Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-05-05
AnIndian Romance.

r
Seven years ago Prossly O'Bannon suddenly
disappeared from Leavenwortb, Indiana. and
as bis horse was fouod abandoned, it was SUPP
posed that be had been murdered. His friends
made many uua,ailiug efforts to ascertain bis
fate He was lawyer ia good practice. and
| left behind him wife, much his junior, and
two children. Though not o drunkard, be
would at times indulge in carouse, and he
was 10 that condition at the time Of his flight.
| All that be remembers Of that day is that be
wandered about till after dark, and then went
on board steamer. When he came to bis
senses weeks afterwards, he was saving wood
! for farm. .r 10 Southern Illinois. Disguised
and degraded by his own folly. he made up his
mind .yer to return home; his family, he
argued, would be better off without him. bis
wife could procure q divorce, marry again, and
be happier than she had ever been with him.
He settled finally at Vienna, Ill.,, became sober
and industrious, am sssed wealth and rose hoal-
ly to the position of Judge OF the Circuit
Court. He changed his name to brown, ana
woman who accompanied him when ne SET
tied at Vienna, was introduced into society as
Mrs, Judge Brown, though no marriage had
taken place. His abandoned wife impoVsrlsh-
ed herself 10 efforts to ascertain the fate OF her
husband, and was at last reduced to take 20.
sition as seamstres5 10 q lawyers family, her
two boys taking refuge with their grandfather.
At last the friends of his abandoned VILE, be-
leving that the husband was actually dead. ap-
piled to life insurance company, on which
there was rolicy of S. 900, tor the money,
and it was about to be paid, when 1t was SUD
denly discovered that o B,nnon was stlll.ln the
land of the living. The Judge had lined man
nsmsd MIN Hudson. and he recognized the
man as the Captain 0 Bauuon he had known
in the army. 10 rev ,nge he sent word to Dr.
Hawn, the postmaster at LaavenWorth, who,
going to Vienna there was mutual recognition.
The doctor told him about the insurance, aud
the Judge seemed to be annoyed that he had
come 30 near swndliDg the company. he pro.
posed to 20 back Immediately and "stralghten
up things :" told Hawn that be always kept bis
business affairs arranged so that be could leave
With two hours notice. So the next night
O'Bsnpon arrived OF his fathers home. The
old man was struck speechless for several hours
at sight of his son, whom he bad mourned
dead for so long. Mr.. O'Bannon' = two boys.
living with his father, were overjoyed to see
him. Mrs. O'Baunon was sent for When
she heard the story she was willing to forget
apd forgive all but the Mrs. Judge Brown"
part, and refused to come. Mrs. O'Banuon
has applied for divorce Lawyer U O'Binnon
is still handsome msn-a gentleman that one
would be apt to take second look at he
possesses certain fascinating power IN conVer'
sation that oompels one to listen against ones
viii, and to believe against ones Convictions
aod 30, notwithstanding the mans past, tho
whole towH and country seem relolced over
Mr.. O'Bannon's return.
How SMELLS ARE CAUGHT IN MAINE.-On
the coast Of Maine smets visit the river about
the 2Oth of December, and remain almost all
winter. For about two months they take the
hook readily, and are caught in considerable
numbers through holes cut in the ice Formerly
on cold days, it was very severe fishing, without
shelter. except by piling up cakes OF ice. ever
green boughs, &c. Last winter one OF the
fishermen made canvas tent, and it proved 30
comfortable that it became the universal cus-
tom to fish iu them. A light wooden frsme.
with q sharp roof, is put together, and the
whole is covered with light canvass or cotton
cloth. In some instances the covering is
painted, to resist the piercing northwest wiods.
Tho ordinary tent is about six feet square;
occasionally one is larger, for two persons. The
interior is provided with a stove and bench,
upon which the angler sits while hihlng. Ihe
whole rests upon runners, and can be easily
moved from place to place. When the fisher
man reaches the place be c1ts hole through
the ice, places his tent over the same, builds
FIRE, closes the door, drops his line through the
hole and waits for bites. Each man uses four
lines. The bait used n this vicinity is the
clam worm, which is found 10 the clam fats.
The upper end of the line is fastened 10 rack
above the 6sherlnsu's head, with the hook from
six to ten feet below the surface. The fisher:
man sits on the bench beside the stove and
patiently waits for the fish to bite. There is
not much akN II in this kind of angling, for when
a smet takes the hook the motion of the line
conveys the fact to the fisherman, and he
quickly hauls bim in. The 6sh bite better on
cold, stormy days. From ten to fifteen pounds
is q fair days work tor one man.
G,,,r, 6y ~