National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-11-08
HIS MOTH ER,s TEARS.
How n Fory-niner Was Brought
Back from the Gold Fields.

Chicago Herald.
In the crowd at the Lake Shore depot
last night was big fellow wearing fur
overcoat and broadbrimmed hat He
walked up and down the great platform
with his hands in his pockets, smoking
and signing, apparently in tho bost of
bumor. One of those inquisitive men al
ways to be found near railway train,
who had been watching him for some
time, finally ycnturod to address him.
From tho wcstP"
The individual in fur removed his cigar
and replied: "You bet"
"Going east ~
"You bot"
Tho inquisitive man became In Interested.
He was going east, too. 1t was eleven
years since he had been east to Lake
Michigan. and ho was going down to see
the old folks in Pennsylvania.
THAT amt marker to me-" said the
westerner, with great vohemenco, ~ went
west in 40, and this is my first appearance
this side of the Rocky mountains since.
| live when I'm TO homo in Maine, and that's
whore I'm going now. When | left hero
| / was boy of "a or theroabouts. DO you
think they will know mo nowY and
he stroked his iron-gray board thought
fully.
"rhey will If you've got rich in the
meantime" said the inquisitlve man,
making an effort to appear as If ho did
not care whether the question implied by
his remark was answered or not. lie was
equally surprised when his companion
responded:
"That's just it, stranger. I've been on
the coast these thirty-fvo years. Jeru-
salem but think Of it-a lifetime almost.
| I've had morn thousand prospects that
were considered immense. I've been
chasing something, nothing, all these
years. Sleeping or waking, I've seen
tho glitter Of gold. Did you ever get
that wayY No, of course you didn't.
have seou gold everywhere, and yet
could not find it. The mountains with
their snowy peaks, the glistening ice,
tho sparkling frost have all filed me
with wonder, avarice, greed. Everything
that shone has tempted me. My eyes
have been strained so long, my whole be-
| ing has been so absorbed in this cursed
search that it tires me to look anywhere
or at anything. / like to smoke and
close my eyes and think. And yet do
not like to think. A wasted life is not
pleasant for reflection. The hardships
that l have endured, the things that
might have been, haunt me and disgust
me with myself" .,. -.
Relatives down east ?" inquired the
man by his side, who was getting inter.
ested.
Yes, sir, my mother; and that's what's
taking me over the divide. stranger.
curious thing about that Mighty curious
For thirty-fve years l hardly gave the
old lady q thought. She wrote frequently
and wrote when had time, but not lik,
/ ought to have done. was absorbed il
gold hunting, when one day received ,
letter from her containing her photo
graph. She's more 70 years old. 1t struci
me like an avalanche. "Poor old mother,
says, and as looked up saw myself
wrinkled and gray, in glass, and OBJ
served, Poor fool boy Well, sir, from
that moment lost interest in gold, quartz
and placers. When looked at the snowy
peaks saw my mother. l dreamed of heI
at night. Her eyes we're always swim
ming in tears as they were the day W,
parted. Finally, gave up, converted
what little money l had into dust, anc
determined to go homo. Idon't care WHIT
knows it. Here's '49er who has beer
lured from the gold country by q mother
tears. 1t will pay me richer dividend
than the things l have been chasing s
long"