The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-30
STRATEGIC NORVAL'S POINT.
JAMES T. INGLIS OF MIDDLEFIELD
 TELLS OFI1S FOUNDER.
John NorvaI Was His Half Brother and Drtfted to Africa Years Ago, Where, After Il Life eOfAdventure, He Settled as Farmer and Built the First Bridge Over the Orange River.

NorvaPs Pont, it will be remembered Is one of the strategic points on the
 Orange river, the boundary line be- tween the Cape Colony and the Orange Free State in South Africa It is one of the three railroad crossings held by the Boer forces in the earlier days ot the war, before Lord Roberts had turned his attention to the capture of Bloemfontein by the way of Jacobsdal, and before his advance from the latter position had the effect of drawing the Boers away from the Orange river and allowing the advance of Gatacre's and Frenchs divisions in the direction of Bloemfontein.
 James T. Inglis of Middlefield, in Middlesex county, Is half brother Of John Norval who went to South Af- rica many years ago and was lost to his friends John Norval was the build- CT of the first pontoon bridge across the Orange river, and the place was called "Norval's Pont'' in honor of this pioneer of that section. MT Inglis tells of the circumstances connected with the departure from home of his half brother and the discovery that he was alive years after his family and friends had supposed him to be dead. MT. Inglis says:
 My mother was twice married, her first husbands name having been Nor val, and John Norval, the African pioneer, was her oldest son. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland Nal 22, 1795, and when about 22 years old went to the Cape of Good Hope, not long after going up into the region where he final ly settled. can remember my moth CT weeping and mourning about her lost son, all communication being cut off between the two. It was only about twenty-seven years ago that we learned that he was wondering fully as much as we, why he did not hear from his mothers people. My parents moved from Glasgow to Edinburgh, and that may have had something to do with the matter, as his fathers relations might have kept his letters from us. By advertising, my brother found our sis ter, Mrs. Waldie, whose maiden name was Jane Norval. She informed us of his address and we wrote to him, promptly receiving an answer. So that I can say that my brother, who was lost to us for fifty-six years, was now found
 Tt appears that when he went to South Africa he was comb-maker, and in letter from a member of his family received in 1875 it is said that he worked at that occupation for time, but afterwards worked at hat making and got on well. When he was in Colesburg (not far from Norvals Pont) he was auctioneer, justice of the peace and merchant all at the same time Afterwards he turned farmer, and was the first that ever put pom toon bridge across the Orange river. He bought five arms in the colony and five in the Free State My niece, Carrie Norval, in letters received from her, makes use of the most affectionate and endearing terms in speaking of her father, and says that he was highly I respected by those who knew him. It was gratifying for us to learn that while our mother was shedding bitter tears regarding her oldest son, he was, although not on a large scale, making a success in life. He attained an hon. ored, ripe old age and his children and grandchildren gathered around him on May 22, 1875, to celebrate his eightieth birthday anniversary, and his daughter said that on October 1T following his mother found her lost son, John Norval having died on that day He left a widow, five sons and six daughters. "- Hartford Courant