The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-12
MEET AFTER
THIRTY YEARS
Brother and Sister Brought To-
gsther in Salt Lake.
SEPARATED SINCE CHILDHOOD
REUNION THE RESULT OF SET
THING UP AN ESTATE.

A BROTHER and sister who were
~ separated when they were chill
dren met this week for the first
j time in thirty years. The reunion was
brought about through an effort TO set
tie I'D an estate. II is estimated that
all property goes through the probate
court every thirty years. but some
times the heirs are separated for a
much longer period.
On the 18th of last September. James
McGuffie died at the home OF his
youngest son. Joseph. near Hike. Lin
coin county, Nevada. and a few days
later his remains were brought TO salt
Lake for interment in the city ceme-
terry. McGuffie was SO years of age
and the story of his life is as inter-
esting as a chapter of fiction.
McGuffie was a native of Lancashire,
England and early in life engaged IN
mercantile and shipping pursuits at
Liverpool, where he married Margaret
bennett. Being of a rowing dispo-
sition he was attracted by the reports
of gold discoveries in California and
sailed for America in 1S4S. He landed
at New Orleans and went by boat up
the Mississippi where he remained I'M
I'll the spring of 1850. During the So
1ourn there a terrible epidemic of
cholera broke out from which his wife
died. leaving four children-Rebeeea,
Margaret, Joseph and James.
Journey Across Plains.
The Journey across the plains was
then a dangerous and tiresome under
taking. He left the daughters in st.
Louis, taking the two boys with him.
When he reached Utah he concluded
to stop. Here he soon became actively
engaged in merchandising and freight
ing in the southern part of the state
and in southeastern. Nevada, field in
which indomitable will and persistency
of purpose, coupled with a vigorous
constitution, helped to bring him good
results.
His sailor-like qualities were mani
fest on land. as they had been on
sea, and his Echooners (prairie) were
seen on the summit of the Sierra Ne
vadas as well as crossing the desert,
laden with all sorts of merchandise
for the coast. On these land voyages
his youngest son. who accompanied
him, made no less than twenty-fi five
trips over and back. In the mean
time communication with the Missis-
sippi valley had become uncertain and
mail was received only at long inter-
walls.
Partly through this slow and I'M
certain mail service and partly through
the fact that those in whose charge
the girls had been left moved away,
he soon lost all trace Of his daugh-
tiers. They grew to womanhood ano
were married. One daughter located
in Chicago and the other moved 70
southern Missouri. With the advent
OF newspapers and improved postal IA
cilities, the names of westerners were
more often seen in print. Eastern let
ters of inquiry finally reached theiI
! intended destination and the result
was a visit by the father, after The
/ LAPSE OF over a quarter Of century
70 his daughters in the states.
Son and Daughter Meet.
1t was not until after his death
/ however, that the youngest son and
daughter met. They had been sep.
arated for more than thirty years
| The sister, Margaret, who is now
widow, Travelled with her youngest sol
/ and an only daughter and reached Sal
Lake in four days, a distance which
| the father and two sons were many
weary months In covering. The sistel
was met here by her brother and
| family. who had come from their des
ert home in southeastern Nevada u
meet her. The other brother had dies
/ in California.
The old home and the grave OF tn
father were visited and events OF child
hood gone over. Pictures were ex
changed and a basis of communica
ton was established. which will en-
able the younger generation to keel
the relationships from again gettini
lost. Mrs. Margaret MeGuffie LetcheT
with her son and daughter, Lee AM
Julia. returned to De Soto No, o.
Thursday and her brother, Joseph Nc
Cutie, wife and son William left 70
Hike. New, the following day. A
effort will be made to bring about
reunion between Rebecca, the othe
sister, and the long separated brother
The meeting was held here in orde
TO arrange some of the business mat
tiers growing out Of the death Of IN
father.
Beautiful. Furs on Display