JACOB W. SMITH.
 


	It has been said that "an honest man is the noblest work of God."
Public opinion is agreed that few men have displayed a higher sense of
business integrity than Jacob W. Smith, for at all times his commercial
transactions have been straightforward and honorable, no one ever losing
a dollar through him.  There have been periods of both adversity and
prosperity in his life and neither has been allowed to warp his kindly
nature nor to lower his ideals. He has been retired from active business
life since 1913.
	Jacob W. Smith was born in Carleton district, near Ottawa, Ontario,
on the 25th of November, 1851, a son of John and Ann Jane (Watson)
Smith, both of whom were born near Ottawa. They moved to western
Ontario in 1852, and the father bought a bush farm, which he cleared
and brought to a highly cultivated state. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith eleven
children were born, eight of whom are living, Jacob W. being the eldest
member of the family. The religious faith of Mr. and Mrs. Smith was that
of the Methodist church, and during his early life the father was a local
preacher. In his political views he followed an independent course, voting
for the man he thought best fitted for the office without regard to party
principles. For many years he was a member of the local school board.
	In the pursuit of his education Jacob W. Smith attended the country
schools in the vicinity of the home farm and was graduated from the high
school at Watford. He learned the trade of sheet and metal worker after
putting his textbooks aside and worked at the bench for twenty years.
In 1883 he came to Regina and started a small store, erecting a building on
South Railroad street. Later he became a member of the firm of Smith &
Ferguson and the business was conducted under the name of the Smith
& Ferguson Company. He built up an extensive hardware, plumbing and
sheet metal business and had about fifty men in his employ at the time he
sold out in 1913. When he entered business in Regina on his own ac-
count he had just enough capital to buy a carload of stoves and hardware.
His first freight bill on this carload was five hundred dollars and this
greatly discouraged him, for after paying it he had little capital left. He
was a man of determination and ambition, however, and would not permit
himself to give up the fight. Today he is wealthy and highly esteemed
and the joy of his achievement is complete in the knowledge that it is the
result of his own intelligently directed effort. Mr. Smith retains some
stock in the business and also owns stock in the Pearl Brothers Hardware
Company. For some time he was in the coal business but disposed of that
in 1915, to Wentworth Brothers.
	On the 26th of May, 1875, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Mary Jane
Bole, a native of Ontario. To them three children have been born: The
oldest member of the family, J. Russell, saw three years' active service
overseas in the Great war, and was gassed. He served with the rank of
Major. He is now proprietor of the Motor Supply Company of Regina;
Arthur L. is one of the prominent barristers of Calgary and is a King's
Counsel; Clarence E. is likewise a barrister and is residing in Calgary.
He is a veteran of the Great war and served with the rank of captain,
winning his promotion for gallantry in action. He was decorated with the
Military Cross and the Croix de Guerre, and has two wound stripes.
	The religious faith of Mr. Smith is that of the Methodist church, of
which he has been a member of the official board since taking up residence
in Regina. Fraternally he is identified with the Canadian Order of For-
esters and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.  Since attaining his
majority his political allegiance has been given to the Liberal party and
he is a firm believer in the principles of that party as factors in good
government. He was a member of the first city council and was active
in that capacity for some time. He was elected mayor in 1889 and it was
during that administration that Regina was incorporated as a city. He
was reelected in 1902, 1903, 1907 and 1908. He was also a member of
the school board for five years. At the present time he is justice of the
peace and he has often sat as police magistrate in the absence of the
regular official. Mr. Smith has had firm belief in Regina and the future
of this city and is a real booster for Regina. He has been a heavy investor
in real estate, owning considerable valuable property throughout the city.
Socially he is identified with the Regina Country Club and his hobby i~
golf. He is also very fond of curling and follows that sport during the
winter months. He possesses a retentive memory and speaks with author-
ity upon matters relative to Regina, her history and her upbuilding. No
record of the city would be complete without mention of J. W. Smith, one
of its most honored and venerable citizens.



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