A LOST SON'S RETURN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15075, 19 August 1912, Page 8

A LOST SON'S RETURN.

FOUND AFTER TWENTY-THREE

YEARS.

BY AN AUCKLAND MOTHER.

The son of Mrs. Charlotte Saunderson, of Upper Queen-street, Onehunga, Christopher Daniel Sannderson, who was takenaway from his mother by his father and paternal grandmother slightly over 23 years ago, when the two latter went to America, returned to Auckland on Saturday morning.by the Main Trunk express.

" It was only a few months ago that I first found out that I had relatives in Auckland," said young Saunderson during the course of a chat with a Herald representative. Ho is a solidly-built young fellow, slightly over medium height, and his tongue betrays tho fact that he has .spent the greater part of his life in America. " From what I was told in Sam Francisco a few months hack it seems that my father, whom I always knew by the name of Ward, left New Zealand to go to America, arid his mother stole mo away from my mother and followed him on tho next boat. As far back as I can remember I havo lived in San Francisco, and did not know that I had come from Auckland, though on ono occasion my grandmother started to tell mo about it, but finally decided not to. My father died in 1903, and four years later tho death of my grandmother occurred. Fifteen months ago, just when I had returned from a. trip East, a friend told mo that Mr. Thomas Westoby, of Oakland, an old friend of my father, and whom I myself knew well, wanted to see mo particularly. I saw him, and ho said : —'You know, Chris., you have a fhothor. Your father is dead, and, my boy, I think you had better find your mother.' Wo started out to find her then, and secured from New Zealand copies of my birth certificate, and of my father and mother's marriage certificate, and that was tho first time 1 saw myself described as Saunderson instead of Ward, for my father took tho latter name when ho reached America. In May last wo advertised in Auckland, and then it was that I received letters from my brother and mother, as a result of which" I left for New Zealand.

" Say, that's funny," lie exclaimed, as a thought struck him. " I left for hero on July 24, it has taken me 24 days to get here, I was born on a 24th, and am now 24 years of age. Seems to me 24 is my lucky number. And wasn't it a good thing ! Wasn't married- could nerer have managed to get here if I had been? I nearly was once, though. I saved two girls from drowning—it wasn't much of an affair—and the mother wanted me to marry the elder one as a reward !

" I guess I am glad to be coming home," ho concluded. " You see, I have been making my own way in the world ever since my father's death about nine years ago, and it's wonderful to find a home to come to at last."

An anxious mother and brother, as well as other relatives, wero waiting upon the platform when tho train drew into the Auckland station. A slight hesitation, and then the wanderer was recognised by a smiling girl cousin. In a very brief space of timo young Saunderson was surrounded by his excited relatives, who quickly carried him off to his newly-found' home at On eh un

MRS, SAUNDERSON'S STORY,

LOST A BABY AND FOUND A MAN.

Later on in the morning the brief facts of the- case were outlined to a Herald representative by Mrs. Charlotte Saunderson, who has waited so long for her son's return. She was married, sho said, in 1887, and lived at Ponsonby, but very soon moved to Upper Queen-street, Onehunga, where, on March 24. 1888, her son Christopher was bom. "My husband and I parted by mutual consent," she continued, "and he and his mother, together with Christopher, the latter then 11 months old. went away to America. It was not until later that I knew they had gone. At different times I endeavoured to get into communication with my son, but lost all trace of him at the time of the big earthquake in San Francisco, and eventually heard that both my son and the father were dead. Then in April of this year an advertisement asking for information concerning my whereabouts attracted my attention, and wo got into communication with Mr. Thomas Westoby, who has been a good friend to my son. Tho result was that Christopher arrived in Wellington on Wednesday and came home this morning."