Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-07
DESERTED BY WIFE,
PIC HIS FRIEND
MICHIGAN MAN HIDES HIS GRIEF
ON A LONELY ISLAND
Companion Like Watohdos--Faith-
full Animal Was Saved from an
Early Death and Is Not Ungratetu'
to His Benefactor
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
MARINE CITY, Micho NOV y
Some men, when grief seems 10 Dio'
out all the sentiment in their hear,9'
take to drink and seek consolatlV1n on -
the cup that cheers, for time, az a,,aiIU ,Ss'iII
Others allow themselves 10 e.Sa. %
drop down the rungs OF the lduuS
lIfe until society shuns them Not
few elect to grasp the hand Oh uSatn ~
and turn to the bullet or the Wal Vi
poison. -, 3. ss,nd a ner-
son who, by the aid or a re. re.na,ha"ie s,,nb q
will is able to pass through suGn o
sorToy and still proceed on lifes jour
nev with a firm step, buoyed up py tne
svnnathy of those who understand
and who never breathe word OF the
past. l., "a ,,oors
of Halifax" is a man of the last type.
He did not seek isolation from the
world. but, when circumstances so
shaped themselves, he did not object
to leave the mainland, cross over the
ST. Clair river from this city ana 1--we
alone the great part of the time on
Fawn island.
IT was nine years ago last May that
Joseph Holdsworth arrived on the is
land as its caretaker. True, not few
campers have visited there In the sum-
mer months, for years ago Fawn is
land was very popular resort, and the,
building in which Joe" lives was once
a swell hotel, it's great dancing hall re-
calling many good times to the men
and women who stepped the light fam
tastic there when they were boys and
girls.
Pet Hog His Companion
Joe is a sad faced little man, and
when pressed. is quite a pleasant con-
versatjonalist. That is, he will talk
about the ships that have gone aground
IN the vicinity of the island, and of
everything else but the story of his
sorrow, his love romance. He will tell
you about "Billy- from the day of his
birth.
Who is "Billy?" Why "Billy' is a
big pig which is trained like an intel
sets foot on the island without first
hailing Joe When Billy was
born he was different from the other
piggies and seemed to be too weak to
caper about. Joe" felt sorry for the
piggy and cared for it as though it
were child. Since then all the others
of the drove of hogs have been sold,
but Joe" and "Billy" remain INSOFAR
able pals.
Joseph Holdsworth is fifty-two years
of age and had learned his trade as a
machinist in Halifax before coming to
this country. That was twenty-seven
years ago. He lived in Detroit for
some time, after which he went to
Hamilton, Ont. He had been married
only year when he returned from
work one night to find the house empty
and his wife gone.
When she returned two weeks later
she admitted that she had been in
cent she had received for the sale of
the household goods. as we'll as the
cash she hadBtrved up.
Joe" welcomed her back again and
all was well for nine months, when
she suddenly sold out again and de-
camped. The next he heard was in the
shape of a letter from, sergeant of
police of Buffalo, N. Y, in which he
told OF his love for Mrs Holdsworth,
and asked the lawful husband to give
her up SO that he could marry her.
Instead of replying, Holdsworth sent
the letter to the chief of police. The
sergeant was dropped from the depart
ment and Joe" heard afterward that
he and Mrs. Holdworth ran away to-
gether.
Three years ago "Joe" learned that
his erring wife was dead. and he is
satisfied that the report is true, for he
adds:
''I know she would come back to me
if she were alive. 1 love her yet, and
would gladly take her back"
When he was offered the position on
the island he was glad to get away, to
hide himself from the world with all
it's trials and tribulations He was
very anxious to locate in England and
for this reason appealed to the Rev.
Francis Carruthers, who had the in
quiry placed in the News.
'Joe's" delight knew no bounds when
he received a letter recently from a
relative stating that he had noticed
the item in the News and had notified
all his folks, who are now in corre-
spondence with caretaker of the lonely
island
"I want to thank the News for find
ing my relatives and making me really
happy for the first time in so many
long years." he says.
And the tears dimmed his eyes as he
meditated on the sad story Of his life.