Allegany County MD Archives News..... Eileen HARRIMAN Home on a Visit, 1912
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Shawn McGreevy [shawnmcgreevy@geatz.com]


Evening Times, Cumberland, Maryland, Wed 14 Aug 1912:
EILEEN HARRIMAN HOME ON A VISIT
Touching Christmas Letter in the Times Brought Monongah Victim's Daughter Happiness
Little Eileen Harriman is back at Eckhart to see her old playmates after an absence 
of three years in which she has lived in Chicago.  Possibly not every one has 
forgotten the touching letter this little girl, then nine years of age, wrote to the 
Times just before the Christmas of 1908.  The life of her father, Mr. John Harriman 
was lost in the fearful Monongah, W. Va., mine disaster, December, 6, 1907.  Eight 
days after the death of her father a little brother was born to Eileen.  The next 
year was a hard year for the Harriman family.  The widow was left with four small 
children, the oldest, Eileen, and she of but nine years.  Just before Christmas 
1908, Eileen wrote a letter to the Evening Times Santa Claus mail box.  In it she 
spoke of the poor pleasures that she and her little sister and two brothers had 
during the year and now that Christmas coming they had not even a Christmas tree 
or a single toy or present.  The letter was read and its simple sincerity told of 
truth.  A friend of the family declares that people from all parts of the country 
wrote the little girl offering presents and words of cheer and inviting her to 
come and stay with them.  The letter in the Times came to the attention of a Mr. 
and Mrs. Brandenbury, of Chicago.  They sent Eileen an abundance of presents and 
later took the child to live with them.  The other children also went away.  
Recently the mother, Mrs. Carrie Harriman, became housekeeper at St. Patrick's 
rectory, Cumberland.  Now Mrs. Brandenbury and little Eileen are visiting Mrs. 
Elizabeth Lee and Eileen's uncle, Mr. Will Harriman, at Eckhart.  The brother, 
Willie, has returned from Boston to see his mother and sister, and Mrs. Harriman 
is again happy in the presence of two of her children.  Eileen has a fine home and 
is quite happy.  Though but twelve years of age she has already become skilled in 
music and is receiving a good education.  Little Willie hopes to stay with his 
mother, but unless he obtains employment he must go back to Boston and the mother 
will again be left to herself.



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