The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-25
ROMANCE on THE OIL FIELDS.
The Story OF Miss Hamilton's Sc
eret Marriage and Divorce.

TowASDA. Penn, May i6.-In the
spring OF 1852. VIM. Hamilton. farmer
living in the northern oil field, was in
duced to invest 5000 in oil land in the
then booming Cherry Grove district in
Warren County,. His investment was a
reniunsrstiye one, for in few days he
disposed of his interest in the land for
$4,000. This was Hamilton's first
transaction in the petroleum business,
and the making in less than a week Of a
sum which he could scarcely have hoped
to accumulate in a lifetime on his farm
turned his head. and he invested al the
money he had. and mortgaged his
farm TO obtain more. in pipe line certif-
Gates. He was caught, with hundreds
of others like him, in the great fall OF
petroleum values in the summer OF
1852. caused by the sudden failure OF
the great spouLing wells in the Cherry
Grove field. and ruined. His farm was
sold from him. and in less than three
months, he died a physical and moral
wreck, having become a heavy drin ker
He was a widower. with one child, a
handsome girl, twenty years cid. She
was left penniless and almostfriendless
! by her fathers death. .In rrsrsa
Henry Gage. a, well-to-do farmer, was
Deighbor of Hamilton's, and years
ago they became bitter enemies over
some land dispute A year before Ham
ilton died. Cages son Lyman, a good
looking but shiftless young man, began
paying attention TO Hamilton's daugh-
ter Mary. She encouraged him, but
both her father aud young Cages father
opposed the attachment. After Ham
ilton's death. and for some time before
it, his daughter supported herself as a
seamstress. shortly after Hamilton
died, Lyman Gage quarreled with his
father and disappeared. For some
time Miss Hamilton received letters
from him from different places in the
west. but they finally ceased. In Nav,
1888. Farmer Gage received a letter,
signed by George Gray and dated Chi
cago, notifying him that his son Lyman
had been drowned in Lake Michigan by
the capsizing OF boat in which he was
out fishing, and that his body had not
but could find out nothing further in
relation to his sons alleged death He
returned home. however, satisfied that
the young man was dead. He was as
! tonished. on arriving home, to learn
that Miss Hamilton claimed 10 be his
sons widow. and she produced unques-
tionable proofs that they had beJn mar
ried in July, 1882 This fact being es-
tablished, her father-in law at once pro
vided her with home, and contributed
TO her support. ll t -ll l
A young man named Bidlow Utter, a
well contractor and driller. formed the
acquaintance Of the young widow soon
afterward, and they became engaged.
Their wedding day was set for last
Christmas, and preparations were made
for grand marriage. The Sunday be-
fore Christmas a great sensation was
made in the community by the appear
ance OF Lyman Gage. the supposed dead
husband of Mary Hamilton. He re-
fused to give any explanation in regard
to his alleged death. He, said he had
4 come back to take his wife 70 Chicago
with him. She refused TO receive or
recognize him. in which refusal she was
heartily supported BY her father-in-law
Gage. Young Gage remained at his
fathers for week, when he again dis
appeared. The Utter-Gage wedding
was necessarily indefinitely postponed
At Farmer Cages suggestion. his
daughter-in-law began proceedings
against her husband TOR divorce. This
was granted to her last week. and in the
evening of the day the decree was made
she was quietly married to Mr.. Utter.