Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-10-22

was discovered by his viii that his
estate was in a decidedly muddled con
dition. The property was distributed
literally to the four winds, and IL was
not long before controversies arose as
to the legal right of the widow and son
to several disputed claims somewhere,
no one seemed to know exactly where,
in the far west.
Shortly after the temporary settle
ment of the estate the wife and son va
Gated their hands ONE residence, and
moved to less pretentious apartments.
Dame rumor had il that the income
left the bereaved ones was insufficient
to maintain them in the style to which
they had previously been accustomed,
and that, in fact, their means were now
decidedly limited
1t was while gossip was at its lowest
ebb that hopes ran highest in the
breast of Mrs. Ottinger. William was
then a mere boy, but his youthful am
bitions and castle buildings had dig
covered plan of action to the strug-
Cling mother, and she managed ae-
cordingly. Each succeeding year
found her still struggling, and each
succeeding year found her hopes near
er realization, her son nearer his ma
turity.
All these years of waiting, however,
had greatly impaired, the circum-
stances of the 0ttingers, and when Will
liam reached his nineteenth birthday
things had become desperate. Then
Mrs. Ottinger disclosed her plans to
her son.
Two weeks Later he resigned his po-
sition in the book department of a
large store, and taking his bicycle
along, started for North Dakota, de-
termined to trace and find the proper
ties over which the lawyers had been
arguing pro and CON for years.
Nearly week later tired youth
alightedl at a lonely little railroad sta
ton in North Dakota. 3 500 miles from
home, and that night William Ottinger
experienced his first staste of western
life. That the taste was not altogether
pleasant to him, used as he had been
all his life to eastern civilization, can
be easily imagined.
In the many wearisome days that fol-
lowed, each marked by its constantly
attendant disappointments young OF
finger plodded from town to town.
Each meager clew that his persever-
ance brought to lghtwas run dogged-
ly to earth again before its evsnescence
compelled it to be abandoned.
Thus he worked from day TO day,
with no encouragement for the NOR
row. He blamed his nonsuccess, how
ever, TO lack of experience on his
part. He strove while days grewinto o
weeks and weeks into a month, until
one afternoon, while knocking about
in Grand Forks, he stumbled upon a
new clew that dema nded disentang Cling,
and with sudden throbbing of his
heart he realized his energies were at
last aiming toward the proper goal.
AT last, with degree of satisfac-
ton, born only from knowledge of
having performed a task well, he noti-
fed his mother in Philadelphia that he
had accomplished his quest, and that
the boundaries of three of the richest
farms in North Dakota had been estab-
lished beyond any further opportunity
for squabbling among the eastern
lawyers. The titles were proved clear,
and with copies of the deeds in his pos.
session young Ottinger turned his face
homeward.
DIT was at this juncture, when his
hopes seemed brightest, that new OBJ
stacle confronted the youth. The in
voluntary lengthiness of his western
search had seriously depleted his
finances, and he found, that his re-
naming money was far from being
sufficient to carry him again across
the states.
In an hour the brave boy outlined a
plan, and the next day he started from
Grand Forks on his bicycle, determined
to travel as far east as the dura bility of
rubber and steel would permit the
wheel to carry him. As the 1,50O-mile
mark was being clicked off by his cyclo-
meter the wheel met with mishap, and
Ottinger was once more facing a di-
lemma. The difficulty was but tenn
porary, however, for the young man
found that his pilgrimage awheel had
brought him to point where the rail
road rates and his remaining finances
adjusted themselves admirably. Short
ly after making this discovery he was
hurrying home as fast as stea IN propul-
sion could carry him.
Uncle Sans Chinese Title,
The United States is known in China
Nat