The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-05
ANOTHER vALU ABLE DREAM.
An Old Soldier Secures q Fortune by
Cbeying Instructions.
From the St. Lous GIobe-Democrat

From the st. Lo1tiS Globe Democrat.
GREENvILLE, Ala, Jan. 12.-That
dreams are not always creatures Of the
imagi alton or mere vagaries Of the brain.
in wnica no creience should be placed. is
foTcibly illustrated by the following facts
which came to the knowledge of tie Globe
Democrat correspondent to-day: Tive ty-
tn &c years ago, just after the close Of the
war, an old settler Of this Butler county.
Ezekiel Ilckens, Of Mount Olive, died. after
anassing fair-sized fortune as q planter.
which the four years struggle Of the cor
teceracy reduced but little. Mr. Pickens
Ead two sons, James aud Alexander, the for
mer beInS the elder and favOIite son uD
TO the commence nent Of the war The
mother Of the bows died in 1860. and dur
ing the latter part Of that year jams, at
tue age Of q, cut loose from the Old home
stead and started north, settling ultimately
al Paris, H., where he, in due tine, mar
Tled and took up the profession Of school
teacher as means Of livelihood. When
the " ar broke out James, who had become
warmly attached to the north duri 2 his
brief resldencs there, and firmly believed
| that the doctrine OF secession was wrong
| took sides with the union. and obtained
| lleutenants commits on in the first regiment
! OF Infantry that left that portion of Illinois.
In the meantime, the otber son, Alexander.
| had Joined g confederate army as a mi
| yate, while the old gentleman, who was I'M
| htt@d by lll-health for military duty, re-
manned at home. As the war advanced he
became more Jealous in his adherence
| TO the confederate cUuse, and the emancIDa-
| ton proclamation Of Lincoln stimulated
still more his loyalty u the south. Il was
not until some time after his son, Alexander,
had fallen prisoner into the hands Of a
| brigade Of Illinois troops, TO which James
| was attached, that be learned the fact that
! has Oldest boy was fghtit z on the union
| side. The information was CONVEYED 10
him by Aleck, who rad been sent home on
| parole mainly through his brothers infu-
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 ana
| that he would not own him as a son from
| that time forward.
Immediately after the partial settlement
! OF affairs IN the south, James, 40 Rad
| heard nothing from his family since his
| brothers parole, set out on the first oppor-
tunIty for his cid home IN this county. but
| on arriving here the door was shut against
| him, and neither his father nor br tnar
would hold any intercourse with him what
| ever. be was ignored also by his former
| friends and acquaintance, and with
| heavy heart he returned to the north. and
| engaged actively in business. In 1866 as
above ated, tue elder Pickens died, leav-
| ing will IL which Alexander, his Youngest
| son, was made sole lega ee. The property
| left by the deceased consisted of a 800 acre
| plantation, with fine residence, outnuild-
| lngs, etc, valued at 81 goo, and cash and
| other securities amounting TO $50, 600
Alexander took the property under the
| Will, and has since resided an old bachelor
on the homestead, adding considerably to
his fortune by judicious investments Two
weeks ago the eldest brother, James.
| dreamed that will was made bv his father
az later date than the one under which his
| brother had acquired the inheritance. and
! that the document was in a tia box of papers
belonging to the old gentleman, which had
been placed on deposit by him some time
Letcre his death in the record vault of the
Butler county court house. On the
| following night, and for three
| nights IN succession, he dreamed the
same thing over again. each time more Wv
idlyithan the other. Maj. Picksns, for such
was the title earned during the war, had
not up 10 this time been a believer in
dreams, but the one referred to made such
an Impression upon him that, without re-
latlng his story to any one but his wife. he
| took the train for this city, and, arriving
| here, lost no time in getting TO the court
| house, where search was at once made in
the recorders vault for the box which lie
bad 81 plainly seen in his slumbers at his
! Illinois home.
Within an hours time the major was re-
warded by its discovery behind pile of
a Gle records, and, on opening il, almost
the first document to make It's appearance
was Will, signed, sealed and properly wit
messed, in which his father divided the prop
erty left by him equally between James aud
Alexander, and in the envelope enclosing it
was likewise letter addressed to his Oldest
son, assuring him Of his love and begging
! pardon for the manner in which he hal
treated him because of his LOYALTY to the
union. The gsnuineness of the document
being beyond question, Alexander promptly
made over securities % his brother James
amounting in tie aggrey te u $4,000, that
being regarded as fair share of the estate
and Is accnmulatiOns