Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-29
MELBA'SSON MARR|ES
Story of the Separation of the
Armstrong;.
SOME WASHINGTON TOPICS
Senate May Revive Salary-Increase
Proposition.
EXPERT employees SOUGHT FOR
Inspectors for Pure Food and Meat
Vandalism Francisco Trade
With Japan.
SOME WASHINGTON TOPICS
EXPERT employees SOUGHT FOR
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
The cablegrams from London the other
day gave an interesting account of the
marriage of George Armstrong, son OF
Nine. Melba, the famous opera singer, to
Ruby Otway, daughter Of Col Otway. one
of the most conspicuous millionaires of Park
lane. The guests included the Duke and
Duchess Of Devonshire, the Marquis and
Warehouses Of Abercorn, Lord and Lady
Beaufort, Lord and Lady Cadogan, and
quite long list If other members of the
nobility. 1t was also stated that Nine.
Melba had presented her son a marriage
gift of a castle in Ireland and an estate at
tached thereto. with an annuity of s4, 500 a
year.
Three years ago the bridegroom of this
brilliant matrimonial function was herding
sheep on ranch in the Cascade mountains.
near klamath Falls. Ore, about sixty
miles from Thrall station, on the Southern
Pacific railway. He was living in a rude
but comfortable cabin with his father,
sheep-man, and was tolerably satisfied with
his lot in life. He had not seen his mother
since she deserted him when he a little
child In Australia. but had been cared for
by an affectionate and devoted father. This
| is only a part of very pathetic story. Nine.
Melba, in her professional career. has
shown no disposition to look after her hus-
| band and her son. This cablegram how
ever. looks as If she had been making up
for lost time and lost opportunities far
as her son is concerned.
Separation Of the Armstrong;.
Nobody knows precisely why Mr.. and
Mrs. Armstrong separated down in Austria
liza twenty years ago, although 1t is natural
to infer that she. with her glorious voice,
was ambitious for the musical triumphs she
has won, and he. being only common clay.
and without means, was compelled to stay
with his sheep in the Australian bush.
And he kept the boy, their only child. She
| left Australia after she had achieved all
| the colony offered in the way of musical
! reputation and went to Europe, wearing
| a stage name, adapted from that of her ma
! tive city. Melbourne. At first she used to
write her husband frequently, and send him
| newspapers containing accounts of her con-
| certs and operate performances, but after
| a while the intervals in their CORE
| spondence grew longer and longer. Twelve
| or fifteen years ago he sold his Australian
| ranch and came to the United States, bring
| ing the boy with him. After brief expe-
| rience in Texas he wandered northward.
| and finally settled at klamath Falls, where
! he bought ranch and flock of sheep, and
| has ever since been a popular and highly
| respected citizen. The boy went to school
| at klamath Falls. until he had learned all
that anybody there could teach him, and
| then Joined his father in the cabin among
| the foothills of the Cascade range, taking
his turn with the herderS.
About three years ago. after the boy had
passed his twenty-third birthday, Mr.. Arm
| strong received letter from his wife, ask
| ing him to send their son to San Francisco,
where she would meet him on a certain
date. She said that the father had enjoyed
| his companionship for twenty-three years
! and now it was the mothers turn.
Son Joins His Mother.
The father and son had no secrets from
each other. They talked the matter calmly
over and agreed that it was just and proper
that the boy should accept his mothers in
vitation and at least make her acquaintance.
| If, after a fair trial, he found that he did
not enjoy the life she leads, he would re-
| turn to his fathers cabin, where. until then,
| he had been perfectly content The father
| consented to this arrangement with the
| greatest reluctance, but, as he told his
friends, he felt that it was his duty to make
the sacrifice for the benefit of his son, in
| order that the young man might have an
opportunity to see something of the world
! and have the privilege of the experience
| and assocat tons his mothers fame and in
f1uence could give him.
| When the time came for them to separate
the father and son came in from the ranch
| to klamath Falls, purchased a slender out
fit and drew a sufficient sum of money from
the bank to make the young man indie
| pendent of his mother in case they did not
hit it off together. The father accompa-
MED him short distance on the journey
but he did not go to San Francisco. His
the son only; and, after he had seen the
boy aboard the cars at Thrall station he
mounted his pony and rode silently back tC
the lonely ranch.
Tho
or suspected that their neighbor Armstrong
was the husband of the great prima donna
until the boy was sent for, although they
afterWard remembered that both father anC
son had shown keen interest in everything
that was published about her in the news
papers, and had pasted several newspaper
portraits Of the lady upon their cabin walls
The postmaster recalled several scented
letters that he had delivered to Mr.. Arm
strong whose name was written on the en-
velope in woman's hand. And some one
else brought out magazine containing {
biography of Media In which it was stated
that she was the wife of George Armstrong
but, as I say, until the reasons for thu
young mans departure were given the re
lationShip was never suspected.
Three years have passed since Georg,
| Armstrong took the cars at Thrall station
to San Francisco. He has not returned t.
klamath Falls since, but his father ha
heard from him regularly and has relatet
| some of his experiences to his old friends
there Most of the time he has been trav
cling with his mother and living with he
in London. They appear to be congenia
and happy and now that he has married tn
| daughter of a multi-millionaire and has be
come the owner of a castle and an estat
in Ireland it is not likely that he will eve
| return to the sheep ranch.
The new law concerning the inspection o
meats and the pure food act has adde's
| about ], 800 employees to the pay roll of tn
Agricultural Department and about 81, 200,
600 to the salary appropriation and eXpens
account Twelve hundred men are requires
to enforce the provisions Of the meat in
spection act and the remainder the pur
food law. The department has found
great deal of difficulty in obtaining tn
, | right kind Of men, because experts are re
quired. All of the appointments have bee
| made Through the civil service commission
Congressional Salaries.
The feeble fight which certain member
of Congress are putting up for an In
| ,raoca IN their salaries has not bee