Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-23
Ottumwa Family Finds Long Lost
Member in ST. Louis.
SEPARATED FOR OVER FORTY YEARS
Patrick Rush, Night Waterman at
Compton Heights, Mo-, Is the Son Of
Mrs. Mary Rush Of ottumWa-Left
Home In 1861-Rrother Locates Him.

Truth is, stranger than fiction, and
| Ottumwa has an example of this in
disputable fact which will interest
Courier readers, especially those who
know Mrs. Mary Rush, who resides
at 131 Ash street, OF any Of the mem
bers of her family. Her son, Patrick
Rush, of whom she has not heard a
| word since he left home, a mere boy,
in 1861, going from Ireland, where the
family then lived, to England. A few
days ago Mrs. Rush's son, Peter Rush,
who resides on East Main street in
this city, but who is at present in Hot
| Springs, Ark, for the benefit of his
the st. Louis Post Dispatch, signed
by his long-lost brother and giving "a
| sketch of that mans career since leav-
ing his Ireland nome more than forty
| years ago. The story was SO conclu-
sive that the Ottumwa man at once
telegraphed to his brother, telling him
where the other members of the fam
| lily were, and advising him to COM
municate at once with his mother in
this city. This has been done and the
several members of the family are
now anxiously awaiting the time
when they will again be reunited af-
/ ter a separation extending over almost
half a century.
Mother is Happy.
M. j. Rush, formerly a resident of
this city, and brother of the man
that was lost and is found, was inter.
viewed today by Courier reporter
with regard to the strange affair. He
is in Ottumwa to spend Christmas
with his aged mother, as is his custom
each year. In telling of the story of
his family Mr.. Rush mentioned the
joy exhibited by his mother when she
was told that her long lost son had
been found. She is 80 years of age
and is one of the oldest people in Wa
pello county. When she was told of
the discovery of her son in st. Louis
she exclaimed, with tears in her eyes,
"Ah, l have been waiting for him
years and years, and the same old
feather bed he knew in Stokestown
is waiting for him here" The veneer
able old mother is waiting eagerly for
a sight of her son whom she has not
seen since he left the parental home
on the Emerald Isle many years ago
The father John Rush passed away
several years ago in this city.
The Sons Story.
The story of Patrick Rush is the
old story of the prodigal son with va
i riations. and with the happy ending
delayed for many years. 1t had beer
postponed for so long. indeed, that he
had given up ever learning anything
about his kinfolk and had expected to
go to his grave without ever seeing
his relatives.
Ran Away From Home.
Patrick Rush, tired of the boys O.
Ireland and the monotonous life of his
.. Irish home, decided to leave the paren
tai roof, as does many a lad in every
country on the globe. He left in thu
night and went to London, where for
years he toiled for a livelihood which
was not all that he expected for to hi.
boyish mind the great English metrop
oils, before he saw it,had been the hom,
of Dame Fortune. Four years he spen
there, and at the end of that time h,
became homesick. The unconquerabl
desire to see his mother and brother
and sisters, and to wander once NOR
about the country side where he ha,
l spent his boyhood days caused him t
: leave the great city behind and joul
: ney back to Ireland, and he planned
( surprise for his relatives.
: Unhappy Home Coming.
On arriving at the old Rush home
!. however, the lad learned that his fan
: lily had left some time since for Amer
ca, and heartsick and lonely he war
. dered back to London, where he spen
!. weeks watching the big ships startin
= for the big continent west of the Al
lantic. He correspondent with oil
friends in Ireland and learned that hi
parents meant to settle near La Sail
ILL.,, which meant to him about as muc
as if it had been Nova Scotia. How
ever, he plucked up courage to com
to America, and one day shipped o
: one of the big transatlantic ships.
g Arrived in New York. the boy coul
k learn nothing of his people, and agai
/ he turned back to London, whe1
h through sheer lonliness he enlisted /
Il the English army He was sent t
o the East Indies and remained the1
e twelve years. At the end of this tim
u 1876, he returned to London, and 500
It had taken job as fireman on Sc