A Mother’s Relentless Search for Her Missing Son
After traveling for days to find her 14-year-old son who had fled to work in the harvest fields, a mother finally reunites with him in Walla Walla.
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.
Mrs. L. Lamasters of Clarkston, Washington, spent four weary days in Walla Walla searching for her 14-year-old son, Henry, who had disappeared from their home. Mrs. Lamasters spent her time questioning farmers and searching the streets until she finally secured a lead. Yesterday morning, mother and son were reunited. It was discovered that the young boy had been steadily working in the local harvest fields since arriving in the city. The two boarded a train for home last night.
“The love-light shining in her eye attested to her happiness as she gazed fondly at the son and three weeks' anxiety and fear were forgotten in the surging relief.”
This story highlights the vulnerability of migrant and runaway youth during the intense labor demands of the seasonal harvest, a phenomenon that still challenges communities in the Inland Empire today.
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