Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-08-01
IN 70 ms son.
A Father Meets His Fifty Year
Old Child For the First
at a Funeral.
Philadelphia Record.

A strange thing happened at Fred.
erick Station, in Montgomery county,
Pa, a few days ago. Aaron Bout, a
well-to do trucker of the neighbor-
hood, a hale old man Of 80, was intro.
dHced to his father, Aaron Bout, a
rich old merchant of 70, who lives on
Heas street, in this city. Neither
knew that the other was alive. AL
though they have been residing with
in two hours ride of each other for a
quarter of a century this was the first
time they had ever seen each other,
and thereby hangs a tale. Fifty years
ago the father was a we'll known horse
jockey in Montgomery county, and
lived near Frederick. He was a crack
rider across the country and the most
popular horseman to be found in the
radius of thirty miles. AT all the
country fairs young Bout was autheri-
ty on all matters pertaining to horse.
flesh, and none dared dispute his
opinion. lie wa a perfect dare devil
in the saddle, and no one could man
age the ribbons Of a four-in-h hand as
gracefully as he. AT twenty he went
off with a circus, and in a few months
his first son was born. He did not
return to Frederick until the day,
fifty years after, when father and son
first met face to face. The mother
had died, and the father supposed that
the son had also died. Bat while the
one was roaming the earth, leading an
adventurer's life, the boy grew to
manhood and to middle age. After
many years of wandering, and when
he had been lost to family and friends
in Montgomery, Bout, the elder, mar
ried and settled in this city, and be-
came a domestic man of business, ae-
cumulated property, and became the
head Of u numerous family. His last
child is now but two years old, and
was born when the father had reached
the ripe old age of GO. There are
twenty-four other children, not in
Guiding the supposed to be dead first
born, all of them alive. In the mean
time Aaron Bout, Jr., had lived an
uneyentful life, had married, bought
a little farm, and also reared a family
of children. One day Mrs. George
Bilger, ofthis city, who was a relative
OF Mr.. Bout, died and was taken to.
Frederick for burial. Among the
was the father, and in the
company at the church was the son.
Neither was aware of the other name
or identity. An old patriarch of the
ueighborhood mt Bout, Sr, He had
known him when both were boys. and
was amazed to findhim alive. Falling
back in the funeral procession he took
the son aside.
Come" said he. II will introduce
you to your father"
My father" cried out the aston
ished man. impossible l have no
he is dead
No, no." replied his friend, 'he
here. Come with me-"
In a few moments the father of 20
and the son Of so. each somewhat be-
wildered, were in a long and warm
embrace. For hours the two sat close
together under the friendly shade Of a
neighbours vine clad porch, all un-
conscious of the curious gaze of the
country folks who had attended the
The son, who was in Philadelphia
but once in his life, was pressed to
pay a visit to his fathers house on
Heas street, above Twelfth, and when
the crops have been harvested on the
hills, there will be another
meeting in this city.