The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-02-05


Twentv-fhree years ago. just aifer the
close Of the war. an old settler Of Butler
county, Ezekiel l'ickens, Of Mount Olive,
died afier amassing fair-sized fortune
as planter. which the four years' strug-
gle of the Confederacy reduced but little.
Mr. Picgens had two sons, James and
Alexander, the former being the eldest
and favorite son up 10 the commence
ment Of the war.
The mother of the boys died in 1860,
and during the latter part Of the year,
James, at the age oftwenty-one, cut loose
from the old homestead and started
north, settling ultimately at Paris, ILL.,,
where he in due time married and took
I'D the profession Of schoSl teaching as 8
means Of livelihood. When the war
broke out, James, who had become
warmly attached to the north during his
brief residence there, aud firmly believ-
ing that the doctrine Of secession was
wrong. took sides with the Union and
obtained Tieutenant's commission in
the tirst regiment of infantry that left
that portion of Illinois. In the mean
time the other son, Alexander, had join
ed the Confederate army as a private,
while the old gentleman, who was uIl-
fitted by i'll health for military duty, re-
mained at home As the war advanced
he became more jealous in his adherence
10 the Confederate cause, and the enan-
cipaiion proclamation Of Lincoln stimu-
lated sill more MS loyalty to the south.
Il vas not until some time after his
sos Alexander had fallen a prisoner into
n hands Of brigade Of Illinois troops,
10 which James was attached, that he
learned the fac; that bis Oldest boy was
fighting on the Union side. The infor-
nation was carried TO him bv Alex, who
had been sent home on parole, mainly
through his brothers influence, and the
news was sufficient to arouse the frenzy
of the old man, vino declared that James,
his once favorite child, Should never have
a penny of his property, and that he
would not own him as a son from that
time forward
Immediately after the partial settle
ment Of affairs in the south, James, wh0
had heard nothing of his family since
his brothers parole. set out the first OPP
portunity fer his old home in this coun-
ty, but on arriving here the door was
shut against him, and neither his father
or his brother would hold any inter-
course with him whatever. lie was ig-
nored also by his former friends and
acquaintance and with heavy heart
he returned TO the north and engaged
actively in business. In 1856, as above
stated, the elder Pickens died, leaving
will in which Alexander, his youngest
son, was made sole legatee. The prop
erty left consisted of a S00-acre planta-
ton, with fine residence, outbuildings,
etc, valued at $50, 900, and cash and other
securities amounting to $4,000.
Alexander took the property under the
will, and has since resided an old bache-
lor on the homestead, adding considers-
bly, to his fortune by judicious invest
ments. Two weeks ago the eldest BROTH
er, James, dreamed that will was made
by his father at a later date than the one
under which his brother had acquired
the inheritance, and that the document
was in a tin box Of papers belonging to
the old gentleman. which had been
placed on deposit by him some time be-
fore his death IN the record vault of the
Butler county court house. On the fol-
lowing night, and for three lights in sue
cession, he dreamed the same thing over
again, each time more vividly than the
other,
Maj Pickens, for such was the title he
earned during the war, had not up to
this time been believer in dreams, but
the one referred TO made such an iupres-
sion upon him that, without relating the
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 a searcn was at once made in the
recorders vault for the box which he
had so plainly seen in his slumbers at his
Illinois home.
Within an hours time the Major was
rewarded by its discovery behind pile
OF ancient records, and an opening it al
most the first document to make its ap-
pearance was viii signed. sealed and
properly witnessed, in which his father
divided the property left by him equally
between James and Alexander. and in
the envelope inclosing it was likewise a
letter addressed TO his oldest son, assur-
ing him Of his love and begging pardon
for the manner IN which he had treated
hiaa because of his loyalty to the Union.
The genuineness of the document being
beyond question, Alexander promptly
made over securities to his brother James
amounting in the aggregate to $4,000,
that being regarded as a fair share Of the
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