The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-23
AFTER THIRTY LONG YEARS
ONE NOW RESIDES IN HOUSTON.
How TAey Han Away From Home
- Boys ana Their joyful Mcetins
After Lapse Of 30 Many Years.

Another example Of tho adase tha'
truth ID stranger than Action. has CONS
to light recently In this city.
At the close OF the civil war two boys
aged 8 and 10 years respectively, lived
with step mother Ia Prairie county. ARK
THOR mother had been In the spirit land
for quite a number Of years. Their faNhei
had died during the second year Of the
war. The little fellows were left to the
care. or the want Of It, Of step mother.
Her treatment Of her step sons was not the
kindest. Indeed. her exactions soon be-
came very hard, and positively unendura-
BILE TO the little lads. They made their
plans TO run away from home, II 1t could
be called home. After awhile. during a
temporary absence OF their stcp-mother.
the BOYS started. The nearest railroad or
steamboat landing was twenty-five miles
away. 1t was very hot la2 in June, 1861
The FIRST FIVE riiles o. the Journey was
through q desolate swamp, where tic only
living thing 10 lie seen were the big SICK
moccasin snakes. There were Wild epjmals
in the syainp, but the boys did net see
any BEYOND the swamp stretched Gut a
l.yel lay OF land called Grand Prairie.
Across this level expaase for over twenty
miles the young adventures made their
way. They had n MAD to reach the liver,
and to seek passage on some boat 10 Mem
phis, Tenn, where they had been told
some of their kin resided. For twenty
miles. without tree or house TO break
the monotony Of the journey. tho boys
trudged on. They had not bite 10 eat,
and no water to drink except little they
found In the tracks OF a horse, that had
been left by d recent rain. Finally they
reached De Vals Bluff. Going to the cap
tain OF boat Just ready to start north
ward they asked for a passage TO Mem
phis, Tenn. II being at the close of tho
war, the boat was loaded with Federal
troops returning home. They were kindly
treated by the boat hands and the return
ing soldiers. When the boat reached Mem
phs the boys were entirely forgotten, ns
they lay fast asleep They were taken Oh
TO ST. Louis, Here the troops dlsembarltcd,
and here the boys separated. One NJ. c.
Mayberry, now OF Houston, Texas went
with man by the name OF Bragg. white
J. W. Mayberry. now residing in Illinois,
cast his lot with Mr.. Evans. That was
in June. 1864. and from thar tine uutl
June, 1897, the boys never saw or head
from each other, During these years they
advertised In some or the leading papers OF
the country and wrote innumeraDle letters
OF inquiry, seeking for each ether. but In
vain, These two long separated boys. now
grown to manhood. and each with fam
ily around him became reunited in a novel
way. During these thirty three years the
boys had their share Of the UPS and downs
OF life. Fortune i'll ana fortune fair came
10 them. Finally, last spring, the Houston
brother was handed copy of a benevolent
society folder. AS he turned It's pages he
was startled to see printed therein a pic
lure OF his long lost and much sought for
brother. He Immediately teiegraphed TO,
Iearl Ill, the address Of his supposed
nrvrher, as given IN the folder. a message
something like this:
Are YOU the Walton Newberry who ran
away from home with your brother in
ARKANSAS about thirty years agoq'
soon there flashed back an affirmative
reply In al few days the brother In Texas
went Noflh. aud the two boys wore 10
Eether once more In this life. and each re
garded the other as almost risen from ,ha
dead ~"
one OF these brothers. NJ. C. Mayborry.
IS wei known In Houston. whore he has
iiVed Tor yeais, and is gateman ON tho
Southern Pacific. ''o