The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-05-27
A. Family Record Closed-Three Generations
BlOtted Out on Earth.

) A. Family Record Closed-Three Generation.
!, BlOtted Out on Earth.
The terrible disaster to the steamer Schiller
closes the record of an entire family, beloved
and honored in St. Louis. To all of our Older
citizens, Joseph Ridgway, of the copartnerships
!, successively, of Erskne& & Ridgway and of Ers
kline, Gore & Ridgway, was we'll known. II
their days those firms were among the largest
and most prominent in this city. Of theil
members, Mr. Greene Erskine alone survives
After these firms were dissolved MIR. Rldg.
way devoted himself solely to the care of his
private estate, residing in family mansion
built by himself, on the northeast corner OF
Seventh and Walnut Streets, which he sold to
Gen. Blair about 1856, at which time he re-
moved to the vicinity of Boston for the educa-
tion of his two daughters-his only children.
About 1858 he leased the we'll l-known residence
of Horatio Greenough, the celebrated sculptor,
at Cambridge, Massachusetts, in which, sur
rounded by its wealth of art, he remained until
his daughters had finished their studies at the
school founded by Professor Agassiz. At that
time the daughters of several St. Louis citizens
were also pupils at the same school. Those
school days having ended, Mr.. Ridgway, after
a European tour with his family, returned with
residence on Lucas Place. Among the young
ladies then just entering society, none were
more lovely and attractive than Misses Lizzie
and Clara Ridgway-the companions in that
brilliant circle many of whom are now young
wives and mothers, resident here and in East
ert cities. 1t was here, about 1866, that Miss
Lizzie became the wife of Charles w. Walter,
a merchant of New York, but previously g
partner in the firm of Thomas 81. Larkin &
Co., of St. Louis. That marriage, with the
consequent residence of the married pair in
New York, induced the removal of the Ridg-
way family to that city about the year 1865,
where, to be with his family, Mr. Ridgway
purchased q residence on Forty third Street,
anticipating that at last his wanderings had
ceased.
About the year 1S60-6s, his younger daugh-
ter's health required, under the advice of some
eminent physicians her instant removal to
Southern France. Leaving the married daugh-
ter (Lizzie) and her two children in New York,
Mr.. and Mrs. Ridgway hurried with the young
er daughter (Clara) through Paris, consulting
there with DR.. Pope, to the neighborhood of
Nice.
The day after their arrival their daughter
died. The sorrowing parents fastened home
at once, with the dead body, to learn for the
first time, on reaching New York, that their
elder daughter, with her children and husband,
had been during the winter and was still at
Montmorency, S. c., as the last hope, under
medical direction, of saving her waning life.
Instantly the father and mother joined her
and the grand children. In the latter part of
April Mr. Ridgway telegraphed to friend in
St. Louis of the improved health of the invalid
daughter, and of his intention to return early
in May with the remaining family via ST. Louis
to New York, and requested the needed accom-
modations. The succeeding day brought tel
egram from Mr.. Walter that Mr.. Ridgway had
suddenly died the previous night, leaving his
wife, invalid daughter and little grandchildren
in South Carolina, and that the survivors
would proceed directly to New York. A few
weeks later another dispatch summoned st.
Louis friends to New York to witness the de-
parture for the Tyrolean Alps Of the surviving
daughter.
During summer repeated kilograms gave
encouraging ..ocounts of restored health, until
at last came the sad message that she had died,
without prelnonition, on the margin of lovely
lake in Northern Italy. The afflicted husband,
| grand mother and grandchildren returned
home, bearing the remains of her for whom
this last European tour had been ventured.
Thus, at length, through extraordinary suf-
feriug and affiiction, the sad remains OF the
family, the grandmother and two little grand
children, with the disconsolate son-in-law,
reached New York.
| A few weeks ago voyage of love and devo-
ton was planned. The grandmother could
not be content until she had again visited the
sad scenes in Europe where her daughters had
| died. Full of this thought, which she freely
communicated to her friends here, she took
passage on the il-fated Schiller, with her niece,
son-in- law, grandchildren and servant ian
emancipated slave of olden time.) The voy-
age was one of devotion to the memory OF her
| departed daughters Her thoughts were solely
of those in the spirit land, and OF the two
grand children to whom she so fondly clung.
Thus. on this last and sacred mission, the
aged grand mother, with these two little ones
and their father, started on the fateful voy-
age.
The sad news indicates that she and those
dearest to her have sooner than she expected
met those loved ones, for reunion with whom
she pined daily, yet with an ever agonizlng
fear that she should 60 alone, leaving the dear
little ones to follow in an indefinite thereafter.
Her holiest wish is fulflled-she and those
little ones have gone together; all of the three
generations left united family at last
Within five years there have thus disap-
peared three generations of that one family.
All that ample fortune and human skill
could accomplish, and all that devoted aztec
ton could achieve were in vain, for despite
them all this family record was closed when
the Schiller went down into the ocean depth
with her precious freight OF human life and
love.
It is seldom that thus within so few years,
an entire family, favored by fortune, passes
awav leaving so many startled and sorrowing
friends to lament their melancholy fate-@.
Louis Democrat
MORE TESTIMONY FROM THE NoRTH.-The
editor of the Providence, R. l., Press, after a
tour of several months through the Southern
States, gives the following candid and crafty
ing confederation of the testimony OF Judge
Kelly: "Mr. Kelly is right and can afford to