May 6, 1894
Mr. Louis Hammer, of Caples & Hammer, builders and contractors, is the hero of a romance such as has made more than one man immortal.
There is not more unpretentious man in town, and not one who would not sooner be suspected of being the central figure in a story of thrilling interest. He has been known in the town for a dozen years, yet it is safe to say that not three people knew the story of his life as it recently appeared.
A TIMES reporter yesterday saw a Chicago dispatch indicating that a story of interest could be told by Mr. Hammer, and went, immediately to him for information. He was perfectly frank and talked without reservations, though he protested that he desired no newspaper notoriety. When assured, however, that the story had been made public in Chicago he repeated it about as follows:
“In 1874 he was a contractor and builder in the city of Peoria, Ill., and had a family consisting of a wife and six children. He was well fixed so far as the world’s goods were concerned, and was what was called a prosperous man. While at work on a two story building he was prostrated by heat and his life was almost despaired of for several days. When he had somewhat recovered from the shock of sun stroke it was found that his mind was a little unbalanced and he was sent to a hospital at Jacksonville. After remaining there about six months he was pronounced well and was discharged by the physician in charge. He was evidently not yet right as to his reasoning powers, for, without any known reason, he wandered away from his home instead of returning to it as he naturally would have done. When he came to himself he was in California. After finding himself entirely well he tried to get in communication with his family but he failed, as he now thinks, through the interference of a brother-in-law. Then he became careless, as many a man in the west has done, and failed to write. Finally he seemed to lose sight of his family in the east, though he never thought of marrying again.
In 1876 he met in California Mr. Richard Caples and the two became fast friends. Later, in 1882 or 1883 the two drifted into El Paso and soon entered into a partnership that has lasted till this date. Last year when the World’s Fair was the talk of the nation Mr. Hammer decided that he would go east and see his old home. He had not been long in Chicago when he was thrown face to face with the wife of his youth. The old love had not died and the two were very soon going into explanations as to the long intervening years. Mr. Hammer’s story was soon told and it was believed. It should be said here that that his partner, Mr. Caples, had been in the confidence of Mr. Hammer for years and knew that the consuming desire of his life was the renewal of the old and fond ties of years ago.
The result of these explanations was the return of Mrs. Hammer with her husband to his home in El Paso. And the two were accompanied by their youngest daughter who is now with them. The sons had grown up and some of them had entered business. Since the reuniting of the family here the matter has not become known to more than a few intimate friends.
The Chicago dispatch states that Mr. Hammer’s name was originally Schlegel. Mr. Hammer laughs when he was asked about the changing of his name, and told this story: “I was attached to the engineer corps of the Federal army during the late civil war and was at Fort Morgan. The paymaster there was an Irishman named Gahrrity who could never spell my Dutch name. When he at last found that the English for Schlegel was “Sledgehammer,” he declared that he would spell it that way on his rolls. He finally compromised by writing it “Hammer,” and I have never since changed it.
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