Norwood Hospital Benefits From Charles Smith Estate-This Day In Norwood History-August 29, 1947

Industrialists Will Provides For Use Of Interest From Big Trust

By WIN EVERETT

Out of the blue, the Norwood Hospital has come into actual possession of the bonds, securities, etc. of a trust fund which totals $110,319.20, left in the will of the late Charles L. Smith tanner and manufacturer of the Lyman Smith Sons Company of Norwood, it was disclosed this week.

It was the wish of Mr. Smith that the principle of the fund should remain Intact permanently and only the interest of the money be used by the hospital.
Behind this magnificent bequest, which is one of the largest ever received by the Norwood Hospital, is a genuine human-interest story. It is the tale of a citizen born and in this town who left it before it really began to grow, who nevertheless kept his interest in his birthplace to the extent of leaving it $110,319.29.

Upon such men the hospital is depending, over the years, to set up an endowment fund of two or three million dollars which would largely do away with the annual drive for funds with which to carry on. But it must be remembered in this case the interest can only be used, which is an entirely different matter from a lump sum left at the discretion of the hospital trustees. But the new Charles L. Smith Fund is going to be a big help in the problems of the Norwood Hospital.

About three years ago a gentleman by the name of O’Neil appeared at the hospital and announced that he was a citizen of Orlando. Florida, and was the trustee ot the Charles L. Smith estate. Smith lived in the house at the corner of Vernon and Walpole streets which later was owned by the late Dr. F. S. Baston. Mr. Smith had also been a citizen of Orlando. Mr. O’Neil said he was in Norwood to visit the C. L. Smith lot in Highland Cemetery, where Mr. Smith is buried. While in town he was anxious to see the Norwood Hospital and learn its history and policy and to assure himself that it was a one hundred percent charitable institution. He further told the trustees that in his will Charles Smith had stipulated that If Mr. O’Neil found that the Norwood Hospital was a well-managed hospital on a charitable basis, he should go head and set up the Charles L. Smith Fund and see that It eventually went to the Norwood Hospital, with the proviso that only the Interest derived therefrom should be used by the hospital.

The Charles L. Smith estate was originally left to his wife. Evaline Lamson Smith, who understood and sympathized with Mr. Smith’s desires to aid the Norwood Hospital. So after her death, the probating of her estate necessitated the separation of the Charles L. Smith Trust Fund. Unfortunately, Mr. O’Neil, the’trustee, died not long ago, but he had made arrangements with another representative who understood the whole situation.

The Norwood Hospital was finally approved by the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit of the County of Orange, Florida, as the corporation to receive and administer the Charles L. Smith Fund provided under Mrs. Smith’s will and that the trustees were now ready to distribute the fund to the hospital. In July, 1947 the funds were turned over to the trustees of the hospital and are now in the Norfolk County Trust Company vaults. Robert Brown, now acting as Administrator for the hospital,.told a reporter Monday that at some period he understood Guido A. Stuntzer and R. Russell Williamson of Norwood had some dealings with Mr. O’Neil but as both gentlemen are out of town at present it is impossible to determine what these might have been.

HUMAN INTEREST TALE

The human interest story mentioned above is as follows:

Lyman Smith built his tannery on Railroad Avenue in 1857 on the same site now occupied at Norwood depot. He left it, a prosperous business, to his two sons. John E. Smith and Charles L. Smith. John Smith became the “office” man. Charles became the production manager. Outside of the office, John loved the horse races and made the “business trips” to sell carloads of leather and to wile away the hours, after a hard day’s work in the New York and Boston leather districts in the manner rich tanners have always done.

Charles Smith spent his working days in the pits of Smith’s tannery. He was a hard worker and a fine tanner. It is said that he always looked dirtier than any of his employees and smelled worse, as the old-fashioned vegetable tanning was an odoriferous business. He was a plugger and a home-body, highly respected in this community and a member of the Universalist Church. Because of his close association with the help, he learned their problems as few rich men did in those days. His sympathy went out to them, especially in cases of sickness. Here, perhaps, was the little germ which has now resulted in a splendid bequest to the local hospital.

When the Smith tannery interests were eventually sold out to the Winslow Brothers tannery, and the sale price divided between the two Smith brothers, it is said there was not so great amount of brotherly love existing between them. Anyway, Charles Smith packed up and moved to Orlando, Florida. He had two children, Lyman, a son, and Florence, a daughter. Charles Smith underwrote the construction of a tannery for Lyman in Canton, Me. Florence married Dr. Reynolds of Canton, Mass.