The story of Johnstown : its early settlement, rise ... - JohnstownCafe

initials—that
although
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348 THE STORY (F JO/L\STOWX.
tlicre niit;ht fiiriiisli a cluu wliicli wtuild lead to the (liscover\' of the iiiisNlii-.
Few spots were so siit^y"esti\'e of t!ie -^adtlest features of the llood as that apart
lueiit.
Ildiuh'eds of artieles \vere identilicd and claimed h\ ayoiiizcd relntixes,
but liundreds \aii"il\" awaited reco'.;nitiou aiul owuershiii. Idic exdlectiou embraced
watches. jeWL'lry, pieces of sih i-rw are, euiblems. jiapci. clotit!u,i( and
scores of odds and ends. Man\" old pictures— anibn jtx'jies, card jihoto_;i'aphs
and daguerreotypes—la}' 011 the tid)ie. water-soaked and badl)- faded. Eeads,
trinkets and trifles of everx' sort alurinded. In one corner w .as a trunk hlled
with spectacles and e\'e-L,dasses. the propertx" of an oculist ^\ hii perished in
the Hulbert House. A life-^^ize cra\on portrait of a \ouni; man could
not be identified positi\e!\ . thousands lonki d at it. Of coiuse, the
owners of much of the l)de cif smitlnes lost their ii\es. This tiispla\' of unclaimed
goods ^vas an atfectint; jiroo[ of whole hou'-eholds missiiiL;. with none
remaining to ask for the mementoes which friends of dc:parted ones would
value be\ond price. A \vorld of touching histnrx" was in\"ohed in that remarkable
accumulation, the \ariet\" and e.xtent of whuh might well recall fancies of
'•The Old Curiosit\' Shop." Here are some entries from the record :
525 found in bl.icl; silk stocking; with foot of female. hi'.:h button shoe.
Blank book. \\'. K Endley. found on light-comple\ioned b."iy.
Three band rings, one with initals " F. M '; ear-rini; in left ear, riqht ear-rini,' torn out
50.23 in money on female 4- to 50 years of ac;e, auburn hair
Watch chain and breastpin and plain gold ring marked " H. B. t... M, S. McD, " on female
20 to 25 years of age, supposed to have been a passenger on east-bound train.
"bair.
$7.04 found on male, light hair, weight aliout 150 pounds
^200 in gold in purse, S30 in greenbacks and breastpin found o\\ female 65 \-ears of a2,e, grav
Pocket-book containing S11.61 and buttons and plain '.;oId rmg found on female, fair complexion,
45 years of aqe, black hair, dark l>lue eves.
Three rings on female, wei^'ht 1S5, ^wv feet eight inches.
The inspection of these relic^ freiiuentiy brough.t painfid surprises.
da}' in June a bright, retined girl visited the apartment, iu c(jmp.in\' with her
brother, a slight }iiuth o( se\enteen. He looked deathh- white, did not speak
and sank exhausted into a chaii. The .ipjiearanci- nf the girl was at \'ariance
with the place. Her crnintenance. sunl)iu'nt from exposure searching in the
ruins, was liopeful ancl atiimated. None looking at her would h,i\-e suppiosed
that the tuofold effort of sustaining her brother anil concealing her t^wn worst
fears could be so suppc)rted. In a low voice she said :
One
" We ha\'e been loriking lL">r mother and cannot find her
1 'erhaps we can learn soinethmg
here. She bad a ring—htr wedding ring—with letters in it— her own, F. II,
:
"
L. H. Can you tell me anvthin-,' •
fatner's,
Her vciice had been \ er}- tn-m. It was a wonderfid displa^• c>f fortitude.
.\n attendant replied, as he ojiened a trunk of cigar bo.xes full of them :
"
Wedding rin- : .invthing like it. Miss :