The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-07-15
HRs. II. W. REED. FORMERLY OF
THIS CITY, SUFFERED AT THE
HANDS OF OUR MINISTER TO
MEXICO.
COL. WATSON WRITES AN INTER.
EsTING STORY DEALING WITH
SOME OF THE HARDsHlPs OF A
FORMER BRUNSWICK WOMAN.

Hon Thomas e. Watson. the we'll
known Georgia author and statesman
contributed the following story 10 tba
Sunday Constitution, which will he
Of general interest in this city
Most Georgians will remember IT
W. Reed. who may be said TO have
founded the city of waycross. who
was road master for the plant system
ana who was president of the First ma
llonal bank of Brunswick.
Several years ago his busines, or.
terprise carried him to Mexico. waere
he invested neavily in siyre mines
After he had taken possession Of his
property there he was put to great
trouble and expense In getting the ii.
Ties quieted, otner spectators being
eager to oust him. AT length. how
ever, he bore down all opposition and
was left in peace to develop the min
eral resources. To this work he gave
his personal attention tnrowing all
the energy of his nature into the work.
His wife and son were with him all
this time held forth to the world as
wife and son, and received by every
body as his wife and child. Some
thing in the mountain climate or in
the excited life Mr.. Reed was living
brought about neart trouble for him.
His ores were rich-getting ricner all
the time--a fortune. was in his grasp.
but all Of a sudden he fell at his task
and died in the mountains where his
mines lay.
Think of the situation of the widow,
Mrs. Reed A thousand miles from
her old home in Georgia. among peo-
pie who were almost entire strangers
to her, and whose language, laws and
business customs are to her a. sealed
book
First Of all it was necessary tnat she
should become the legal representa-
tive of her husband, to save the mines
from being thrown into the courts,
where they might be devoured in the
manner SO well known the world over
In doing even so simple a thing as
qualifying as administrator OF her
husband and securing the inheritance
to herself and SON. Mrs Reed was
met by all sorts Of distractions, OBJ
jections, delays and expenses. MeXi-
co is what is called Latin country
and a different code from ours pre-
walls. and marriages. births aSd deaths
are required to be officially register
ed with a formality utterly unknown
to the laws Of Georgia and most Of
the states of the union. Mexican
courts became exceedingly exacting
in demanding proofs that Mrs. Reed
was really MIS- Reed, and that her
son was a legitimate child Mexican
courts demand such proofs as no Geor-
gian on eartn can give. They demand
ed certified copies of registers which
nobody keeps, official returns which
nobody makes In other words, Mex
lean authorities demanded of Mrs.
Reed that she should do the lmpossi-
BILE
Who is it that cannot imagine her
distress, her surprise. her Indignation?
What was this American lady to do?
Greedy spectators, hungry for her
mines, were lowering about, eager to
seize the prey.
The Appeal to Clayton.
1t occurred to me that the embassa-
dor of the United States Nigh lend a
helping hand this southern lady in
ner troubles-Ambassad Clayton, OF
the south.
Not wishing to burden the ambas-
sador with a mere personal report OF
my own, wrote to Senators Bacon
and Clay, briefly stating the case and
asking that they furnish me with let
ters to our ambassador in Mexico, re-
questing him to favor Mrs. Reed to