The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-10-23
Highest of all Leavenng Power-La,est T. s. Govt Report
R%!A!l! g! Rs%assz RRskiaRs
ABSOLUTELY PURE
COL. sANFORD's BREAKDOWN.
Ths Pathetic End OF q Noted Lsctlrer's
Career.


The Pathetic End Of Noted Lscturer's
Career.
A dispatch from Chicago states that
Col. James Pomeroy Sanford, traveller.
orator, writer and humorist, has just re-
turned to his home at Wheaton, ILL.,,
broken down in health and mind. His
breakdown is traced by some of his more
intimate friends To strange meeting
which occurred November llth, 1891,
when he was attending a reception in his
honor at Norristown, Pa.
The guest begged him to recount some
of his personal "reminiscences, and he was
| asked how he came to be such a world
wide rover. He said he had been mar
ried three times and ''had been in every
place on earth at least three times" and
was then prepared to cross the ocean for
at least the twentieth time, Among the
guests was Miss Anna Sanderson, from
Tioga Centre, n. H., whose face seemed
to attract the speaker and who was appar-
emily drawn to him. She listened attent-
lively to his story of marrying when a
mere boy and going to South America on
a tour and learning while there that his
young wife had died. The traveller said
his letters to his family were never an
swered, and he had never gone back.
MY mother was born in Steuben coun-
ty, y. "" spoke up Miss Sanderson,
land her father bore exactly the saEIe
name as yourself. But mother never
saw him. Grandpa was killed, they said,
in South America before she was born"
Indeed" remarked Col. Sanford, and
then led the conversation to another top
ic. Finally he said he was not feeling
well, and a few minutes later, excusing
himself, went 10 his room.
Soon there was a knock at his door and
he opened it to admit Miss Sanderson,
her face flushed with excitement.
II have been thinking it over" the
girl said, land | have come to tell you
that think you are my grandfather"
"And have thought, my child, for ten
minutes that you are my granddaught-
er"
Col. Sanford took her in his arms and
wept. In chance sentence he learned
that his first wife was now dead.
by appointment Col. Sanford met his
granddaughter at Ontario Centre, y. ",
on August 2lst, last. lie was then for
mally introduced to his daughter, Mrs.
Washington Sanderson, whom he had
not only never seen, but whose existence
he had never suspected. The meeting
agitated him deeply. He now knows
that his first wife had lived years after he
thought her dead, and.had never moved
to reclaim her, and had REMARKED.
These reflections, Col. Sanford's friends
say, preyed on his mind and brought
him To his present pitiable condition.
Col. Sanford is known as Americas
greatest traveller" He has been in every
country of the world. He was described
in a London Journal rs the restless
American who looked forward with dis
may To the day when there would be no
country left for him to explore" He was
born in Seneca county, y. ", about fifty
seven years ago, became a colonel in the
Civil War and was breveted brigadier
general.
Col. Sanford lectured before the Somer-
set County Teachers Institute on several
occasions and was one of the most enter
tanning public speakers ever heard in
this place.