Leaming - Ephraim
Source: Crawfordsville Journal, Nov. 28, 1885
This week the Journal had a call from Ephraim T. Leaming of
Yellow Spring, Ohio and a brother of Joel Leaming of Browns
Valley, one of the old citizens of this County. Mr. L. gave an
interesting narrative of meeting by chance another brother,
Reuben H. Leaming of Baltimore, whom he had not seen for 48
years. The Leaming family are natives of Maryland and the
Journal's visitor has, a son living in Baltimore who is a proof
reader on one of the papers in that city. The father went to
Baltimore last July on a visit to his son. During his visit the
son mentioned the name of Leaming in the directory and suggested
to his father that the man might be a relative. The son asked the
full name of the long lost brother of his father, and was told
that it was Reuben Hays Leaming. The directory was opened and
there it was, Reuben H. Leaming, Superintendent of the 5th
Regiment Armory and residence at No. 39 Bruce Street. They at
once repaired to the Armory and inquired for the Superintendent.
An interesting colloquy took place in which the visiting brother
asked a good many questions about the family until he satisfied
himself that the Superintendent was his brother. Finally the
visitor gazed earnestly into the Superintendent's face, said "If
you are Reub Leaming, then I am your brother, Eph." It took a
moment for the two brothers to realize that they confronted each
other. It is needless to say there was joy in the Leaming house
that night. Mr. Leaming states that he and his brothers were b.
in Carroll Co, Md. In 1836 the family was broken up in
consequence of the death of their father, and he, then a young
man, removed to the West. He settled at Wilmington, Clinton, Ohio
where he lived for 30 years and afterwards, 12 years ago, he
removed to Yellow Springs, where he now lives. Reuben was but 7
years old. They kept track of each other until the war, when
Reuben enlisted, after which he heard nothing more of him, the
news being that he had been killed in one of the Va. battles. For
over 20 years he supposed his brother to be dead. The two are old
men now, Reuben being 55 and Ephraim 73. Joel is 76. Verily,
truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.