The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-02
SEPARATED FOR MANY YEARS
An Old Soldiers Wanderings
Fully Rewarded.
AN INTERESTING FAMILY TALE.
After the Lapse of a Quarter OF q
Century a Happy Reunion
Takes Place.

have once again been reunited after
separation continuing over a quarter OF a
century, and truth again is stranger than
fiction.
1t is simple romance from real life, but
the creative brain of Dickens could not
have woven together mUre absorbing
tale of light and shadow.
Soon after the close of the Civil War
| Frank S. Takats, a captain in one of The
regiments of the UniOn army, landed in
San Francisco covered with glory and
| bearing many honorable wounds and
scars as the result of his bravery and
heroism on the field of battle. He was by
birth a native of Hungary, and in his
native land as well as In the country of
his adoption had been an officer and
soldier. His family ties were aristo-
cratic and for centuries his ancestors
had occupied high positions OF honor and
trust, his father and grandfather being
among the foremost lawyers of their time.
The young soldier had been an active par
ticipant in the Hungarian revolution about
the year 1S4S. and when after the close of
the civil war in this country, and before
coming West. be revisited his native land,
he was promptly taken charge of by the
Austrian Government and held prisoner.
But the United States claimed him as an
adopted son. and his papers of citizenship
served as passport TO again take up his
abode on American soil. He had married
an estima bic Hungarian lady of fine fam
| lily, and to them a son was born. The
latter is now man of 80 years of age,
employed as letter-carrier in Station c
postoffice. and resides at $50 Twenty-sec-
ond street. The father is a strkingly pic
turesque old man of 70 years. aud for the
first time in twenty-siX years embraced
his offspring few days ago, after having
drifted hither and thither in search of the
lost one.
Some time after the arrival of the
Takats family in San Francisco the hus-
band ana wife commenced TO realize more
and more that their temperaments were
unsuited to each other, but for the sake of
the child they remained together and after
ward removed to a small town in Mon
tana, where the adventurous soldier tried
his hand at mining and ranching. He sue
ceeded IN accommodating a snug sum, but
the old family trouble still existed, and
finally ended in a legal separation, the
mother taking possession of the son. The
father loved his boy, and on one occasion
made an attempt to steal him by carrying
| him away on horseback. But the mot hers
| love was equally strong, and she succeeded
in holding possession of the coveted off
spring.
Thinking herself more secure in other
| parts, she finally returned to San Frau
| cisco. and from that time until the present
| the elder Takats has not beheld his wife
! or child.
Years rolled by and his fortune in
! creased, and although he attempted time
! after time to locate his loved one, his
/ efforts proved fruitless, and he visited
Mexico and other parts Of the country, but
! invariably returned, with the objsct of
his search still among the missing. In the
! meantime Mrs, Takats had married a sec
ond time, and carefully educated and
reared her son to become brave honest
and upright man, as had been his father.
She succeeded, and when about six years
ago, she departed this life, her last mo-
ments were soothed by the knowledge that
her son had started properly on life's Jour
ney. She imagined her former husband
! dead, as no tidings of him had reached
her for so many years.
But theold spirit still lived in the breast
of the rugged soldier. and again he started
on search. landing ip San Francisco few
days ago after an absence of many years.
He has always entertained great love and
! admiration for his fellow countrymen.
although meeting comparatively few of
them, since leaving his native land, and
naturally in his wanderings about town his
attention was attracted to the name of S.
! SZegedy, an industrious shoemaker doing
business on Ellis street. He entered the
| shop and was surprised to hear himself
converting in his native tongue, which he
| says he had not made use of before in fully
twenty five years. The two Hungarians
became friendly. and Takats confided his
| interesting story and the object of his
! many wanderings. His newly made friend
! interested himself in the old gentleman's
| search. and after a careful Investigation
satisfied himself beyond peradventuTe of
doubt that Fred S. Takats, the mall
| carrier. was none other than the missing
son. He informed his friend of his sue
| cess and arranged a meeting between the
pair.
Words can hardly describe that eventful
meeting, which took place in the rear of
the shoemaker's shop. The young man
| had been informed that an old gentleman
| from the country was anxious to see him,
and in due time he put in an appearance.
! His aged father could hardly restrain his
tears. and after asking several questions in
order to satisfy himself beyond doubt that
| it was not another case of mistaken iden-
! tity, he attempted to reveal his relation
| ship. Words failed him. and he simply
| presented his honorable discharge from
the United States army and pension GER
! tifica.e for his sons inspection. The
CLIMAX had been reached ana father and
son fell into each others embrace. after
long years of separation.
The elder Takats is a rugged and hearty
old man and looks every inch soldier
! He wears a muSiache of unusual length. a
| short becrd, and dresses as becomes a
prosperous rancher or miner. Bis son is
a good-looking young fellow and has been
| in the Postoffice Department about ten
years. His fathers wealth has now
reached good round sum, and it is prob
able the reunited twain will take up their
residence in Idaho.