NECROLOGY. 203 



in Berlin when his team was struck by an electric car and he 

 was thrown out and fatally injured. He did not regain con- 

 sciousness and passed away the second day after. He was 

 73 years of age. John B. Smith was a man of exceptionally 

 strong character and of much ability in many lines of effort. 

 He had been actively engaged in fruit growing for many 

 years, giving special attention to the culture of peaches, plums 

 and raspberries. He helped to start the Connecticut Valley 

 Orchard Co., still a large and successful fruit growing enter- 

 prise with orchards at Deep River and Berlin. This Society 

 owes much to the work of Mr. Smith. He was one of the 

 prime movers in organizing the Society and was its acknowl- 

 edged leader and the president for the first six years of its 

 existence. Always a strong believer in cooperative effort, he 

 ^ave freely of his ripe experience in fruit matters for the 

 benefit of his brother growers. Probably Mr. Smith was best 

 known for his long and active work along religious and tem- 

 perance lines. The following clipping from the Berlin Neivs 

 gives a sketch of his life and work : 



The tragic death of John B. Smith brings sorrow to an unusually 

 large circle of warm personal friends in Berlin, New Britain and 

 East Hartford, and a distinct sense of loss to very many throughout 

 this state and other states, who have known him through his contri- 

 butions to the Sunday School Times and other religious papers. 



Mr. Smith was born in Hanover, Conn., in 1832. His father was 

 a Congregational minister, the Rev. Rufus Smith. His mother's 

 maiden name was Clarissa Huntington. From Franklin the family 

 moved to East Hampton, then to Colchester, and then to East Hart- 

 ford, where Mr. Smith lived for over thirty years. 



As a boy and young man Mr. Smith was not at all robust, and 

 was unable to enjoy the school privileges which came to others. But 

 he made up for this loss of a formal education by constant reading, 

 and was so diligent in his pursuit of knowledge, and his mind was 

 so alert and eager in every direction, that he soon became a power 

 among the people of East Hartford. For many years he was the 

 superintendent of the Sunday school of the Congregational church. 

 He was also chosen a deacon of the church. 



Besides the activities of his church life, Mr. Smith was deeply 

 interested in local and national questions, and was prominently iden- 

 tified with the Prohibition party, holding responsible positions and mak- 

 ing his influence count for temperance and civic righteousness. 



