The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-03-08
REVEALED IN A DREAM.
How an Illinois Man Discovered
His Fathers Will.

ures of the Imagination or mere
vagaries of the brain, in which no
credence should be placed, is forci-
bly, illustrated by the following facts
which came to the knowledge OF a
Globe-Democrat correspondent at
Greenville, Ala. Twenty-three years
ago, just after the close of the war,
an old settler of this { (Butler) county
Ezekiel Pickens, of Mount Olive
died, after amassing a fair-sized for
tune as planter, which the four
years struggle of the Confederacy
reduced but little. Mr.. Pickens had
but two sons, James and Alexander,
the former being the eldest and ia
vorite son up to the commencement
of the war. The mother of the boys
died in 1860, and during the latter
part of that year James, at the age
of twenty-one, cut loose from the
old homestead and started north,
settling ultimately at Paris, ILL.,,
where he, in due time, married and
took up the profession of school
teaching as a means of livelihood.
When the war broke out, James,
who had become warmly attached
to the North during his brief resi-
dence there, and firmly believing
that the doctrine of secession was
wrong, took sides with the Union
and obtained Lieutenant's COM
mission in the first regiment of in
fantry that left that portion of Hi
nois. In the meantime the other
son, Alexander, had joined the Con-
federate army as private, while
the old gentleman, who was unfit
ted by ill-health for military duty,
remained at home. AS the war ad-
vanced he became more Jealous in
his adherence to the Confederate
cause, and the emancipation proc
lamation of Lincoln stimulated still
more his loyalty to the South. 1t
was not until some time after his
son, Alexander, had fallen a pris-
oner into the hands Of brigade of
Illinois troops, to which James was
attached, that he learned the fact
that his oldest boy was fighting on
the Union side. The information
was conveyed to him by Aleck, who
had been sent home on parole
mainly through his brothers influ-
ence, and the news was sufficient
to arouse the frenzy of the old man,
who declared that James, his once
favorite child, should never have a
penny of his property, and that he
would not own him as son from
that time forward.
Immediately after the partial set.
tlement of affairs in the South,
James, who had heard nothing from
his family since his brothers parole,
set out the first opportunity for his
old home in this county, but on ar
irving here the door was shut against
him, and neither his father nor
brother would hold any intercourse
with him whatever. He was ignored
also by his former friends and ac-
quaintances, and With heavy heart
he returned to the North and en-
gagged actively in business. In 1866
as above stated, the elder Pickens
died, leaving will in which Alex
ander, his youngest son, was made
sole legatee. The property left by
deceased consisted of a 300-acre
plantation, with fine residence, out
buildings, etc., valued at $4,000
and cash and other securities
amounting to $4,000. Alexander
took the property under the will
and has since resided an old bach.
elor on the homestead, adding con-
siderably to his fortune by judicioue
/ investments. A few weeks ago the
eldest brother, James, dreamed that
a will was made by his father at a
later date than the one under which
his brother had acquired the inner
itance, and that the document was
in tin box of papers belonging to
the old gentleman, which had been
placed on deposit by him some time
before his death in the record vault
of the Butler county courthouse
On the following night, and for three
nights in succession, he dreamed
the same thing over again, each
time more vividly than the other
Major Pickens, for such was tht
title he earned during the war, hao
not up to this time been believer
in dreams, but the one referred te
made such an impression upon hin
that, without relating the story tt
any one but his wife, he took th'
train for this city, and, arriving
here, lost no time in getting to th'
courthouse, where search was a
once made in the recorders vaul
for the box which he had so plainl.
seen in his slumbers, at his Illinois
home.
Within an hours time the Majo
was rewarded by its discovery be
hind pile of ancient records, ant
on opening it almost the FIRST doc
, ument to make its appearance wa
, q will signed, sealed and properl.
, witnessed, in which his father di
vided the property left by hin
l