The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1904-11-11

AdALh III 4 AoNluGuCC anu trusted u
it for the few things he needed
He was rewarded for his faith, 70
never did he go hungry. He ownet
ten acres of land surrounding TIN
pit, and on this he grew corn TO
his hogs and potatoes for himself
In the west side of his underground
room a large cellar was construct
ed, in which were kept meat ant
potatoes. From the north side Z
tunnel, not more than four feet il
diameter, was made through the
earth to a neighboring spring
The mouth of the passage was
opened so near the water that AL
len could fill his bucket without
having to come entirely out of the
ground. A pawpaw bush at this
point was stripped Of allits branch.
es save one little stub. On this a
pint cup always hung, and it was a
common sight to see the old mans
arm projecting from the ground as
he reached the cup to dip a fresh
drink from the spring His first
act of hospitality when visitor
came was to take him to the spring
through the tunnel for a drink OF
what he called "the finest water in
the world A short while before
his death the tunnel was closed by
a cave-in, and he never rebuilt it,
as one of his peculiarities was
never to reconstruct anything that
had been destroyed. He had an
idea that the Lord (and no one can
deny that it was we'll founded) al
lotted the time he should have the
benefit of any convenience and
when that time expired it was
taken from him. After the de-
struction of the tunnel he went out
the top of the cavern and walked
around the little hill in which his
home was to the spring.
Aliens lite story and how he was
driven to lead such an existence is
a sad narrative and can be only
briefly told here. He never kept the
facts secret from anyone and al
ways seemed pleased when ques-
toned concerning the past. In the
early forties he resided in Louis
vile, KY, with young wife. He
was a mechanic and like every
young man, longed for an oppor-
tunity to become rich. Finally the
cherished day arrived when he
thought fortune was staring him in
the face. That eventful year, 1849,
when so many lives were unmade
and few made, had come. Gold
had been discovered in California
and the nation was wild with rage
Tor the precious metal. Young AL
len heard of tread about it in the
newspapers. His young heart,
strong as steel, was fred with the
of the hour. His time
1ad come. He would be rich and
MS beautiful wife would preside
ike a queen over the costly man.
sion his wealth would provide for
Ter. His only ehild-a tottling boy
some day BE- heir to mil |
ions. No human hearts ever beat
With the zeal and hope with which
hose of young Aliens and his
vite's throbbed when they kissed |
ZACH other a warm goodbye over a
lalt century ago, one to go in quest
It riches he was destined never to |
ind, the other to return home to
lope and wait, but all for naught.
The young father and husband
pent many sleepless nights and
weary days in the long march to
he far West through countless dark
nd dismal forests and over numer-
us rough and dangerous noun
aims. He reached the gold fields,
ut alas, he was too late. every
hing had been taken. Like hun
reds Of other miserable beings who
I'D lett Cheerful homes in quest Of
omething they were never to have,
e was forced to work by the day in