The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-08
HOBSON'S LOVE ROMANCE.

Lieutenant Hobson has figured in a
love romance, famous in naval circles.
Once he loved a woman with all the
strength of his s%ingularly strong and
earnest nature.
She was the only woman he ever
loved. She rejected him and married
a brother officer.
The fair woman of his dreams whom
fun-loving cadets called "Hobson's
CHOICE" was Miss Collins, the daughter
of Mrs. Patti Lyle Collins, formerly Of
New Orleans, now of Washington. Mrs.
Patti Collins has long been in the
government employ as a postoffice
clerk, where she is known as an ex-
pert blind reader" or decipherer of
illegible addresses. She was once a
azines.
Miss Collins was one of the great
bellies of Washington. She dressed SIM
ply, but in perfect taste. She possessed
a remarkable beauty of the dark south
ern type. She was tall and of stately
carriage, with dark eyes and hair. She
was a charming conversationalist.
Frank Baker Zahm and Richmond
Pearson Hobson were rivals for her
hand.
Hobson entered the Naval academy
in 1885, n Zahm two years later. Both
distinguished themselves as students.
Each carried off "frst honors," grad
uating at the head of his class. Ac-
cording to the regulations, the first
three men in the graduating classes
at Annapolis are permitted to make
their own choice of the corps or branch
of the naval service they shall enter.
Both Hobson and Zahm chose the con-
struction corps, because a man of that
corps omits the grade of ensign and
becomes a junior lieutenant at once.
Hobson on graduating from the naval
academy studied at the Ecole dAppll-
cation du Genie Maritime in Paris, be-
ing raduated at the head of his class.
Zahm entered the university of Glas-
gow, from which he, too, was gradu-
ated at the head of his class.
The two men who had been rivals IN
their studies and rivals in success were
rivals in love.
Both were men of exceptional
strength of character, and both were
terribly in earnest. They had courted
the youthful beauty in their cadet days.
They returned from their foreign stu
dies mature in mind. and body and
prepared to pursue their rivalry to the
bitter end.
It was a wonderful courtship. They
say that Hobson, who rarely thinks of
anything but his profession. used to
mingle his conversation WIN exterior
ballistics and protestations of deathless
devotion. Little did h know how he
could defy death.
In spite Of his p~eculiarities Of con-
y~ersation, Hobson is a favorite with
m who sometimes k serious
men. Nevertheless, he was fated to
fail in this case. Zahm won the lady.
1t is no disparagement to thai gallant
officer to say that marriage VIGOROUSLY
goes more by favor than by merit.
After this reverse Hobson became
more grimly devoted to his profession
than ever. They say that he cares for
no woman now except in a platonic
way, but his attitude toward them is
the perfection Of chivalry and courtesy,
like that of a true southerner.
Miss Collins was married to Frank
Baker Zahm two years ago. Zahm
was then sent to Port Royal, s. c.
and Hobson to the Brooklyn Navy
yard.
Mrs. Zahm is now celebrated as one
of 1.-The three beauties of h Naval
Construction corps" The other two
are Mrs. David Taylor and Miss Mar
tina Hitchborn, daughter of Chief Con.
structor HitchbOrn.