AFTER 23 YEARS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3605, 19 August 1912, Page 5

AFTER 23 YEARS.

A LONG-LOST SON AND BROTHER

WELCOMED TO THE BOSOM OF HIS FAMILY.

[PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, Aug. 18

“Are you Chris. Saunderson?” The interrogator was a smiling young lady who bad come over from Onehunga in her motor car early yesterday morning with a party of relatives to meet the main trunk express on its arrival at Auckland from Wellington.

“I guess that’s me,” was the response from a young man of medium height, fair and plump. Then there ensued a romantic schedule of a son lost for 23 years being embraced by his mother and quite a bevy of excited sisters, cousins, and aunts. Although being averse to publicity, Mrs Saunderson told the interviewer that after her marriage at Auckland in 1887 she and her husband lived at Ponsonby. Her husband, Mr Charles Saunderson, decided upon a trip to America with his mother and by nnitual consent he took with him his baby boy, a little more than one year old.

Airs Saunderson expressed preference to remain with her people. Although the parting between husband and wife was of a friendly nature, the Latter never had a line of direct communication from Saunderson or his mother after their departure for America in 18S9. . For a few days she gained indirect tidings per medium of friends in the country who occasionally heard from Mrs Saunderson, senr. Believing that her relatives were in San Francisco at the time of the great earthquake, Airs Saunderson instituted. inquiries per medium of the postal authorities, but they were to no purpose. About four months ago she read an advertisement in Auckland requesting that any one knowing her whereabouts should communicate. with Thomas Westoby, whose American address was given. ®h© replied, to the advertisement and received a letter by return explaining that Air AVestoby was a friend of her son and that he had known his father 'before him, and that since ascertainnig their former address from a marriage certificate after the death of the grandmother he had spent a year trying to got in touch with the relatives of Chris Sauiiderson, who in the States was known as Chris Ward, the name also taken by his father. The writer expressed pleasure at having been instrumental in reuniting the family. He stated that it would not he long before Mrs Saunderson would have her son with her and remarked that he was a son of whom she had reason to be proud. From the lips of Chris Saunderson himself the story of his life after passing from New Zealand was learned by the pressman. His .home was with liis father and grandmother for the most part in San Francisco. His brief employment after leaving school was on the United Railroads in San Francisco, but for a time he had worked in the Post Office.

In 190,3 his father became suddenly ill and died l in hospital, while in 1907 liis grandmother also passed away. Placed on his own resources and having no knowledge of the existence of any relative, the New Zealand youth ‘ travelled through a number of the AVestern States of America and it was only after his return to San Francisco that AVestoby gave him the information he had become possessed of in connection with his parentage.. He said ho had procured from Wellington a. copy of Airs Saunderson'b birth and marriage certificates and also that he- had sent an advertisement to Auckland. It was not long after this that a reply arrived from his mother and upon learning that she was alive and well as also was liis younger brother (Air Stanley Saunderson of the staff of MacKlow’s pharmacy, Onehunga) he set about making preparations for his home-coming.

The care of tho eyesight is a. very important matter, and should not bo neglected. In our advertising columns, Mr Harold A. Armstrong sets forth his claims to be your Optician, should your eyes need “seeing to.”*