Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-12-07
SUCCESS CROWNED
MANY YEARS SEARCH
MRS, MICHAEL j. O'CONNOR
LOCATES BROTHER.
Fruit of Thirty Years Search
We're at One Time Residents of
WdtertOWn-LOng Lost Brother
Now Teaching in AldSkd-Sis-
ter Now Resident of Milwaukee.

| dents of WatertOWn, Will be OF interest
to the readers of the Leader, more es-
pecially the old settlers who will re-
member the subjects of the article. The
Milwaukee paper says:
After having lost all trace Of her
brother James A. Riley, for thlrty-three
years, Mrs. Michael j. O'COnnor of this
city, by persistently following clues, has
discovered that he is principal of the
high school at Nome, Alaska. Mrs.
O'Connor is the wife of Lieut.. O'Connor
of the police department. She lives at
219 TWentyirst street. The tale of her
successful search for Riley. and of his
unsuccessful attempt to find her and his
other sisters and brothers is an in
teresting one.
WENT TO CALIFORNIA.
James A. Riley was the son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Bernard Riley of Watertown, Wis.
When he had spent considerable time'in
school and had arrived at the age Of 81,
| he began teaching school in and abOnt
Watertown. This was at the time when
the first transcOntlnentaI railroad was
built and passage to California, the land
of gold mines, was made easy. James
and his sister Ellen were seized with a
fever for moving and after some hesita-
ton they set out.
California seemed farther away in
those days than it does now. Relatives
babe their dear ones goodbye as il it was
to be trip to the darkest Africa. The
parents of the young man and woman
however had little idea that they would
ever see their children again. Letters
passed back and forth at rare intervals.
Finally the family at Watertown heard
nothing more. Their letters were I'M
answered. They moved to Fonda. Iowa,
and that effectuaIly cut off all comuni-
cation.
TO AFRICA FOR DIAMONDS.
Meanwhile, great experiences were
coming to the young school teacher.
He went first to San Jose, where he
taught. He had not been long in the
west when the diamond craze in South
Africa sprung up, and he went in search
of fortune across the Pacific. Living was
harder and diamonds were scarcer in
Africa than he had supposed, and he re-
turned to the Golden Gate after many
privatiOns and long waste of time.
He became principal Of schools at
the pretty town of Monterey, Cal, and
later at Pacific Grove. In the latter
place he bought property and made his
home for many years. He remained sim
gle. He had now lost all track of his
relatives, including his sister who went
with him. She did not go to Africa with
him, and he could not learn anything of
her when he returned. Letters which he
wrote to acquaintance at WatertOwn
told him where his parents had gone, but
all efforts at open communication with
them failed.
MEMBERS OF FAMILY SCATTERED.
Several years ago he went to Nome, AL
aska, where he became principal of the
high school. During his spare time he
worked in gold prospect which he hopes
some day will make him a millionaire.
All this while, his brothers and sisters
were marrying and settling. Mary, two
years OlGer than himself, became ac-
quainted with Micheal j. O'COnnOr of
Milwaukee and came here as his wife,
Two sisters became Mrs. Margaret Mil
Ter of Dinton. Ia. and Mrs. Kate Farrell
of Fonda, la. AS soon as they married.
the chances of Riley's ever finding them
were minimized. The parents died
Two brothers, became farmers near FOn-
da, La.
Mrs. O'ConnOr could never forget her
brother, and in spite of a report fifteen
years ago from distant relatives at San
Jose, CAL. that he had died, and regard
less of the doubts of such relatives as
did not believe it possible to find man
after such an absence, she continued to
search for him. She induced her husband.
who was acquaited with methods en-
ployed by the police departments, to
make inquiries of the police of San Jose,
San Francisco and other cities along the
coast. At this time the brother had lit
tie idea that the police were looking for
him, or contrary to custom, he would
have delivered himself up.
FIND PUPIL OF BROTHER.
In June, 1905, Mr.. and Mrs. O'COnnor
attended the convention of the Knights
of Columbus in Los Angeles. On Mrs.
O'Connor's mind during her trip west
ward was the fact that this might be the
opportunity of her life to find her broth
er. On advice of friends, they stopped at
the Hamilton hotel in San Francisco.
Lieut.. O'Connor took up city directory
as soon as he had leisure. and looked for
James Riley. OF course he found many
of them. He selected one which he
thought looked better than the rest, and
going to the clerk he said: Can you di-
rect ME to this place? | am looking for
brother-in-law named James A. Riley.
who used to be school teacher
James A. R iley," repeated the clerk.
somewhat surprised; why one of the
best friends | ever had was teacher by