Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-21
An UNFINISHED ROMANCE.
How a Baseball Player Came to
ICOrrsspOnd With a Young
Lady.
HISTORY OF his PORTFOLIO.
IfisLOst ON the Inflated Maria
gansett and Found by the
Fair One.

i EUlE Vmcs
New York Press, Ill
John G., Reilly, the well known
young baseball player of Cincinnati, IS
the hero of as strange romance IN
real life as was ever written. 1t is
known that he was passenger in 1880
aboard the Inflated Sound steamer
NarraSansett when she burned atmid-
night. and half her passengers we're
drowned. At that time John was OF
his way from New York to join the
Cincinnati club at Providence. He
has always been a natural artist, and
scarcely ever was withouta large num-
Der of pencil sketches, aquarelles,
crayon drawings and designs of all
kinds in his possession. These he
usually carried around with him in a
portfolio, and to their number would
add new sketches Of anything that
might strike his artistic mind on trip
with the club. The night before re-
tirisg on the Inflated Narragansett,
John had sat on the deck OF the boat
till quite late, with his sketch book on
his lap. When he finally went to his
stateroom. he put the portfolio full of
sketches, beneath the pillow of his
birth and retired. The history of his
narrow escape has been written and
is well known: how he had barely time
to rush out, clad in few garments,
jump into the waters of the Sound,
and swim about for several hours, until
finally he was dragged into boat more
dead than alive, and saved. He lost
everything, and, Of course, the pOrtfo-
lilo Of sketches was ameng the sacri-
fee. But J ohm was glad enough to
escape alive, and did not complain Of
hard luck.
A STRANGE SEQUEL.
Now comes the strange sequel.
Shortly aiterWard-probably two or
three months later-a brother of his,
who lives in Louisville, came up to
Cincinnati and handed John a pack
age. Wondering what it could be he
opened it, when 10! there was the
"drowned" portfolio, all mildewed
and torn but still recognizable. In il
were all the sketches, but most of them
we're so blurred and washed that they
were of no value. The brother hand
ed John letter which he had received
and which explained everything The
letter was written by Miss Lamb, a
young lady who lived near the sceus
Of the disaster, at a place called
Noank. She said that she had found
the portfolio floating around near the
shore a few days after the disaster
and with some difficulty had tshed il
out of the water. She desired very
much to keep it as memento Of the
catastrophe; but in the portfolio she
had found card with the address on
lit of the brother in Louisville. Then
she thought, by returning the porto
| Ito to the address, it might lead to the
| disclosure Of the fate of some one
whose absence might be subject O
mystery. The letter was written in {
pretty female hand, and couched il
: language which bespoke the writer Il
be we'll educated and refined.
II Gallant John anLwered the younl
lady, writing her his thanks, and sale
many nice things, such as young maj
of Johns age can write when the re
cipient is a mysterious girl. In an
swer to her expressed wish that SD
might have kept the portfolio, or som
Of its contents, as a memento, b
looked over his collection Of sketches
and selecting one of the best, sent
to her TO keep insteads This happen
ed to be a pencil sketch of youn
ladies' training school az WorchestOl
Mass. The building stands With
sight Of the baseball grounds at tha
place, and on one Of the Cincinnati
Clubs visit to Worcester John ha
sketched it. What was his surpris
to get a letter of thanks from Mis-
} Lamb, and in which she also VOL
dered how he knew she had been edu
! Gated at that school. The sketch h2
. no name attached to it, and the youu
t lady recognized its familiar outline
! at once. Her belief was that Johl
S in some way, knew her, and was awaI
that she would appreciate no gift /
. much as q picture OF the dear o.
| school.
7 THE LETTER FOUND.
From all this followed correspond
T ence which was at last interrupted
t an unforeseen manner. One Of q
/ letters to John fell into the possessiC
e ola third party, who put iii in his pocl
i ct to hand to John. and forgot all abor
o it. This was about the change of Il
Vt seasons, and the coat with the lett
n in it was hung away and not used 4
y neary eight months. When it "
d again brought into use, the lon
rt delayed letter was found and delivere
10 John was so vexed over it that he CO
<, cluded not to explain the blunder.
"a ought to all end, as idle romances
re in love, engagement, and marriai
but if truth is to be stuck TO all t
lr way through. this happy ending cam
be recorded here. There is no telliI
n though, that it may not end so y
re John is coming to New York to ma
50 his home there after March next, a
DC be declares that be will then run
40 to classic Noank some day and hu
to up this Miss Lamb. Who kno
TO what may be the end? In this c,
iGr nection it may be said that John is
TX artist Of very bright promise, and |
Is Of late done some very fne work
&c, water colors, crayon and pencil.
ON is one Of the best engrayers and
Ia signers in the city. He comes