CHAPTER XXVI.

THE CHILDREN OF LEONARD AND SARAH SEATON (CONTINUED).

GEORGE LUMAN SEATON, the next son, was born at Henderson, New York, on December 24, 1844. He attended the village school in his native town for several years, showing especial proficiency in penmanship more than in any other branch of learning. He was grand company for we younger boys, and could tell such wonderful tales as fairly fascinated us. At this date it appears that he was repeating the tales he read in some book or story-paper, of which he was especially fond.

After a while George and Talford Jeffers, a playmate, who was also an interested reader of the New York Ledger and Mrs. Southworth's stories, as well as all tales of adventure, took the notion into their heads that they, as well as the heroes of the stories they read, could go out into the world in their youth and return after many days of wandering up and down the land and sea, laden with honors and rolling in wealth. So they started out, after telling their plans to some of us smaller boys, and cautioning us not to mention where they were. As good luck would have it, the parents of the two adventurers never thought of asking us if we knew where their boys were, and we were saved the ordeal of trying to deny knowing anything of their whereabouts.

Mr. Jeffers, Talford's father, was greatly worried, and fairly flew around trying to find the boys, or to learn where they had gone. When he appealed to Grandfather Seaton to secure his coöperation in the task of following the boys, he received but little satisfaction. Grandfather, in his dignified and almost stoical way replied: "I think they will return by the time they need a clean shirt." But Mr. Jeffers, not liking to trust to such procedure, started out, and finally overtook the boys at Albany and brought them back with him, thus proving Grandfather's prediction true, but not in the sense intended.

Like most boys raised near the lakes, George finally began life as a sailor. He once told me of making out a report to the auditor of the company for which he worked. When he handed the report in, the man who received it said it was not right. "I will wager you the cigars that it is correct," replied Uncle George. The auditor took his pencil and pointed out wherein the report was defective. "You are right," said George, and he set up the choicest smokes he could secure, thinking that a cheap way to learn how to make out the report without letting anyone know that he did not before quite understand the modus operandi.

George Seaton was married to Sarah Viola Hutchins, at Lamotte, Jackson county, Iowa, February 25, 1869, by James Hays. Viola was born in the town of Orleans, New York, on the 17th of April, 1845. Their children were: 1. Anna Lee; 2. Lena Louise; 3. Benjamin Levi; and 4. George Louis.

Uncle George spent many years as a purser on one of the large lake steamers, and finally lost his life when the Manistee went down in Lake Superior on November 15, 1883. It seems he had a premonition that he would lose his life on the lakes, and expressed the feeling that it was not safe for him to return to his boat the last time he was at home, but he said the company for whom he worked had been so kind to him that he disliked to disappoint them, or cause them any inconvenience in finding another man to take his place, so he left his home and loved ones after a lingering and reluctant fare-you-well, and never returned to them again. But he had thoughtfully insured his life in the interest of his family and left them quite well provided for in this world's goods.

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THE MANISTEE.

To Mrs. G. L. Seaton.

"Proudly sailed the Manistee,
O'er the waters so glad and free,

Bearing on board in captain and crew,
A group of men both loved and true,
And in every port where they chanced to be,
They welcomed the crew and Manistee.

"And as gaily they swept away from land,

'Twas with many 'God keep you' and waving of hands,
For the boat was a favorite and all were kind;

And in searching the lakes you could scarcely find

A crew more civil and good to see,

Than that which belonged to the Manistee.

"As around the lovely lake she flew,
And the pictured rocks came into view,
More beauties of nature, it would seem,
Than ere was known in wildest dream,
Much of the pleasure, all could see,
Was due to the men of the Manistee.
"But where is she now? O, who can tell
What happened to her, what really befel
That beautiful boat, and that gallant crew
Of husbands, fathers, and heroes true?
Tell me, O, tell me, merciless sea,
Did you take our all with the Manistee?

"O, you cruel, cruel, treacherous sea,

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Can you ever know what you did for me?

While counting the days until he come,
You robbed me of him, you spoiled my home,
For it never, never more can be,

As it would had you spared the Manistee.

