The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-12
A AW0MAN'SLONGW ak
ACROSS TAFAmEaloAN CONTINENT
A. E.sll.A Noble. p...At.t rr..s. ire. s..
RrAneIssO 10 New IOrl-rhs Rsnafk1hIs ~.
ventures Of Ia Wouah whoh stri'lsE V
Reach Her old Home Ia wales.

ii Francisco 70 New iork-Iht ksnhkAhh As.
/. r.ltlr,S ofa Honan whoh StrirlsEt u
Reach Her old Home Ia wales.
, PHILADELPHIA, July ll.-A Port Jeryil
New York correspondent Of the Pre-
! write as follows: A romance In real III
has Just come to light in this town.
, woman, apparently about forty.three year
! Of age, shsbbily dressed and feeble, ha
!. been seen on the streets for several day.
: She ulept every night in the police station
where she gave the name oi Elizabeth Ben
jamin, and said she was born In Stafford
shire, England. Yesterday she disappearet
and turned upi n Middletown, thirty.eigh
miles from here. Inquiry develops tn
fact that she Is on her way 10 New Yorl
and that she has walked nearly all the wa!
from San Francisco.
MrB. Benjamin has had most wonder
iul and romantic career. She was boTi
near Merthyr Tydvil, In Wales, and VA
tue daughter OF Sir Edward HArcourt, u
one time one Of the most brillian
young Euglish orators. Her mother wa
a variety actress, who lived In Wales L
escape the prosecutions Of Sir Edwardi
family, who opposed his mesdlianee. Whet
the baby was born she was christenec
Pauline Elizabeth Harcourt. She wa
given all the advantages Of superior edu
c'tlon, and early In life eyinced great poet
ical genius, some Of her poems, composed
when she was fourteen, having appeared In
the leading magazines Of Great Britain
Her mother was direct descendant oil Sii
Philip Francis, who is believed 10 have
been the author OF the celebrated political
essays which startled all England from
1863 to III, and which were signed Junius.
sHE MEETS HER AFFINITY.
When she was but seventeen years oi
age Miss Pauline met ct swanses, where
she was visiting some young friends and
writing poetry descriptive Of the coast Of
Wales, Mr.. Walter P. Benjamin, nephew
Of Judah I. Benjamin, at one time Treas.
urer OF the Confederate States Of America.
The young man, who was u Sjuth Uaroli.
niAn by birth, was handsome and clever,
but, unfortunately, poor. Pauline felt that
she loved him 80 deeply she could marry
no one but him. Her father died while
she was at Swansea, and she was sum-
noned by telegraph to Merthyr Tydvil.
Young Benjamin, who was but twenty-five,
followed her there, and contrived TO sec
her occasionally. Finally the young lsdy's
mother learned Of tA,ss stolen interviews
and terrible scene epsped. Pauline beg,
led 10 be allowed 10 marry her American
sweetheart, but her mother remained frn,
and finally sent her 10 St Andrews In
Scotland, 10 school.
by means Of pre,aranged signals the
young lady, previous 10 leaving home,
managed TO inform her lover whittier she
was going. Young Benjamin found 1t con.
venient 10 visit 81. AndreF's frequently,
and, in 1850 they were married on Paul.
ines twentieth birthday. When Lady
HMcourt heard the news Of her daughters
secret marriage, and learned that she bad
fled from the school at 81. Andrews, she
was stricken with paralysis, and died short.
ly aiterward. Young Ben amin came 10
the United States at ONCE upon hearing oil
the Rebellion, and entered 10 the Conied.
crate Navy, where he remained until the
close Of the war. lie then speculated in
cotton, made considerable money, and
stated by water for California, accompani-
ed by his wife, In 1870. They had one
child, who died on the voyage to the istL:.
mus. They were delayed In leaving
Aspinwall, and Pauline and her husband
were both stricken with q terrible fever,
which resulted In the death OF Mr.. Ben.
iamin and left Mrs. Bepjsmin very weak.
LIFT A wlpow ATsEA:
Her husband was buried at sea. Mn.
Benjamin's weak nerves gave way, and for
days she rayed, and when The phip reached
San Francisco she was placed In the hands
OF the authorities there. Her reason was
partly destroyed, and for Bix years Fhe re.
mained IN California. She then made her
escape and walked the entire distance to
Virginia City. Nevada, where she remained
several months. She was lost sight oi
there in 1877, and was next heard al Of
lAcIIc Bsiltoad. III 'ths tail OF 1878 she
comnepced trappipg through Wyoming.
When near the site oi the Custer massacre,
along Wind River, she was captured by a
band oi Indians, Of what tribe she does
not remember, although her description Of
their life and habits Is very accurate spd
proves that her storY Ii atrue one. The
lndiapP, hnding' that she was returning to
the home Of her pale.iace friends, gave her
some dried meat, and started her on her
way rejoicing.
froA tor Rene, Wyoming Territory, to
with some soldiers coming East, and In
1870 she came from Fort Pierre to Yank:
ton, and thence by rail to Omaha. From
there she foIlowtA the track 81 the Chicago,
burlington K Quincy railroad 10 q bee line
across the Stale Of Iowa 10 darlington,
from where abe made her way to Peoria,
Ills. She remained there few months In
the care Of the poor authorities, and then,
having become rested, she again began her
tramp Eastward. bringing up 4. the great
railway centre, Fort WsyRe, 4aQ:
THE JOURNEY 10 THE FAST.
From here she was fortunate enough to
get ride to Toledo, where the city author.
itIes treated her 30 badly that she tramped
on to Cleveland, where she found comfort.
able quarters and remained until last New
Years Day. She began the New Year with
the resolution TO push on 10 New York
without stopping. Following tho tpfnbike
road she ioppd herself In splean, \. 7,
from where she rode In an empty freight
car to Hornelsvitle. When she tried 10
ateal another ride from Iiornellsyille to
Painted Post she was unfortunate. ,Ls car
In which she had secreted nerseli was lock.
ed and rua upon side track and she
remained In L, without food or water
.hree days, gniil heF poundIng upon the
siie or the car attracted the atten.
tion Of one oil the yard men and she
was released almost dead. When she
reached Elmira she got q ride on the
bumper Of the express gar, but one ol tho
sparks from tue engine iell upon her dress
and the rapid motion Of the train famed
the spark into blsze, and she had anAther
narrow escape from death. Her injuries
necessitated her remaining some weeks tt
Binghanpton, from whence abe walked 10
Port Aervls. arriving hare via the Delaware
Il Hudson canal towpath.
She has but sixty miles 10 tramp from
Middletown, and she hoped to reach New
York In time to catch steamer for Eu-
gland on Saturday, July 7th. She has the
key Of q safe deposit vault In New York
City, where CHE says her husband had q
snug sum Of money slowed away, enough
to take her to her home ip Wales and keep
her In comfort among the friends Of her
youth,