Biography of Merrill Jacob Smith

Biography of Merrill Jacob Smith
By M. A. Smith, in 1928

Born February 22, 1907 at Heber City, Utah, son of Moroni A. and Blanche Smith. In 1911 moved to Salt Lake City.
In 1918 while coasting with other children, he met with an accident in which his leg was broken, and later developed heart trouble, which resulted in his death on the 6th day of April 1927.
During the last four years of his life he attended school in California because of his condition. He had unusual courage and a very active mind in material things. He looked at life as being real and felt that each person must work out his success in life.
He was handicapped by his physical condition, but yet he raised and took great interest in his animals and exhibited them in many shows. He had numerous ribbons from prizewinning chickens. He received distinction at the age of fifteen by being awarded prize for grand champion Pullet at the State Poultry Show.
He raised a thoroughbred racehorse, which he named Perfection. He won several ribbons at the Utah State Fair as a four year old in the three-gaited saddle horse class, while Merrill owned him. He sold his horse to Thomas Kearns of Salt Lake to be used for a polo pony and a racehorse. This horse was exhibited in contests at the National Polo Horse Show in Oakland under the ownership of Thomas Kearns who had named him Mickey. He took the blue ribbon in polo at this show with a lightweight rider and also a heavy weight rider. He was also used by Mr. Kearns in running local races known as matched races in which he usually came out as winner. As a matter of fact, this horse was in the ribbons at any show at which he was exhibited, usually taking first or second place. Mr. Kearns sold this horse for $12,000 at the Oakland show.
Merrill was born with or inherited a commercial mind. He had a desire to reach great achievements in whatever he undertook to do, and he got more pleasure out of making money or something than he did in spending money.
During the age of 12 to 15 years, his friend, Harold Bennett was in several business ventures with Merrill in Salt Lake City. One business venture they carried on quite regularly was buying colored spring fry chickens, as well as older chickens; dressing them and selling them out to the neighbors at nice margins of profit. Their only difficulty was to get transportation to go out 15 or 20 miles into the country to buy these chickens from the farms. Most of the time they had an old used Ford, which was uncertain in its operation, but it was cheap transportation so they used it. They also got concessions to sell confectionery at balls games at the University of Utah.
The most profitable deal they had when they were securing the concessions was one from the Ladies Literary Club on Decoration Day to sell flowers at the gate of the Mount Olive Cemetery at one dollar a bunch, with a commission of 20 cents per bunch. The sales were active and the thought suddenly occurred to Merrill that they could advance the price to three dollars a bunch and cream two dollars and twenty cents profit pre bunch on the balance they had left.
When he reported that sales he was asked if people did not object to the high prices, and Merrill replied, “People never complain about the price they are buying luxuries. No matter what they price, they can be bled to a financial death without a murmur. But when we attempt to sell them necessities such as the chickens, they begin to barter and trade over a penny, and complain about excessively high prices.”
Merrill had a very strong personality and made lasting friendships, especially with adults. Several became devotedly attached to him both in Utah and California. Among entire strangers he soon became welcome, and the different people he lived with became very much attached to him. He spent several months among the various film producing companies visiting on their back stages and observing all the interesting features.
He regarded church work as being something of the most sacred and he followed the word of wisdom in his living.
Just previous to his death he traveled around Southern California with real estate agents acting as their driver for three years during which time he absorbed a lot of high-pressure salesmanship.