Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-01-06
A STRANGE STORY.

Tho lust strange story comes from
Florida. During the war Fred Halsc-
mann left Tampa Bay and went into
the tangled reserves Of the everglades.
He took with him his wife and their
youngest child, boy five years. The
wife and mother got separated in some
way from the two others, and luckily
happened to wander back to her home.
Three years went by. Tho war was
over. The older sons had returned
from service in the army and were
working the plantation. During all
this time nothing had been heard Of
the missing pair. They were mourned
for as dead. One day, in the spring Of
1867, man, apparently about thirty
years old, leading by the hand a boy
of FIVE, ran joyously up to the veran-
dah of the plantation house, and began
a series of violent lsissings of the aged
mother. His demonstrations Of aiiec-
tion were interrupted by the screams
of the old lady and the blows OF the
Oldest son. Both struck the intruder
painfully. He tried to speak, but was
Obliged to devote all his energies to
the task OF finding soft spot to fall
upon. lie rose, ,bewildered and bruised,
Just in time to be knocked down again
by younger sons and negroes, whom
the sound of the scuflie had called to
the spot. AS he fell, something tum-
bied from the pocket of his ragged coat.
1t was a picture of the widow. The
dead planter had carried it with him
when he plunged into the swamps
There was general ontcry, and n
demand for an explanation The story
of the newcomer was, in brief, this :
lie was Fred. Halsemann. In his
wandcrings through his vast hiding
place, he had fallen into n ioaming
spring. When he clambercd out, his
son ran away, as If in fright. He ran
after him with surprising speed. The
child, when caught, screamed for its
father. 1t was long before he could
be persuaded that the young fresh,
vigorous man who climbed out Of the
pool was the aged, decrepit, white
haired man who had fallen into il a
moment before. The father himself
could not at first appreciate the change.
He saw that his hands were no longer
wrinkled, that his beard was brown in
stead of gray, that his step was firmcr
and his eye kccner, but the suddcnness
of the transformation dizzied him. He
had fallen into the Fountain of Youth
which Ponce De Leon sought in vain
amid the Florida swampsl He hasten
ed back and plunged his son into the
spring 1t was an unlucky deed. The
tradition about the fountain has always
been that its wonderful waters changed
age to vigorous manhood and made
already-existent youth immutable so
long as lifelasted The tradition proved
true. He had become young. The
son stayed so. The boy was FIVE years
old when the potent water touched
him, and he showed no signs Of growth
beyond that age in mind or body, dur
ing the three years they spent lost in
the labyrinth. They lived mainly on
alligators, which when young nre very
good eating. When they killed an old
one IL was their custom to plunge II,
while spark of life was still left, into
the Fountain of Youth. Thus II be-
came young again, and their fastidi-
GUS palatcs were satisfied. Finally ,af-
ter many vain attempts, the two got
out of the wilderness in which they
had been soiong lost They happened
to come out near the old home, and
FASTENED to IL.
This was the mans story II is not
to be wondered at, perhaps, that he
told 1t to circle of scoffers. The pic
ture was taken from him. His accur-
ate recollection Of the life of the miss
ing planter was accounted for on tho
hypothesis that he had met him in the
swamps and had heard the detail from
his lips He was accused Of stealing
the picture. 1t began to be whispered
that he had probably murdered Halsc-
mann. lie was told to go. He went,
taking the boy with him He reap
peared, week aftcrward, at Tampa,
alone. The child, he said, had died Of
fright and want. He began suit for
the possession of the Halsemann plan
tation. Whom the trial came off, he
rested bis case on three points; the
resemblance of the boy TO the caild
who had disappeared in 1864 his own
ready recollection of the minufig of