Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-09-23
Very Strangs.
Father Meets His 5o-Year-Old Child for tn
 First Time at a Funeral


 First Time a Funeral.
 strange thing happened at Freder- ick Station, in Montgomery Co.,, Pa., few days ago. Aaron Bout, well-to- do trucker of the neighborhood, hale old man of 30, was introduced to his fla ther, Aaron Bout, rich old merchant of 70, who lives on Heas street, in this city. Neither knew that the other was alive. Although they have been resid- ing within two hours ride of each oth- CT for quarter of century this was the first time they had ever seen each other, and thereby hangs a tale. Fifty years ago the father was well-known horse jockey in Montgomery County and lived near Frederick. He was crack rider across country and the most popular horseman to be found in ra- dius of fifty miles. At all the county fairs young Bout was authority on all matters pertaining to horsehesh, and none dared dispute his opinion. He was perfect daredevil in the saddle, and no one could manage the ribbons of four-in-hand as gracefully as he. At 20 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. But while the one was roaming the earth. leading an adventurer' life, the boy grew to man. hood and to middle age. After many years of wandering, and when he had been lost to family and friends in Mont gomery, Bout, the elder, married and settled in Philadelphia and became a domestic man of business, accumulated property and became the head of a numerous family. His last child is now but two years old and was born when the father had reached the ripe old age of 69. There are twenty-four other children, not including the supposed-to- be-dead first born, all of them alive. In the mean time, Aaron Bout, Jr., had lived an uneventful life, had married bought a little farm and also reared a family of children. One day Mrs. Geo. Bilger, of this city, who was relative of Mir. Bout, died and was taken to Frederick to be buried Among the mourners was the father, and in the company at the church was the son. ANClllCI W tlo tn eil . LII IHC OlIICI or identity. An old patriarch of the neighborhood met Bout, sen. He had known him when both were boys, and was amazed to find him alive. Falling back in the funeral procession he took the son aside.
 Come" said he, T will introduce you to your father.''
 My father." cried out the astonish- ed man. impossible! have no fath- CT. He is dead"
 No, mo-" replied his friend, 'he is here. Come with me-"
 In few moments the father of 70 and the son of 50 years, each somewhat bewildered, 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 uncon- scious of the curious gaze of the coun- try folks who had attended the funeral.
 The son, who has been in Philadel- phia but once in his life, was pressed to pay visit to his fathers house on Heas street, above Twelfth, and when the crops have been harvested on the Fred. erick hills there will be another meet. ing. Philadelphia Record.