The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-04-05
A Young Man Finds His Mother After
Eighteen Years Of Separation.

lions OF tops, marbles and tho multlpllca-
ton table; on through the long years of
base ball and Latin lexicon; on through
the swift years of incipient laanho God, be-
licving himself to be one person, and now
all at once he discovers that he is some.
body else, that he is not himself at all. At
the age of twenty. one years and sundry
months he has been born again.
In order to make this truthful sketch as
clear as possible it has been divided into
three chapters.
CHAPTER I.
Some eighteen years ago there died in
Chicago Mr.. William Mcmillan, Grand
Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of Illinois
Nelson's, leaving a widow and two young
children, a boy of three years and girl
of five. Through the influence of Garden
City Lodge No. al, the boy, Louis Shir-
ley Mcmillan, was adopted by Mr..
James Clarkson, OF Chicago. Soon after,
Mr.. Clarkson suddenly removed from
Chicago, and all efforts on the part of
Mrs. Mcmillan TO discover the where
abouts of her son failed. She soon re-
tired with her daughter to the home of
her relatives in Peoria. ILL.,, subsequently
remarked, moved to Newport, KY, and
again became widow.
CHATTER II.
When Mr.. Clarkson removed from Chi
cago he went to Piqua. Ohio. Here, with
young Mcmillan, now renamed Louis n.
Clarkson, he lived five years. Subse-
quently he lived four years in Columbus,
Ohio, and again in Wheeling, Va, some
seven years, the boy growing to manhood
in the firm belief that Mr.. Clarkson then
editor of the Wheeling Reoiste,) was his
father, and that his mother had died
when he was babe. In September, 1875,
young Clarkson left home and came to
settle in st. Louis, accepting the position
of chief bookkceper of the Scottish Com
mercial Insurance Company lin the Cham
Der of Commerce building), which posi-
ton he holds to-day.
CHAPTER Iu.-THE DISCOVERY.
During his boyhood young Clarkson
had several times made inquiries of his
fathc. concerning his mother, but was al
ways met with complete rebuff. Being
of a somewhat affectionate disposition, he
desired to know the circumstances of the
death of the mother he could not remcm-
Der, her maiden name and the whereabouts
of her relatives. The complete refusal of
his father to tell him anything at all made
him suspicious. He pondered the matter
for many months, and finally. last Decem.
Der, wrote to his adopted father, and en-.
treated and demanded particulars, and
threatened to use all the money at his com.
mand to discover his mothers relatives
He received then the information that Mr.
Clarkson was not his own father, that his
real name was Mcmillan, bat that Mr.
Clarkson had never seen Mrs. Mcmillan
and knew nothing of her whereabouts, Of
her maiden name; also that his real ia
ther had been prominent Chicago Free
mason. On this slender cue alone
of Mcmillan and Masonry-young
Clarkson went to Chicago in Janu
ary and spent many days trying tt
get information of himself in Masonic
records, and meeting, of course, with
many rebuffs. The parties to his adOp
ton seemed to have all died or moved
away, and the records were destroyed in
the great fire. One of these parties, Mr.
Hurd, he eventually traced to Michigan
and induced him to come down to Chica
60 and join him in the search for his rela
tives. Thus accompanied, partly by lucl
and partly by perseverance, he at length
met Mr.. Thomas Shirley, the old particu
lar friend of the departed Mcmillan, ant
the very man for whom the orphaned boy
(LOulS CnlEIcy MCMllldn) udU UtcI
named. From Mr.. Shirley he learned
that his mother was indeed dead; that hi
sister had married and gone to California
and that for further particulars he mus
go to Peoria, Ill. He went to Peoria ani
found numerous relatives; found that hi!
mother still lived in Newport, KY, ani
that his sister was with her. He hasteneG
to Newport. Before he had chance tt
introduce himself to his mother (S1rs
Montfort) she recognized him as her long
lost son, from his resemblance to his ia
ther. There was of course the Creates
mutual joy, and the third chapter closed
in the State of Daniel Boone with colors
flying and calcium lights.
Mr.. Clarkson has since returned to St
Louis, and expects soon to bring his
mother and sister (of whom he is very
proud here to live. He has also discov'
cred two own cousins in st. Louis-Mrs
Belle Hatcher and Miss Nellie Gregg
Having also found himself, he has re-
sumcd his original name, ana is now
Louis Shirley McMillan.-St. Louis Re-
publican.