BRET HARTE TALE IN REAL LIFE.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 January 1921, Page 1

BRET HARTE TALE IN REAL LIFE.

UNKNOWN “LUCK” OF A MINING ' ' 'CAMP. ‘ '

NEW YORK, Nov. 9

That truth sometimes is stranger than fiction has once more been demonstrated by «, remarkable coincidence.

T ie chief of the passport vise section if the State Depaitmenl received among, the callers a<L his office in Washington n few days ago an old gentleman, accompanied by a woman many years his jiifiior; The man,' after giving Ids name, recounted briefly the object of Ids visit., 1

“This young lady is my wife,” he said. “She was born in Germany, where her widowed imother is now. We wish to bring her over, and, in order to do this, my lawyer says I must prove tha't l am an American citizen, and I can’t.

“My parents both died when 1 was a boy, and bad 110 other relatives that 1 ever heard of. I am American Iki.ii, but the only persons wilt) could testify Wtbis Wore a Mr Jerome Moore and a Mr and Mrs Mulford. Unfortunately, they"loo have long been' dead. What can we do?”

At the mention of these names the official had sat up.

"Were you born in Grass Valley, California, in 1850?” he asked. His visitor regarded him wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

“Yes, 1 was,” he stammered. "This is the most extraordinary ease I ever heard of,” said the official. “My name is Moore—Colonel John Stanley Moore. My father was tlie Jerome Moore you mention. As a young man lie went West with the ‘forty-niners,’ attracted by the discovery of gold in California, and in 1850 bad established a placer mine in Grass Valley.

“His partner was another young fellow named Mulford, who bad recently married. One evening the Mulfords saw a man coming down the mountain side supporting a young woman who was weak anil ill. “The strpngers begged for shelter, and that night the woman gave birth to n hoy, “My father tuul the Mulfords often recalled tbe occurrence, and what you have told mo proves that you, sir, were the child in question, and I shall be most happy to testify as to your citizenship.” Passports were duly issued, and the couple left for Europe op Saturday. Tho hero of this adventure is a wealthy New York jeweller, Colonel Moore says, but ho will not divulge bis name.