The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-14
BLOOMINGTON LOYAL
TO MRS. HUBBARD
Although She Left There as a
Bride u Years Ago, Old Friends
Remember Her Well.
ONCE BELLE OF NORMAL, ILL.
There She Met the Man From
Whom She Is Seeking Separa-
tion-Disobeyed Her Par
ents to Marry Him.
ONCE BELLE OF NORMAL, ILL.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Bloomington. Ill, Dec. 1~3.-Although more
than twenty years have passed since Bertha
Crawford was a schoolgirl in this city, her
merry personality still fingers as a treas
ured memory in the hearts of her school
mates and other friends and admirers here.
Her separation from Ebert Hubbard was
learned OF here with sorrow. but. with
sturdy loyalty, not a person here will ad-
nit that she was not justified in her
course, and ;he sympathy of all is ex-
tended to her.
Tho Crawford family came here in the
latter part Of the seventies, principally that
the two sisters and their brother could have
the benefit of the State Normal University
here. Their father owned the only meat
market in Normal. the suburb of Blooming
ton where the family lived.
Bertha was the beauty of the family. and
was considered one Of the prettiest girls
in the University, or all Normal, for thai
anusements or social events. and was the
life of the school. Nothing was arranged
among the frats of the institution without
first consulting her, and no event was con-
s!dered complete or a SUCCESS unless she
was present.
With all her popularity and prestige she
was modest and demure, and her pretty
head was never turned by tattery. OF al
mirers she had scores. and during her pc
Rod Of attendance at the university many
students thought less of their books and
more of Miss Crawford.
HIS GENIUS UNRECOGNIZED
She left a trail Of breaking hearts when
she accepted the attentions of a dark-haired
student who was called Bert Hubbard and
who came from Hudson, a village ten miles
north Of Normal. She even left the univer-
stty without completing the course. and
was married to him. Designating the
wishes of her parents in Sc doing.
IJr.hh9rl had haar arppInCe1 a.. hor,-a-f
hand, and no one detected any of the signs
of genius which brought him fame and
dollars later. Bertha probably saw in him
the unique and original personality which
afterward made him noted, but no one else
did, and the upon her taste would
not have pleased Hubbard had he heard
them.
Bertha was a twin. being born at the
same time as her brother SAINT" who was
an odd character and as full of life as his
sister. After the marriage of Bertha her
parents left Normal, and moved to Texas.
They never returned, and the public lost
t track n OF p them; Most IS people even forgot
Roycrofters.
times Of late years as a lecturer. but 50
far as known his wife has never returned
since she left here as a bride twenty-one
years ago. Now the people here are begin
ning to recall her personality again and tell
of her graciousness and beauty.
They are also discussing the early history
OF fiuoparu- HIS parents resided IN Huu-
son fifty years to a day. TIL elder Hub
bard was a doctor and, being the only VIII
lage physician for many years. ushered
into the world a goodly proportion Of the
present residents Of the town. AT Hudson
was born the other children Of the family.
There was Daisy Hubbard. who became
noted as a temperance lecturer and as a
poet. She died within the last two years
in Tennessee. following her marriage with
q clergyman.
Another daughter. Mary, married a Buff
falo lawyer named Heath. Another was
named Honor. and married a professor
named Eastman, wv in the University OF
Chicago.
HIS EARLY AMBITIONS.
Ebert went to the village schools but
cared more for earning dollars from neigh