The Opelousas courier., 1899-12-02
THUS MEN DISAPPEAR,
STORY OF ONE WHO CHOSE TO DROP
OUT. OF SIGHT,

Buffalo to Visit the Centennial of '76
and Has just R~eturned-His Wander
ings-Sisters' Efforts to Fine Him.
Twenty-three years ago last July
Harvey W. Rogers, a railroad station
agent at Hamberg, a suburb of Bnf.
falo, N. Y, left his position, home,
friends and n comfortable fortune to
go to the Centennial exposition in
Philadelphia. He has since been a
wanderer up and down the country
from one extreme to the other, but
never returned to his home. He had
no trouble or cause to remain away,
but, on the contrary, every induce
ment was made to him to return home.
Not nee in that time did lie commu-
nicate with his relatives, and they,
hoping almost against hope that he
was still alive, have been steadfastly
searching for him for more than a
score Of years.
Their diligence was rewarded one
day last week, when a meeting be-
tween Rogers and his family was
effected at the office Of his attorney,
MI. David L.. Git, 623 F street, in
this city. 1t was through the efforts
Of the latter that Rogers sisters were
enabled to find their long-lost brother
and that they came here from Buffalo
to meet him. Their recognitions
were mutual, and while the women
wept for Joy, the old map was SO over
come by emotion thai for a few min
utes he could hardly speak.
The story of the eventful life of the
old man, now sixty-two years of age,
is an interesting narrative. His
father was a well-to-do farmer in Erie
county, and possessed a fine tract of
land in what is now a growing sub
urb of Buffalo.
When Rogers wasa boy the land
was reckoned to be worth about $50
an acre; o $50, 900 would scarce
purchase that much of it. When a
young man he enlisted in the Ninth
New York cavalry and served through
out the civil strife. There the ro-
nance Of his nature developed. The
life was to him rather shiftless and
aimless, and he became imbued with
the spirit of a wanderer. However,
he returned home after the war was
over and went to work on the rail-
road.
His father died, some of the estate
was sold, and by economy Rogers
managed to acquire a considerable
sum of money. He kept an account
in a savings bank, loaned, money on
mortgages, had a good position as
station agent and became well-to-do.
Still he was never wholly contented.
During the Centennial year he
started for Philadelphia, fully ex-
pecting and intending to return after
spending a few weeks at the exposi-
ton. He took with him only enough
funds to pay the expenses of an o
omical trip, for he was never a spend
thrift, but rather frugal and modest
in his wants. Weeks went by, and
finally they lapsed into months, still
no tidings came from Rogers. His
sisters, with whom he lived, waited
patiently and a~nxiously for his re-
turn. Finally they wrote to Phila-
delphia and asked the authorities to
find their missing brother.
No man answering his description
could be found; in fact, no trace of
him was discovered and the family
continued to hope that he was still
alive. Still no message came from
him, although they could see no rea
son why he should remain away, and
still less why, if alive, he should be
silent. Year after year passed, but
from time to time the family con-
tinued the search for the missing rela-
tive. Once during the first inaugura-
of President Cleveland some Buffalo
people reported to Rogers sisters that
they had seer him in this city. Again
their hope was revived and efforts
were made to follow up the trail, but
all to no purpose. The police in large
cities were asked time and again to
look out for him.
In his wanderings Rogers frequent
ly came into Washington, and, in
fact, he has been in almost everytown
of any considerable size in both Mary
land and Virginia. Upon m of these
trips he went to the office of Mr.. Git
to have him intercede for him in OBJ
tanning a pension. The attorney,
however, had no knowledge of his
clients wanderings. In this. city
Rogers also met Captain Wooley of
the ~postofice department., who was
The commander of one of the COM
panies in Rogers regiment during the
war. He, too, was in ignorance of
the fact that the former soldier was a
wanderer from home and that his fam
lily was e~ndeavoring to find him.
After laying his ase before MI.
5itt, Rogers again disappeared, and
even his attorney did not know his
whereabouts for a long time. One day,
however, he learned that n of the
Buffalo congressman had received a
request from Rogers sisters, asking
him to make inquiries concerning
their brother, whom they had once
more learned had been seen.
Mr.. Git assured the congressman
hat Rogers was still alive and he had
made strenuous efforts to find him.
For a long time he was unsuccessful.
Finally, he again found his clients
rail and followed it to Danville, Va.
There Rogers was discovered about a
week ago and induced to come to
Washington to meet his sisters, who
were advised of the success of the
attorneys search, and fastened tothis
,itv to see their long-lost relative.