The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-04-11
AFTER MANY YEARS.
NJ. E. r. \. Dyer Reunited to his Family
After Long, Sad Separation.
(Aiken Journal and Review.)

After Long, Sad Separation.
(Aiken Journal and ReviewJ
Mr.. Frank r. a. Dyer, Of Horton,
Kansas, is man with strange and sad
history His experience has been SO
unusual that We have taken pains to get
the particulars. Mr.. Dyer is at present
passenger conductor on the Chicago,
Kansas and Nebraska Railway, (Rock
Island route, and came to Aiken some
weeks ago with his sister, Mrs. Helen
Larkin, of Brattleboro, Vt, who is in Ill
health. They are stopping at the Steed-
man House. His story, as told to US,
proves the oft-repeated statement that
truth is stranger than fiction. It was IN
1854 that Mr.. Dyer's father was travelling
with his wife, who was insane, and three
children, from Stoton, Wis, to place the
mother in the asylum at Brattleboro, vt.
The children were Helen, Victor and
Frank, the latter being baby about
three months old. While passing through
New York State on the train, Mrs.
Hiram Robbins, of Brighton, N. T.,
proved OF great assistance in helping
Mr.. Dyer care for the children. Mr..
and Mrs. Robbins were returning home
from Niagara Falls, and Mr.. Dyer asked
them to kindly care for the baby for
few days until he returned. The kind
couple consented and took the child to
their home. Mr.. Dyer, after placing his
wife in the asylum, took the two chill
dren, Helen and Victor, to their grand
parents, who lived at East Greenwich,
n. Y. He then went West, intending to
close up his business there and return at
once. But unfortunately he died, and
in his death all trace Of the child was
lost to the others.
The Robbins brought up the baby
with their own children, but Frank re-
tanned the name OF his parents. Els
| foster brother is Prof. J. S. Robbins,
now well-known music teacher Of Pen
field, n. Y. Frank Dyer became con-
ductor on the New York Central Rail-
road, and later went West and connected
himself. with the Union Pacific Railway,
and while there became passenger con-
ductor on the Denver and South Park
Division. He knew nothing of his
parents except what Mr.. and Mrs. Rob
bins could tell, and that was very little.
If they had heard Mr.. Dyer say whst
asylum he was taking his wife to, they
had forgotten it, SO all trace was lost on
both sides.
Victor went West and settled, and it is
curious coincidence that for some time
Frank Dyer was running rs conductor
within forty miles of his brothers home,
and neither knew of the existence of the
other. Helen, the sister, married Henry
B. Larkin, of East Greenwich, n. L,
but she has lived the last ten years In
Brattleboro, VT, to be near her mother,
who is still in the asylum. The mother,
in spite of her clouded mind, had never
forgotten the existence Of her child, and
frequently asked for baby Frank. Thus
whenever Mrs. Larkin went to New
York she made inquiries about her lost
brother. It was one of these trips last
August, while speaking with J. W. But
terield, New York Central conductor
at Rochester, that her story reached the
ears of another conductor on that road,
Mr.. ". NJ. Morris. This gentleman had
known conductor Frank Dyer well, and
had often heard him tell his sad story,
and he felt conNIced that Dyer was the
missing brother. Fortunately he knew
Prof. Robbins address, and by cores
pondence with him the whereabouts Of
Frank Dyer was learned, and on last
Thanksgiving Day, in the town OF Brat
tleboto, he was reunited to his family,
after separation of 80 years: When
he stood before his mother she instantly
knew he was her long lost son, from his
resemblance to his father, and she shed
tears Of Joy at his recovery.
Mr.. Dyer says he is the happiest man
in tie United States, and We. can well
believe it. Few can realize how much
the Joy and thankfulness was increased
by the fact that Mr.. Dyer is an earnest
and devout Christian. What a comfort
it was to know that amid all the evil and
temptation there is in this world he has
been able to develop true Christian
character. Had the rest of the family
not reason for thankfulness?