Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Milwaukee Journal Wednesday, February 21, 1940 Mastoid Fatal to Delos Smith, Lake Veteran. Head of Port Washington Fishing Firm Dies in Hospital Here; Funeral Services to Be Saturday. CAPT. DELOS SMITH of Port Washington, head of the widely known SMITH Brothers fishing and restaurant firm and the oldest fisherman in years of service on Lake Michigan, died of a mastoid complication Wednesday in Milwaukee hospital. He was 73. Born near Cedar Grove, CAPT. SMITH had fished since he was a boy of 10, and was active until shortly before his death. He came from a family of fishermen, his grand- father having started back in 1845. Started Firm 50 Years Ago. Following the death of his grandfather, CAPT. SMITH'S father took up the work. Nearly 50 years ago CAPT. SMITH and two brothers, HERBERT C. and RAY K., organized the SMITH Brothers firm at Port Washington and Sheboygan. In his years on the lake, CAPT. SMITH had some thrilling adventures and saved many lives. About 30 years ago as he was lifting his nets north of Port Washington he saw the Goodrich steamer Atlanta about four miles away. The Atlanta did not seem to be moving so the captain decided to run over and see if it was in trouble. As the fishing tug approached, the fishermen saw the steamer was on fire. Rescued 63 Persons By the time CAPT. SMITH'S tug reached the steamer flames were roaring over the entire deck. Sixty-three persons were aboard and every one was taken off by the tug. Probably the strangest rescue in which CAPT. SMITH ever figured was that of a sailor from the schooner Mary Ludwig during a terri- fic September gale in 1895. A horse was the "hero" of the rescue. CAPT. SMITH saw two men on the foundering schooner attempting to launch a small boat in the mountain high breakers. Grabbing his wife's red apron, CAPT. SMITH tied it around an oar and tried to attract the men's attention. They did not understand the signal, however, and finally managed to get the small boat into the water. "Get That Horse" The fishermen on shore attempted to row out to give assistance, but the high breakers slapped their boat back on shore. Then CAPT. SMITH had an inspiration. "Get that horse!" he shouted, pointing to a horse they used to haul boats and pile drivers along the water's edge. The lightest of the men got on the horse's back, and was tied on by a long, light buoy line. Then the horse plunged into the lake, its head held high as the water deepened and the breakers pounded it. The tiny boat had overturned by this time, and one of the men had slipped away but the other was clinging to the prow. The horse swam straight for the overturned craft with- out deviating so much as a single degree. Hauled in By Tail From ashore the watchers saw the man cast off from the boat and grab the horse's tail. The animal turned and swam back to shore, hauling the man behind. Repeating the story of this rescue always brought a chuckle to CAPT. SMITH. "By gol," he would say, "I dream about that horse yet." CAPT. SMITH is survived by his wife, BELIA; a son, OLIVER H., and two daughters, EVELYN and MRS. HOPE HUWATSCHEK, all of Port Wash- ington; also by his brothers RAY and HERBERT and a sister, ARLYLE of Sheboygan, and a brother, LELAND C. of Poison, Mont. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Masonic temple at Port Washington. Burial will be in Union cemetery. ===========================================================================