The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-07-23
CLINGS TO OLD HOME.
OLD MAN WHOSE FAMILY HAS
DESERTED HIM.
Is frightened by the Law-Ho Creeps
Into the Cellar of His Former Home
and NeighBors Minister to His Wants
Pathetic Sight. v

Frederick Freunning is nearly 70
years old. He has seen his family and
home slip away from him, until there
Is nothing left but few battered rem
hants of furniture with which he has
surrounded himself in the cellar of his
former home in St. Louis. The lot and
buildings which were once his have
passed from him. He did not sell them
them and has profted nothing by their
rapid increase in value. He borrowed
perhaps one-sixth of what the prop
erty was worth and permitted the
deed Of trust to be foreclosed. The
sale brought not enough to pay the
mortgage and the old homestead with
its adjacent cottages passed into the
possession of another man. Old Freun-
ming knew that he was in bad fix,
but he believed that he still had some
rights to the property and refused to
move out. His former tenants quit
paying him their rent. Then the new
owner gave him orders to move and
rented the house to a strange family.
Freunn1ng was frightened and went to
see his lawyer. He could submit to
the loss Of his rents, his grounds and
his money, but he must have place
to shelter him at night. He is a lone
ly old man. His first wife is long
dead. His second wife divorced him.
His children think he is queer and
leave him alone. He is old. He has
lost his grip and does business like a
child. Freunning doesn't know whether
he was swindled or whether he just
threw his chances away. A few weeks
ago the furniture vans began to lay
down stuff at his doors. A strange
family came, and old Freunning was
frightened. He is a peaceful, timid
old man, and he took shelter in the
cellar. He rugged up an old stove and
table, piled his stuff up on the earthen
floor and locked the cellar doors. 1t
was cold and musty, but the damp
wind could not reach him, and there
was a good roof above his head. The
new tenant did not offer to modest him.
She moved into the building and took
some pains to accommodate the old
man, but he seemed very queer and
stayed in his cellar. Then the land
lord threatened to sue him for possess
sion. Meanwhile, however, the neigh
bors have been very kind to old Freun-
ming. Many of them have been ten
ants in his houses and they cannot
suffer the old fellow to want. Imme-
diately adjoining the house where he
lives on the west are two comfortable
little cottages the inmates of which
nave been paying rent to Mr.. Freun-
ming for nearly twenty years. Their
sympathies are with him and every
morning, noon and night a messenger
Is sent to the cellar window to ask what
Papa Freunning wants. His dim can
die may be seen through the dusty
windows of the basement at night and
he accepts the charity of those who
remember him as a wealthy man. with
sad old heart. He gathers fuel for
his old cracked cook stove during the
day and waits in grim silence the re-
suit OF the suit which may drive him
from his former possessions into the |
street. His collection of old furniture
is very much the worse for wear and
has but little value. Freunning's once
beautiful home stands upon a broad
deep lot nearly 300 feet square and set
with fruit trees, vines and shrubberv
On the west end of the lot are two
small cottages where well-to-do ten
ants still maintain nice little homes.
The houses and grounds have been per
mitted to fall into decay, but still bear
evidences of natural beauty and de-
parted aftiuence, Steps will be taken
by Mr.. Freunning's friends to have the
former sale, under deed of trust set
aside. 1t is believed that a guardian
should be appointed to care for the old
fellow and his property, and his at
.orneys have the matter under advise
ment now.