Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1908-02-14
~
pital Stock $500
he Southern \
LA PLA'
The First +
In Gil
BOY WAS SAVED.

BOY WAS SAVED.
rhat truth is sometimes stranger
N fiction is proved by the roman
life history of Charles Merrick
iwart, supposed by all his relatives
d. have been killed by the Indians
fing the massacre of 1862, and
grew up. lived and died in total
ORANGE Of them. says the st. Paul
inn.) Despatch. The strange tale
to do with different people and
5. allties in Minnesota. but was
ought from the Far North by Ed.
ldrews. now a resident of Oregon,
? who is visiting his former home
. this city Mr.. Andrews. until re-
billy. was at the head Of an opera
mpany, but has retired and taken
y ''the simple life" on a fruit ranch.
n! was while on the last tour that his
tnpany made that Mrs. James Stew.
told him the story at her home
Prince Albert. in the Northwest
lrritory.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stewart lived in Win
beg in 1862. The former was then
a has for fifty years been a trader
the employ Of the Hudson Bay Fur
bmpany. They are a highly re-
iectable Scotch family. 1t was one
kening shortly after the terrible In.
an outbreak and massacre in Min
esota in the year named that some
houx Indians from this side of the
International border came to WlnRi.
peg. then mere cluster of stores and
houses. They visited the Stewart
home. seeking supplies. A squaw
was carrying a white child of per.
haps two years. which when placed
upon the floor ran to Mrs. Stewart,
piteously calling mamma" which
was the only English word that it
knew. Mrs. Stewart fed the lad and
asked as to its family and home, but
the squaw only shook her head and
replied that she did not know. When
the Indians left the child clung so
closely to Mrs. Stewart that It was
necessary for the Indians to pull il
away. sobbing violently.
The incident affected Mrs. Stewart
greatly, and she regretted that they
had allowed the child to go. When
the squaw again called at the home
the next morning tine child ran to
Mrs. Stewart as before and chung to
her. Mrs. Stewart was able to learn
no more Of its history than she had
the evening before, but arranged to
buy It from the squaw for a quantity
of supplies. She reared the lad with
her own children, and 1t gained a
deep hold upon her affections.
Eight years later the squaw visited
Winnipeg again and called upon Mrs.
Stewart, begging for food. This time
she was prevailed upon. in return for
a liberal supply of bacon and -four,
to tell what she knew of the child's
history. She said that at Lac qui
Parle. Mimi. the entire family OF
Charles Merrick had been massaered
by her band. except the two-year-old
boy, which had toddled to her for
protection. Her mother heart had
warmed toward the little one and
she had taken 1t and carried it upon
her back, walking on foot, all the
way to Winnipeg OF the child's 9TH
er relatives she knew nothing.
Mr.. Stewart at once wrote to the
postmaster at Lac qui Parle, who
verified the Indians statement, ex-
cept that he said it had been the gen
eral supposition that the entire fam
lily had been killed.
The Stewards were never able tn
learn of any relatives that the boy
had. and the latter grew to manhood
in their family and was educated the
as their own sons, graduating
with honors from the University of
Manitoba. 1t had been intended that
he should adopt a profession, but his
health failed and he went to San
francisco in hopes of securing ben.
ett from a change of climate. He
took up stenography and became an
official court reporter, but the white
plague" took him on. A few hours
before the end came he wrote a letter
to Mrs. Stewart. telling her how he
appreciated the many kindnesses
shown him by the family.
1t was with frequent tears and
sighs of emotion that Mrs. Stewart
told the story to Mr.. Andrews. after
having learned that he was from
Minnesota and knew some of the
Merricks. She asked him to seek ont
some of the family and tell them of
the escape of the child and how he
had grown to manhood.
The Merriek family that was mas.
sacred at Lac qui Parle lived at Ira.
verse des Sioux. near St. Peter, in
the SOS. and Charles Merrick. with
his brother, Samuel, was a trader and
had a large brick store. He moved
to Lac qui Parle. while the family Of
Samuel Merrick moved to Elysian
Samuel's son. Rush Merrick. later
went TO Duluth. but trace of the fam.
lily has since been lost.
Mr.. and Mrs Stewart, by a straug
coincidence, gave the name Of Charles
to the boy, It being his fathers
name. When they learned that the
father was Charles Merrlck they
added ''Merrick." and called the boy
Charles Merrick Stewart.
THE REToRT DIscouRTEoUs.