Mack, proprietors of a hardware store on Second street. He remained there a short time and then entered the office of the United States quartermaster who was located here. He remained in this place several months, and then became a clerk in the retail store of W.C. Wadsworth, remaining there about a year. In March, 1863, he entered the furniture store of Daniel Gould. He staid (sic) in this place till Feb. 1, 1881, when, with the late Francis McCullough, as the firm of Smith and McCullough, he bought out Mr. Gould, and succeeded to his business and good will. The firm was continued under this style till Dec. 28, 1895, when Mr. McCullough retired, and Will G. Smith succeeded to his interest, becoming a partner with his father. The firm, as need not be told, continued till today.

Mr. Smith was married to Miss Helen A. Squires Dec. 12, 1860. The ceremony was performed in the old Calvary Baptist church, which was a landmark for years on the southwest corner of Fourth and Perry streets, and Rev. Issac Butterfield was the officiating clergyman.

Mrs. Smith survives him. With her are their two sons, Will C. Smith of this city, and Dr. Charles Elmer Smith of Omaha. They were all with him when he died.

There is no need to strew roses on the bier of the dead by way of pointing out the fact that he was beloved in life and lamented in death. It would be hard for this paper to say anything of him that its readers do not already know. As a matter of fact his best epitaph is written in the sorrow that shows on the countenances of his unnumbered friends, as they talk of his hurried departure and compare experiences in eulogy of his virtues as a business man, a citizen, a neighbor and a friend. He will long be remembered for the good man he was, and in the memories of those who knew him his vacant place will be embowered with fragrant recollections to the end of time for them.

The funeral will be held at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon from the residence, 1214 Second avenue.
Source: The Davenport Democrat, Davenport, Iowa 10 April 1898.

VEIL OF SADNESS

Family, Friends and Business Associates of A.J. Smith Mourn.

The Unexpected Death of that Honored Citizen and Business Man Causes Wide Spread Sorrow-Funeral Saturday.

The city is today in mourning over the loss of one of our most beloved and enterprising citizens.
The unexpected death of A.J. Smith, the well-known business man, which occurred yesterday morning at 5:10 o'clock, threw a veil of sadness over the people of Davenport.

The friends and business associates of the deceased were to some extent informed as to the illness of Mr. Smith, but were not prepared for the shock caused by his sudden and untimely death.
Few people outside of the family circle and very intimate friends knew of the seriousness of his case.

For some weeks the deceased had been failing noticeably and to such an extent as to more or less alarm his family. He had been under the care of Dr. Watezk and hopes of ultimate recovery were entertained.

Last Tuesday was the last visit Mr. Smith made to his business establishment and it was there he was fatally stricken and his business career brought so unexpectedly to a close. It was there that A.J. Smith acted his last part in the business drama of this world, the curtain of death falling yesterday, severing the sweet bonds of family ties, leaving a loving family to mourn the loss of an endearing husband and father.

The world is the better for his having lived; because the deceased was a Christian, an honorable man among men, a progressive and prosperous merchant who did unto others as he would be done by.

When the time honored citizen was stricken the family physician was summonsed (sic), who did all in his power to relieve his sufferings, but it was some hours before he could be moved to his home. During Tuesday night tended hands administered to his every need, aching hearts awaited encouragement from the family physician, but hopes grew dim. The following day Dr. Watezk notified the family of approaching symptoms of peritonitis. After two more calls, which was then 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Wednesday, the doctor recommended a consultation and Dr. Hoefle was called in. It was then evident that nothing could save the sick man, though there was a gleam of hope in an operation, still the doctors said there was great odds but the family took hope and consented to the last resort of skilled physicians, and the delicate operation was performed at midnight Wednesday. Doctors Middleton, Crawford and Hill were called. They found the cause of a septic peritonitis was a perforation of the wall of the stomach from an ulcer, letting the contents escape into the abdominal cavity.

The opening was closed and the cavity washed out. Although he stood the operation well he continued to sink as he had been for several hours before, from the shock and passed into eternity.

His son stated to a reporter that the operation was in every way successful and satisfactory so far as possible, but his father had not the strength left to endure its after effects upon the system.

Source: Davenport Republican, Davenport, Iowa, 11 April 1898.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

A. Judson Smith was born in Columbus, New York, August 28, 1840. Was the son of a Baptist minister. Came to Davenport in 1858 from Pennsylvania and became a clerk for H.H. Smith, an uncle. Later he became an attache of the firm of Kelly & Mack, a hardware firm. Subsequently he went into the office of the United States quartermaster, then located in this city. Some time after that he engaged himself with W.C. Wadsworth where he remained for a time. In 1863 he went into the furniture business with Daniel Gould, where he remained until 1881, when he and Francis McCullough began the furniture business by buying out Mr. Gould. In 1895 Mr. McCullough retired in favor of Will G. Smith, son of the late A.J. Smith. The firm became known as A.J. Smith & Son, and it so remained to his death. The deceased was one of the prime movers in the brick paving business, and it was he who, to a large extent, fathered the first improvements in that line by which the first four blocks of paving were lain on Third street and along in front of his business.
In 1860 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Helen A. Squires, who survives him, together with two sons, Will G. Smith, of this city, and Dr. Charles E. Smith, of Omaha.

The funeral will take place Saturday at 2 o'clock from the family residence, 1214 Second avenue, in (Mt. Ida) East Davenport.