Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-16
Brothers All Dead.


Milton. on the west bank of the river,
four miles south of this city. he asked
Billy Brewster. the stage driver, IL he
knew where Walter Sands could be found.
Hes dead, years ago." answered Brew
ster. Walter Sands was his brother.
"And Horace Sands?" inquired the
stranger.
Dead, too" answered Brewster.
Then, one after another. the old man
asked after the Williams boys-Fletcher.
Wesley and George-with whom he played
in the fields and swan In the river. They,
too. were dead, said the stage driver.
. The old man sighed. IAN my journey
for nothing" he said. Nobody will re-
member Alfred Sands
Yes. l remember YOU spoke up Brew
ster. Il was a young lad when you were
here working with your father at ship
building. / can see the family likeness in
your face. But you were given up for
dead many years ago."
Brewster took the stranger into his
stage and drove him to the village, where,
as soon as 1t became noised around that
a member Of the once prominent Sands
family had returned as from the grave.
the homes of countless nephews, nieces
and other relatives were opened to him.
He is now dividing his time among diff
ferent members Of the family.
Visits Mothers Grave.
The first place Mr.. Sands visited was
the grave of his mother In the little
Methodist cemetery. She was In poor
health when he disappeared in 1850 and
was not expected to live more than a
year or two Therefore he was surprised
when they told him that she lived ,or
twenty years after he went away and
that for nearly all that time, confident Of
his return, she kept lamp. burning at
tn, he x.~fnd 30 hnr
One day one OF her other sons returned
from New York told her that he had
seen a grave in that city which was be-
lieved to be the grave Of the missing son.
There seemed to be no doubt of Alfred's
death. The mother discontinued for some
months the practice of burning light in
her window, but she dreamed one night
that Alfred was still alive. and thereafter
there was a nightly beacon in the win
dow until she died.
The old man wept as he heard this mar
rative. and he thanked those who had
kept his mothers grave so green and or
Derby. He was glad. too. to find the monu-
.nent which he had erected to his father.
after the latter's death in 1854, In good
condition.
Never Made His Fortune.
81 failed to find a fortune in California.
but I've found a lot OF pleasure In return
ing to the old home. and every one is so
kind to me that It makes my old heart
beat young again." said Sands.
Alfred Sands father, David, who was
born in 177s in Milton. was the son OF
Benjamin Sands. one Of a colony OF Qua
kers who settled in and near Milton be-
fore the revolutionary war. Benjamin re-
ceived grant Of 1000 acres from the
crown. and this grant is now part of Mil
,xxryo m,
wives. by whom he had thirteen children,
Alfred being the seventh Of nine by the
second wife
my father. who inherited a large part
Of my grandfather's grant from the king
built the fourth steamboat in the United
States said Alfred Sands. 1T was mod
eled very much like the Clermont, and
was called the Washington. running be-
tween this landing and New York My
father built many sailing vessels and
wharves and was pioneer among the
early steamboat navigators of the Hud-
son. He lost much Of his property
through an unfortunate partnership in
New York, and. after his death in 1854
depression of 1857 made worse rather
than better. There were many heirs, and
we had hard struggle trying to straight
en- matters out. To help one OF nv broth
ers. who was IN business. I Endorsed notes
which we could not meet, and. seeing no
future in the way l was then living, decid-
ed in 1850. at the age OF twenty-eight. to 20
to California and never return or let any
one know where I was until 1 could re-
turn with q fortune.
Fought Against Indians.
II went to California by way OF
the isthmus Of Panama The gold
fever had been ten years under
way when reached the coast. I
went to mining just out of Sacramento,
but after two winters in the mines. dur
ing which / accumulated a little money,
I went to farming In the valley. Then
came the civil war. and in 1883 I enlist
ed in the LIST California Volunteer cav.
airy, I'd Battalion, Company l. and served
for three years in California and Arizona.
holding the Apaches In check, Relieved
by regulars in 1868. we were mustered out
in San Francisco and returned to
farming. ! engaged also in cattle and
horse raising and dairy business. never
on a very large scale. until 1892, when
entered the soldiers home. receive a
pension Of $40 monthly from the govern
ment.
why did 1 never marry? Did / never
fall in loveg' The old man. repeated
the questions OF the. correspondent mus
why. suppose the reason is I left
a girl behind me back here in Milton
never heard from her. nor she from
me- I vowed that no one would know
where was until ! had made my for,
tune. I supposed that she forgot all
about me and married some one else
married and that she died. only q year
= - . half