The Columbus journal., 1880-11-10
SOMETHING ROMANTIC.
A Nebraska Woman Finds her
Parents After u Separation
Of Twenty.three Years.


Of Iwenty.three Years.
The Minneapolis Tribune, of Au-
gust 26, contains the following:
"a Pittsburg telegram to the Chi
caao Tribune says: A case Of sim
gulsr interest has just been devel-
oped at Beaver Falls, Pa, a few
miles west Of Pittsburg. John
Simms, professor Of music, has re-
sided there for the last four years.
He was joined yesterday by his
daughter, Mrs. James w. Bouk, of
Ashland, Nebraska. Twenty-three
years ago the Simms family follow
ed the example OF an uncle, g. W.
Walker, and emigrated to ST. Paul,
MINI. Mrs. Bouk was then one
year of age. After a residence at
that place Of a few months, the
mother paid visit to relatives al
Lake Minnetonka, a summer resort
few miles from Minneapolis. Dur
ing their stay there party, of which
Mrs. Simms and her child formed
part, took q sail on the lake. A
storm came up and they were cap
sized. The party was rescued, but
the child, now the woman who re-
lstes the story, was so young that
she knows little of what took place.
They were taken TO hotel near a
town called Exeter. A paper pub
lished an account stating that Mrs.
Simms and daughter had both been
drowned in the accident. The father
read this and went to the lake to
look for their bodies. Mrs. Simms
in the meantime, not knowing of
the misapprehension of her friends,
went TO Keokuk to visit other
friends. While there she too, read
an announcement Of the death of a
Mr.. Simms whom she supposed to
be her husband. The uncle men,
toned who had before this, left St.
Paul for Keokuk, now also disap-
peared, leaving no word, wishing, as
has since appeared, that his friends
should hear nothing Of him until he
succeeded in making that fortune
after which he went to the west.
Thus" in the language of the mar
rator, fn a few short months a
family had been separated to meet
no more for twenty-three years.
Mrs. Bouk tells the remainder of
the story as follows: "My uncle
paid visit to the Centennial Exhi-
bition in 1876, and stopped in Allie
ghsny City to ascertain whether he
could find any trace of MS. Some
gentleman told my uncle that he had
seen Prof Simms In the city only a
few days ago. Impossible said my
uncle, for l read of his DEATH
Nevertheless ii was true. Ny uncle
wrote letter to my father and re-
ceived an answer, stating that his
wife and child had been drowned. |
My uncle returned TO Keokuk, but
could not rest. He inserted an ad- |
vertisement in Chicago paper ask
ing information regarding my |
grandmother and my aunt. Be-
tween the 18th and the last of April, |
two years ago last spring, | was in
my home st Ashland, Saunders coun-
ty, Nebraska. l felt an impulse to
read the Chicago paper. The ad-
vertisement caught my eye. was
excited, and told my husband to
answer it, as l could not. He did,
and In few days received an an
swer from my uncle stating that |
was not his niece, as she had been
drowned. 1 then wrote a letter TO
the effect that he had lost two fingers
of one hand, snd-well, related
circumstances that made proofs pos
tive. In Few days my long-lost
uncle was at our house. The meet
ing can be imagined. Then follow
ed explanations, stating that my
father was living and well at Bes-
yer Falls, Pa. | wrote my father,
but received answer that could not
surely be his daughter, as she had
been drowned twenty-three years.
Another letter told him of "Little
Dallas" dead brother, and other
circumstances which made a clear
case. About three weeks ago |
/ started for Beaver Falls to find nv
long-lost father. have found him.
i have been married several years.
Ny husband is in the grain business
In Nebraska. My mother has been
married the second time, but is now
widow. What the sequel will
prove L will have to tell you at an
other time.
The family is highly respectful BILE
and the story is no doubt strictly
true, though savoring more of ro-
nance than reality.
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