The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-25
HOME RICH AFTER 26 YEARS
UILLIAM ROSS RETURNS FhOM
 SOUTH AFRICA.
Had Been MOurned as Dead, ana He Identified Himself Through Maimed

IiNu Been uOufheu as Do""5 "--" ~~
 Identified Himself Through Maimed Foot.
 The homecoming of William Ross, who returned to the city on fflday after an absence of twenty-siX years Tn South Africa, where he amassed a 1oE- tune, reads like a chapter from one or Haggard's romances MT Ross hau mourned as dead by his family for twenty-three years.
 More than twenty six years ago Will [ liam Ross, then lusty and ambitious young Toronto boy, bade adieu to home and loved ones and departed to seek his fortune in foreign land In com mon with many venturesome spirits he was attracted to South Africa. For about three years letters were received | from the absent one, at irregular inter- yals, at his home in Toronto. Then all communication ceased, and a few months afterward news of his death was received by the anxious family That was twenty-three years ago, and from that period up to few days ago nothing further was learned of his fate, He was sincerely mourned as dead.
 During this time many changes took place. The remaining children grew to womanhoods estate, and a daughter and son born since his departure re- placed the boy whom they believed to be sleeping in an unmarked grave in far-off Africa. The father in the full ness of time passed away.
 Last Friday a bronzed middie-aged arrived in Toronto, and inquired for Mrs Ross. After a time he succeeded in locating the ady's youngest daugh- ter, who Is the wife of MT. Charles D. McKendry Mr and Mrs. Mckendry reside at 152 Harbord street, but at present they occupy cottage at Kew Beach. The stranger in question turned up at the cottage on Friday and requested Mrs. McKendry to direct him to her mother. Mrs. McKendry in- formed him that her mother was out of
 town The stranger piled her with questions about her mother, her sis ters and herself. He then abruptly in- formed her that he was William Ross her long-lost brother, who left home for South Africa before she was born.
 Mrs. McKendry regarded the stranger in the light of an imposter and told him that he could not be her brother, as her brother was dead. The stranger insisted that such was the relationship existing between them. Mrs. McKen- dry suddenly remembered a story her mother had told her about an accident which befell her brother when d child, in which he lost a portion of one of his toes She told the stranger this, where upon he removed his hoe, disclosing the dismembered foot All doubt as to his identity then vanished. and the sister accorded q cordial welcome to the
 brother she had never seen. The
 mother and the other members of the
 family were communicated with. and , that evening there was happy family
 reunon in the cottage at Kew Beach
 in which the son and brother they had
 mourned as dead recounted the story of his Wanderings.
 When Mir. Ross landed in South Africa he experienced the ups and , downs incidentalsto life in new coun- try. Fortune did not smile on his ef'
 forts at first. Gradually he grew , away from his old associates. He de- 1, voted himself to the task of amass.ns a fortune and became as one lost to his
 old home and friends Building for tune even in South Africa is an up-hil f and gradual process, but by pluck anc
 perseverance MT Ross accomplished 9 much until to-day he is counted wealthy, as wealth goes.
 The recent trouble in the Transvaal which may ultimately result in war be-
 tween the Boers and England, set MT
 Ross thinking that until the dispute i'
 adjusted one way or the other there art ? securer places for men of means thaf - South Africa. This train Of though
 brought flood of recollections of hl' , boyhood days, and he was seized Wllf , an irresistible desire to again look upor
 his old home. Converting his ready
 money into bank notes, he placed 1t 1T , a large belt, which he fastened around his waist The belt contained upwart of S60,O00. In this manner he safely 5 brought his treasure to Toronto. H' 7 found that his mother, one brother ant
 three sisters resided in Toronto, an( ? located them in the romantic manne {, detailed above,
 It is MT. Ross's intention to return t' n South Africa, and one of his sisters
 who is a widow, will probably accom- e pany him.
 = After his arrival in South Africa MT = Ross worked for about five years as Q miner With the money thus accumu
 lated he started speculating, and grad T ually acquired a competence. MT. Kos
 is a bachelor. Toronto Mail and Elm u pire-