Can it be that the dear ones we knew went down,

He with the black eyes, he with the brown,

Are their bodies lying 'neath the blue wave,
Their spirits with one that's 'mighty to save'?

We trust that united the friends may all be,

With the ones that were lost with the wrecked Manistee.

"O! dear Lord in Heaven I pray that before

They knew they must cross to the other shore,

They saw helping hands reaching out through the wave,
From the Father who's ready to rescue and save,

And safe in thy home may all of them be,

The crew of the ill-fated, lost Manistee."

After about ten years of widowhood, Mrs. Seaton was married to Mr. Hyland Millen, on October 27, 1893, by the Reverend C. G. Sterling.

Mr. Millen was killed by the cars at Buena Vista, Colorado, on September 20, 1895, after which time Auntie Millen kept the family together until they were ready to begin work on their own account. She gave them a good education and a lovely home at 3857 Charles street, Omaha, Nebraska, up to the time of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, when my wife and I visited them.

In the summer of 1904, during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, George L., his wife, Benjamin L. and their mother were living in St. Louis, the boys working for the express company, in whose office I had a few moments' visit with the boys.

HERBERT JULIAN SEATON, the youngest child in the family, was born at the Seaton home in Henderson, New York, on January 2, 1852. He attended the village school, and helped some with the farm work after he was old enough. He was different from most boys in having decided, before he was fifteen years old, what girl he was to marry, and in making no secret of his choice. He had also determined at that time that he was to be a merchant, and tried to shape his education with that object in view. He seems to have changed his mind on the first proposition; as it has been stated that "Wise men change their minds, fools never." But he did enter the store of his brother Leonard when he left school in 1866, and remained there until 1875, when he went sailing as clerk of the steamer Olean, running between Buffalo, New York, and Toledo, Ohio.

He had a spell of typhoid fever that fall, but after his recovery, finished the season on the steamer Tioga as her clerk. During the winter of 1875-6 he was bookkeeper at the New York Central dining-hall, at East Buffalo, New York. In the spring of 1876 he sailed as clerk of the Jay Gould, running between Buffalo and Detroit, and again in the winter of 1876-7 he clerked at the same dining-hall as the winter before.

He was married to Helen Ida Barber, at Munnsville, Madison county, New York, on June 26, 1877. Of this union two children were born, viz.: Leonard Barber and Donald Adelphas.

This marriage was not entirely congenial, and the parties most concerned decided to separate, Mrs. Seaton to have the home and

everything they had, as well as the custody of the children. She is said to have married another man within three months of the separation.

Herbert married again on May 10, 1898. His second wife was Mae Anna Dodson, eldest daughter of Mr. N. H. Dodson, of Chicago, Illinois, where the wedding took place. Miss Dodson was born at Wakefield, Clay county, Kansas, on September 6, 1871. This time the little winged god seems to have pierced two hearts with one arrow, and all is well.

Herbert was clerk of the Canisteo, running from Buffalo to Green Bay, in the summer of 1877, and again spent the winter at the usual dining-hall. In the spring of 1878 he shipped as clerk of the steamer Atlantic for the run from Buffalo to Lake Superior. He was then for two years Under-Sheriff of Jefferson county, New York, with his brother Leonard, at Watertown, the county

seat.

In the spring of 1881 he engaged with the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior Transportation Company, and while in their employ has been clerk of the Heard, Peerless, Fremont, City of Duluth, Traverse, and Manitou, and ticket agent in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1898 he has been agent for the company at Hancock, Michigan, where he lives at the present writing, January 8, 1901.

Herbert thinks his grandmother lived to be nearly one hundred years old, and was totally blind for some years before she died. He further says Asa Seaton, Jr., his uncle, was at the head of one of the four Shaker settlements, or families, at Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, New Lebanon and Shakers, near Albany, New York, holding that position from sometime in 1850 to 1865, when he was succeeded by Chauncey Miller, from whom the writer has lately received a very pleasant letter in reference to the lives of Asa, Jr., and Tina Seaton.