Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-19
SEEKS A LONG LOST BROTHER.
Captain jenkins Has Maintained n
strict Vigilance for Many


Captain Hunter Ben Jenkins. the popu-
larry known river steamboatrnan of st.
Louis. has a scrapbook. says the ST. Louis
Star. This blank book. for the preserVa-
ton of extracts, prints. etc. Is lliisd win
newspaper clippings relating chiefly TO lost
people and OF meetings of friends after long
separations.
According to theJ declarations of the
friends of Captain jenkins. and by his con-
fesSion, he examines with critical care the
columns of the daily newspapers and never
fails TO clip an article of the kind.
This fad was born of II romance begun
in Lexington. Mo. way back i'll the ips-
u romance over which hangs an unSolHed
myst.ry-the incomprehensible disappear
auce Of st. Clair Kyle jenkins. Il younger
brother of the captain.
In 1919 Mississippi river steamboats, were
more numerous than to-day. This was the
year of the immigration TO California.
Every steamer was crowded with adven-
turcrs bound for the newly discovered gold
fields. The only route West at that time
WAS by steamer TO Independence Landing.
Jackson county. Mo. This was th: dis
iributing point of supplies and immigrants.
From this point the journey was made
overland in teams. coaches and private
SClooners.
Mr.. William Jenkins. father of Colonel
Hunter Ben jenkins. was one of the early
pioneers from Virginia. The Virginia hotel,
situated on the river bank, was the home
of the Jenkins family. Mr.. and Mrs. Jen-
kins Were the parents of nine children.
Two of them only are known to be liv-
ing. Il son, Captain Hunter Ben jenkins.
and II daughter, Mrs. Saphronia Brown. St.
Clair Kyle jenkins. the lost brother, who
was believed TO be dead. is now thought
to be alive. Developments of a year ago
encouraged Captain Jenkins to be hopeful
that some day H.. would shake hands again
with his brother.
1t was IL bright morning in June. almost
a half century ago. that 6-year-oid ST.
/ clair Kyle Jenkins, the flower of the fam
lily, the pet and faycrite of the household
and OF the citizens, left the hotel on the
river bank. accompanied Icy his nurse,
owned 10y the family. 10 take a stroll down
the wharf. or steamboat landing, as it
was then called. Several steamboats, We're
diScharging carSoes.
one of the steamers at the landing, the
Lake of the Woods. was loaded with In
dians. The attention of the nurse was at
tracted by the savages to the utter neg
lect OF the boy. and after d while the little
fellow WAS missed. When she reported the
loss of the child the steamer had slipped
her mornings and was SteaminS up the
river.
The family was frantic. Mrs. Jenkins
was Frustrated. and for many weeks her
grief wrought upon her system $" terribly
that it was thought she would NOT live I'M
der her loss. The river was dragged, can
mons were fired over the stream TO cause
the supposed drowned child TO ,iloat. put
the river never gave up IT'S dead. ~ leg
norm, nat. which the iittie fellow iis1 worn.
Was fuund hoatlnS IN, the river ne ohS
after the mysterious disappearance "i 'he
boy.
,lhe MAJ was i"entineu ny .He ann.iS
i.lry hoped the bouS Wo,ld " ieIots'
IN me absence, OF dentiite ~ uSe u liz III
iate o. me lost Doy IT. MAS m,tatM nj
liousht ne WAS sloiei ~ NJ ~ a In
NE nat was tnrown IN .he river ~ iisie"
IN siiei- stlrheti phieii1i. u,1, afr,oed
iiiiisi "niCi me'lF III U.u r1ntSer
ron w" ineii3i , on Ia Sba bacame
uns hernI'ss - 4. Hn tpin,;a, "I Ru, sra nev,-
eoonI " ~ .n imf,rrna,ior r,latiny IN