Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-03-31
A Real Romance.

A Real Romance.
Harrison county furnishes a. couple
whose history is bit of romance the
counterpart of which is often read of in
books of fiction, but seldom met with in
real life. 1t is the same old story of love.
A Harrison county widow named Mrs.
Tweedie, married a tramp. who turns
out to be the son of wealthy English
man, who dies and leaves him ten thou
sand pounds. His name is George Ar
thur Brebb. Georges father was the
Superintendent of a Public Library in
London, and also wealthy shareholder
in the Queens Theatre, London, but
George and his father quarreled. and the
young man concluded to seek his for
tune in America. With some money he
set sail from Liverpool. arriving in New
York in due time. In the metropolis he
got in with fast companions and enjoyed
riotous living like the prodigal son of
the Bible, until his means were exhaust
ed. An appeal to his father failed to
bring a remittance, unless he would
promise to return to his home. This he
would not do. and being incapable of
working at anything, he fell in with a
gang of tramps. He became one of them,
and dirty and ragged, tramped from
EaSt and Waot hao0in,Y hroad fr, m, d,,or
to door, and sleeping in barn in the
country or by the friendly furnace fires
of the city. For five years he spent his
life in this way. Letters from his home
to New York failed to return any an-
swer to his father as to his whereabouts,
and they thought him dead
In Harrison county lives 4 small
farmer and operator of Il coal mine
named John II. Farr. H., lives near
railroad. His wife is sister of Mrs.
Tweedie, or Mrs. Brebb now. They are
thrifty, well-to-do people. Unlike the
lily of the valley, teiled and spun-or
rather worked the farm and supplied
customers with coal.
One Sunday afternoon in April of
1879, the Farr family went out for a
walk, and the roads being soft, took the
railroad track. On their way they passed
gaoup of dirty, grimy, ragged, tramps,
sitting about fire built at the roadside
with brushwOod, the air being keen.
The Farr family continued ON their
walk a short distance, but soon returned
and stopping with the tramps entered
into conversation with them. They
soon found that one of them was an
Englisbman by his mode Of expression.
Because they pitied the deplorable state
of their fellow cOuntryman they return
ed to the house and brought out provis-
ions enough to make good meal for the
able-bodied but hungry vagabonds. The
conversation continued until the meal
was done, when, the pity growing
stronger. they kindly invited the Eng
lish tramp to accompany them home.
From them he had received the first
kind word spoken to him since he cross
ed the ocean, and, as if drawn by the
power of magnetism, he left his compan-
ions in dirt and idleness and followed
his new found friends to their home.
The Fairs seemed also to be drawn to
him by the same power, and they treat
ed him with every consideration, forget
ting. that he was tramp-an Outcast of
society.
He told them very crooked story of
his life, but they put him to work. He
did agricultural work as well as drive
coal team for Mr.. Farr, delivering the
products of the mine to customers in
Cadiz, and the peculiar attachment for
each other grew.
1t was about three months after the
Farr's took in the tramp that Mrs.
Tweedie came to their house from Eng
land Of course she was told about the
young man being picked up as tramp
and she Immediately became interested
in him. The two became warm friends,
which ripened into love, and in Decem-
ber of 1879, they were married by Justice
Howard of Cadiz. After the marriage
he wrote home, telling his people Of his
whereabouts and the history of his career
in America. In the proper course of
time George Arthur Brebb received q
letter from London, announcing that
his father had been dead two years, and
not knowing whether his son was dead
or living, in his will left his son sum
of money in the neighborhood of 10000,
which, if he were found to be alive with
in certain time, be should have, but
otherwise the money should go to the
other heirs.
The surprise of the young mans wife
and her friends was overwhelming, and
congratulations were extended from
| every side. The happy couple set sail a
few weeks ago for London where they
received their Inheritance, and immedi-
i ately went from there to Manchester.
where they are now living.