The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-06-18
An Episode
Of New We. ICE.
BY ALVIN H. sYDENHAM.
copyrighted. 1897

wharf ana WaVe.
"The body Of an unknown woman
was found by some fishermer
floating along the water from
near the Peoples Cannery abou
SIX O'Clock last exening Close
inquiry fails to establish AM
clew to identity, and there is no reasor
to believe that the woman Is ESnowr
IN this city After careful investlga
tioh the coroner's jury returned a yer
dict Of. Death by drowning suicide o.
person unknown circumstances
point TO the fact that the body Il
that Of one Of those unfortunate crea
tnres which infest the portion Of thu
city called Swilltown; that the auicidt
was committed during a fit OF despond
ency; and through lack of friends and
acquaintanceS the disappearance failed
to attract notice. The body appears tc
have lain in the water about three
weeks"
Possibly true, She might have set
tied up her outstanding obligations
End left her boarding place in a fit Of
anger. declaring that she would never
enter the town again, curslng and
swearing at her erstwhile companions,
and started to take the Portland boat,
leaving them utterly Indifferent as to
any event touching her future happi-
ness. Such things happen every day,
for these people are at lhome under
any roof, and have no care In the
world more serious than amassing
money. If at such time they should
jump into the river and drown, who
would be wiser? And If the body lay
In the stream until all of those COM
panions also left by the Portland boat
at the end Of the flush" season. who
on earth would there be to attach a
name or fix a responsibility. or assign
any other burial place than the pau.
per's lot? What can a poor coroner's
jury determine with no brighter lights
than circumstances?
Nevertheless, It appears that in the
city Of Yokohama, in Japan, died one
John Martin, overseer, leaving a
daughter, Ruth Martin, seventeen
years Of age, without living relative
in the world except her fathers
brother, Maurice Martin, living in As
torda, a town of Oregon, in America.
To this latter, being guardian by ma
ture, 1t was the plain duty of the adj
ministrators to send the child, and
they determined to devote the sale OF
John Martins effects to the accom-
plishment of this purpose. A letter
borne on her person and addressed to
Maurice Martin, Astoria, Oregon, U.
s. A. would answer as pathfinder and
serve to deliver her into the proper
hands at her journeys end. There was
no time for correspondence. Men OF
business cannot be bothered with or
phans. Affairs must move, and we all
have our own families to- look after
Many years before, John Martin had
gone to Yokohama in the employ Of a
wealthy London firm, and ever since,
as foreman, had held as favored a
position as men of little education us
ually attain. Her mother having died
In childbirth, his little Ruth was all
that was left to him, and his sole care
consisted in keeping her pure in heart
and unspotted from the world. He
found his salary ample for their sup
port, but like many other men, being
made financially near-slghted by the
certain periodical appearance OF a /
bank draft OF known value, he had
failed to provide for the unlikely which |
Is sure to happen, and therefore one
day found himself plllowed up In bed |
under the bllghtlng influence Of Japan
fever watched over by his daughter
and looking with increasing sorrow, up
on rapidly decreasing store OF gum
cas-, wasting away under the heavy ex-
penses Of illness. Like all great and
good corporations the firm had stopped
his pay; kindly filing his place with a
substitute on lower salary, and hold
Inc It expectant Of his recovery. Good
men being useful to corporations, are
welcome; but to draw pay they must
be present during work hours,
Knowing of the frailtles OF his fell
low men he had shielded his daughter
from the reproach OF strangers with
the most studied care. She had learned
little OF worldly dangers and nothing
II social evils. so at the age Of seven
teen she was more OF q child than
many at seven. He had selected her
books and taught her to read them
himself. Thus their evenings were
spent, The handful of English people
In the colony found enough amusement
among themselves to keep them from
prying into their neighbors, affairs, so
their seclusion was not molested,
There was little to attract one toward
the natives. Thus had she grown to
almost womanhood. looking upon the
world at II It were little short of Para
disc.
A gold band ring, her mothers we'd
ding memorial. was all her jewelry.
This her father wished her 10 keep,
Forever" he said, "and be as pure
rs the gold from which 1t Is madee
But men die and ther hopes die with
them. II the hand which waters the
rose IN the desert be stricken, the rose
VIII wither away.
Thus, when the father died, Ruth
'ailed in the star and Crescent" for
a ..aal 4