A Desperate Search for a Missing Seattle Boy
A seven-year-old child vanishes from his home on Second Avenue, sparking a plea for information.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Seven-year-old Oliver Mcllhone is missing from the residence of Mr. W. Johnson, 2013 Second Avenue. 'Yes, the boy is gone, all the care in the world gone,' said Johnson. When asked what the boy had done, Johnson replied: 'Promised him a new suit of clothes if he could stay away from the mischief, and he wouldn't ask for a cent of my money.'
“Yes, the boy is gone, all the care in the world gone.”
Missing person reports in late 19th-century newspapers were often tucked between shipping notices and church directories, reflecting the era's different approach to publicizing individual vulnerability. Today, the intersection of Second Avenue and modern-day Belltown serves as a stark reminder of how Seattle's downtown core has transformed from a patchwork of residences and small storefronts into a dense urban landscape.
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