Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-09
GOING HOME ONCE DfoRE.
A Rough 51iner Eager to See the Old
Mother Whom He Lee IN 10

A Rough 51iner Eager to See the Old
Mother Whom He Left IN 40.
II the crowd at the Lake Shore depot
last night, says the Chicago Herald, was
a big fellow wearing a fur overcoat and a
broad-brimmed bat. He walked up and
down the great platform with his hands in
his pockets, smoking and singing, appar-
emily il the best OF humor. One Of those
inquisitive men always TO be found near
a railway train. who had been watching
him for some time, finally yentured 10 adj
dress him.
From the Wests'
The Individual in fur removed his cigar
and replied: ssYou beI.'
'-Going East?'S
''Ycu bet
The inquisitiYe man became interested.
He was going East. too. II was eleven
years since he had been east Of Lake
Michigan, and he was going down TO see
the old folks in Pennsylvania.
THAT amt a marker 10 NE" said the
WesteTEer, with great vehemence. Il
went West in 40, and this is my first ap-
pearance this side OF the Rocky Noun
tains since. / live when I'm TO home in
Maine, and that's where Pm going now.
When l left there 1 was boy Of - or
thereabouts. Do you think they viii know
me now?'' and he stToked his irOn-gTay
beard thOughtfully.
They will if you've got rich in the
meantime said the inquisitiYe man,
making an effort to appear as if he did not
care whether the question implied by his
remark was answered or not. He was
equally surprised when his companion re-
sponded.
That's just it, stranger. I've been on
the coast these s. years. JeTusalemi but
think of it-a lifetime almost. Eye had
MORN a thousand prospects that were
considered immense. I've been chasing,
something, nothing. all these years.
Sleeping or waking PYe seen the glitter
of gold. Did you ever get that way? No,
of course you didn't. / have seen gold
everywhere. and yet could not ind it. The
mountains with their snowy peaks, the
glistening Ice. the sparkling frost have all
filled NE vita wonder, avarIce, greed. ~
erything that shOne has tempted me. Ny
ewes have been strained 30 long, nv whole
being has been so absorbed in this cursed
search. that il tires me 10 look anywhere
or at anything. like to smoke and close
nv eyes and think. And yet do not like
10 think. a wasted life is not pleasant
for reflection. The hardships that I have
endured, the things that might have been,
haunt me and disgust me with myself"
1zC4aE1fES nDh II LdsAs 1utf4AAEu Auc
man BY his side, who was getting inter
ested.
Yea, sir, my mother. and that's what's
taking me over the divide, stranger. A
curious ching ABOUT that. Mighty curl
Gus. For 81 years 1 hardly gave the old
lady a th0Aght. She wrote frequently
and / wrote when l had time, but not ike
I ought TO have done. I was absorbed in
gold hunting when one day I received a
letter from her, containing her photo
graph. she's more'n - years old. It
struck me like an avalanche. Poor old
mother says !, and as I looked up l saw
myself. wrinkled and gray, in glass, and
observed. Poor fool boy Vel, sir, from
that moment l lost interest in gold, quartz
and placers. When 1 looked al the snowy
peaks saw my mother. dreamed Of her
at night. her eyes were also before re,
swimming in tears as they were the day
we parted. Finally l gave up, converted !
what little property had into dust, and
determined 10 20 home. Here's '49er
who has been lured IRON the gold Coun-
trT by q mothers tears. Il will pay me
richer dividends than the things that 1 /
have been chasing so long"