Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-09

week ago, at Z O'Clock in the evening, a
! tall man got off the east bound train at
RYE, and looked around in surprise at the
new station and other improvements, in
GLIDING a Blaine and Logan parade,
which was whOOping around the place IN
! white caps and torchlIghts. The stranger
stOpped an old man, and, calling him by
name, Michael Hubbard, asked lin il he
knew ANYTHING of the Hodgins family,
who lived in the village seventeen years
ago. Hubbard said that Mrs. HOdgius
was living with her family on the bill.
ThereuDOn the stranger began TO weep,
and struck out for the hill, but Hubbard,
VINO couldn't 20 so fast, grabbed MIN by
the coat tails, and said:
YOU'RE Johnny Hodgins."
1t was true. Michael had been coach
nan when Hodgins was a boy, and used
to let him drive his horses. They Wentup
to the house together, and Mrs. Hodgins,
who was coming in from the barn, saw
two men standing at the gate, and heard
one OF them say:
won't your mother be glad to see
youlo
She dropped everything she had in her
hands and in a second had her arms
around her sons neck. John was intro
duced to all his brothers and sisters, and
his mother divided the time equally be-
tween hugging him and retreatlng few
steps to admire him, or to declare that he
was the handsomest son she had. She
was much amazed to learn that she was
the grandmother of five boys, all alive and
hearty, and that she had a daughter-in-
law. alive and hearty, too.
John found things good deal as he had
left them, and there was nothing to feel
badly about but the death of his father.
His brother Thomas, , years old when he
LETT, was now six feet high, and well
pleased with the masOn's trade, which his
brother had discarded. All of his brothers
and sisters were well, but his mother was
the only one who knew him.
AS seon as the neighbOrs had stopped
pouring in he began to tell about his own
adventures. From Boston he had gone to
Bangor without hearing from home. He
worked there at odd jobs for week, and
then shipped TO the West Indies on sail
ing vessel. Thence he went to New Or
leans, where Dunn saw him; afterward
to South America with prospecting
party, who hunted around for a long while,
and had adventures enough to fill book,
all of which Mrs. Hodgins insisted upon
hearing in detail. They made some
money, too, and all came back to
this country. Meanwhile he wrote
home, but probably through error
in addressing, his letters were returned
with the mark of the dead letter office.
and he concluded that his family had
moved away. When the travellers got
back to this country the. oil excite ment
was at its height, and they decided that
oil speculation would be the proper thing
to swell their savings into fortunes. They
tried it, lost all they had, and disbaDded.
John HOdgins went to Erie, Pa, fell in
love, and was married. Thatis where his
home is now. During the Black Hills
excitement he went out as a prospector
and scout. He was with Custer, but had
lett him just in time. He was shot at and
hunted by the Indians, but got away with
his life, and came back to prove to his
wife that any report that he was dead was
mistake. Then he gave up roaming,
invested what money he had, and is now
working as conductor on the Philadelphia
and Erie Railroad. A short time ago he
made up his mind to hunt energetically
for his family, and went to Rye, sup
posing that would only be the first step
towards discovering if they were still
alive. He stayed week with his mother,
and then went home to Erie.
Mrs. HOdgins was so nervous last night !
that she had to call her son Thomas to |
light the lamp. She said that she hadn't |
been able to compose herself since her son !
came back.
$40 think" she said, "that he's been so |
much around the world, aud it hasn't |
hurt him a bit. He doesn't drink drop, !
and he reminds me of his father every !
He broke my heart when he |
went away. but now he's back l don't |
care anything about it."