The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-12-25
Rather n Cruel Joke!


Twenty years ago or more, Nathan or
"Nate" Waggoner was a well known
character about Eaton. He left his ma
tive village about the close of the war,
and went to the star west" Ten years
later half a dozen rumors reached his
friends announcing his death in half a
dozen places, from as many different
causes, all more orless tragic in their
details, but as these rumors all agreed
in the main fact that Mates" mortal
career was ended, it became the settled
belief among his friends and a~cquaintan-
ces that the places thatknew his familiar
form would know him no more for ever.
For a number of years Mates spirit has
served as the connecting link between
every spiritual seance held in the town
and the spirit land. A week ago a rumor
became current upon the streets that
Henry c. had received a postal card
from Nate announcing his intention of
paying an early visit to the home of his
childhood. Considerable interest was
manifested among those of u citizens
who remembered him, and many inter
esting and amusing episodes and Incl
dents in his early life were revived and
repeated to eager listeners. The interest
increased as the time for the announced
visit drew nigh. Doubts were fully ex-
pressed as to the reception of the card
and as to the g~enuineness of the sigma
ture, if such a card had come by post
These doubts were met by the assurance
that reliable persons had seen the card,
and recognized the signature as genuine,
though no one could be actually found
who had seen the missive, or who had
even seen Mates autograph. Some
aver that Nate never could write. The
excitement reached its climax when on
Thursday of last week the rumor became
prevalent that Nate had arrived on the
early morning train from the west, and
we felt it our duty to send a special re-
porter abroad in order that the facts
might be ascertained and given to our
readers. The reporter first visited the
depot, IS report said that Clate. G.
bad seen Nate get off the train. Clate
was interviewed and claimed that hav-
ing a lame arm he was not atthe the sta
ton when the train arrived, but that one
of the boys had told him that the con-
ductor had assisted a lame man off the
train, who had instantly started down
street, and the conductor said that the
lame man had told him that he had for
merly lived in Eaton and had not been
here for twenty years. The description
exactly fitted Nate. The reporter was
greatly encouraged. He next visited Jim
NJ, Gan old friend of Nate's) who,
though exceedingly skeptical as to Mates
arrival, said that Jim C. had told
him that j. V. c. had said that he
had heard that Peter c. had seen and
talked with the mysterious visitor. Now
here was something reliable and our re-
porter "went" for Peter c.. Peter
was found at his work as usual. He re-
celved the reporter cordially and ex-
pressed a willingness to give all the in
formation in his possession. After speak
ing Of pleasant old times with Nate, he
stated that he had not personally seen
his old friend, but that his boy told him
that he had heard some men talking on
the street, and one of them said that he
had been overfo West Alexandria and
he had heard there that johnson H
of Eaton, had seen a lame man coming
from the depot that he had no doubt was
either Nate Waggoner or Ed. Nice.
No further trail could be discovered and
our reporter retired from the search and
has not yet recovered from the efforts of
his exertions to arrive at the truth.
How do such things originate? If
started as a joke, this was a cruel one,
as the Immediate friends and relatives of
Nathan Waggoner had their hopes of
meeting one long mourned as dead ex-
cited to a high pitch, only to be crushed
by the conviction that the whole thing
wsss a cruel hoax.