The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-09
WHITNEY'S WEEKLY
BUDGET OF NEWS
Lemuel Woodbridge Returns After an
Absence Of Fifteen Years.
BROUGHT THE BEEFSTEAK WITH HIM
Self Convicted Murderers, Eagan
and shew, Continue to Give Details
of Their rCrime--MOrmon Missions
aries at Work in Susquehanna.
photographic Plunder.
127 Wyoming Avenue,
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Susauehanna, Feb. S.-F'ifteen years
ago, Lemuel woodbridge, of Fairdale,
a carpenter, aged 45, left home one
morning to get a beefsteak for break
fast. Hours and days passed and he
failed to return. Ponds were dragged
and ravines were searched, but all to
no purpose. Mrs. Woodbridge went
into mourning for the customary per-
iod and took up the work of rearing
and educating her three little children.
She secured a legal divorce and in six
years again married. Two years later
she was again a widow A few days
since q bent and gray-haired man en-
tered the Woodbridge-Zeigler cottage
without knocking. He hung his hat
upon a peg and laid a package of
beefsteak upon the table. Mrs. Wood
bridge -Zeigler did not recognize the
stranger, and the grown-up children
were about to GUST him from the cot
tage, when he announced himself as
Lemuel Woodbridge. There was no
tableau nor red fire. Then Woodbridge
said that up to three weeks ago the
past had been a dead blank to him.
He knows that he has been in En-
gland and Australia, and remembers
selling washing machines in Manches-
tor. He has saved money. He does not
remember under which name he has
been sailing all these years, nor how
he has earned a livelihood all of the
time. Coming over from Liverpool to
Montreal in a cattle boat, he sudden
ly remembered his home. his errand
and many other things. Until informed
he did not know whether he had been
absent one year or ten. After being
convinced that Woodbridge's story was
true, there was a reconciliation, the
beefsteak was cooked, and there will
soon be a wedding in little Fairdale.
Truth is stranger than fiction.
SOME COUNTY CURRENCY.
Self-confessed Murderers Eagan and
Shew still continue to give the details
of their crime. They are without
counsel, else there would be fewer con-
fessions. Shew and Eagan still ac-
cuse each other with having struck the
fatal blows.
George p. Little. esq, of Montrose
has been appointed committee of the
person and estate of Flora Bella Sweet
Every school house in Hartford town
ship has a flag and pole. Patriotic
Hartford!
The value of the school property in
Susquehanna county is $353000. The
average length Of school term is 7.01
months. The cost of text books for
1896 was $6,112.10. Cost of supplies. 50,
4jO60, Total expenditure of county
S102 2,S01.S0
Throughout Susquehanna county
two-thirds of the church congregations
are women. But for the women, there
would be many empty pews in every
church. and many pastor would have
mighty poor financial picking. Every.
where women fill the churches and mer
fill the iails.
The expeditures of Susquehanna
county for the year 1897 were sS1, ,717.41
Jan. /, 1898, there was $4,2375S in the
treasury. and no bonded Indebtedness
except $4,000 for the Susquehanna-O Oak,
land bridge.
John r. Ray nsford, of Montrose, has
leased the Tarbell home, in that Dor.
Cugh, for term of years.
AND WE'RE NOT PROUD!
The fact that Mormon missionaries
are laboring in Susquehanna county
and making some converts, brings tC
mind the fact, of which we are no
proud. thI- Mormonism had it's begin
ming two miles from Susuuehanna
Here Joseph Smith, jr., the father anC
inventor of Mormonism, translated tn,
Book of Mormon, or Mormon Bible:
married his first wife; prospected fo
hidden treasures; attempted to per
form miracles; swindled the gullibl,
early settlers, and eventually mad
such darksome record that he antici
pated the most excellent advice of tn
late lamented Horace Greeley AM
went west" where he founded ,
church, squandered several communi
ties and was quickly shot to death b,
a howling mob, western way of show
Ing disapprobation of the acts of pub
lie persons.
MORE HISTORY.
When this strip of county was almos
bowling wilderness, several short
sighted philanthropists planned to erec
an African college In the outskirts O
where Susquehanna now stands. I,
which to instruct the slaves. escapin,
by the way of tine underground road
from the cotton fields of the southlan,
to the frozen shores of Canada. 1t wa
later discovered that the exodustin
negro. just out of reach OF the blood
hounds and lash. was in too much o
hurry to settle down TO cube roo
and decimal fractions, and the castl
In the air went glimmering among tn
things that were" Some OF the exca
vattons for the structure are still visl
bic to the naked eve.
PARAGRAPHIC PLUMBER.
The troubles OF the Oakland Metho
dist church will be aired in the Wyom
ing conference.
The eleventh annual ball OF Monro
Curtis lodge, Brotherhood Of Railroa