Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-04-28
LIKE A PAGE
FROM FICTION

Justice OF the Peace j. P. Bare yes
terday discovered the whereabouts of
a long-lost brother, whom he had not
seen for forty-six years and whom he
had regarded as dead for nearly thirty
years.
The story reads like page from fic-
tion. Justice Bare was born near
Audubon, Lower Providence township,
Montgomery county,a son of Frederick
and Susanna Bare. Among the chill
dern was daughter and another son,
younger than our townsman In 1858
j. 7. Bare, then approaching mans
estate, came to Montour county leav-
in2 lis brother in Montgomery coun-
ty.
When the Civil War broke out Fred
eIi;h Bare enlisted in the navy. He
served three years and was honoIabIy
discharged. He was mustered out of
service on the Pacific coast, whence he
dritted into the interior of the great
and the then undeveloped West. From
that day until the present his life has
been crowded with adventure. I'M
mediately after the war he was en-
ployed by Barlow, Sanders & Co., of
Leadville, Colorado, as one of the rid
ers of the famous pony express. He
followed this perilous and exciting
avocation for many years, carrying the
mails across Indian Territory, until in
the march of progress the stage coach
superseded the pony, when he became a
driver assuming along with his pro-
motion added responsibilities and
risks.
Justice Bare occasionally heard from
his brother. As time wore on, how
ever, and the frontier of civilization
advanced the stage coach was dispatch
ed farther and farther into tho wilds
OF the undeveloped country. As new
routes westward were successively in
u gurated Frederick Bare was invari-
ably selected by Barlow, Sanders &
Company as the one man whose nerve
and experience fitted him for the posi-
tion Of stage coach driver to take care
of the lives and treasure entrusted to
their hands for transportation through
the new country. 1t was difficult there.
fore to keep track of Frederick The
last letter received was in 1876. He
was then in the region of the Red
River.
After waiting for many years and re-
ceiving no tidings the relatives in the
East began to fear that the stage coach
driver had fallen a victim to the rer-
lis which beset his path. Letters of in
quiry were addressed TO many sources
West. There were none that brought
any information and the fears which
SfPGee MfGe at first enteItSinsdt as tAf tAfmF FgSSh FGS
viction that he was dead.
Years have passed. All hope of hear
ing from the long absent brother was
long ago abandoned. Justice Bare's
surprise can be imagined therefore
when yesterday-2S years after receiv-
ing the last word from his brother-he
received a letter signed by Fred
Bare"
The letter was written at Albuquer-
que, New Mexico, and was renned as
by stranger. The writer had heard
through resident-supposed to be
Danville man-that there was a man
by thesname of J. P. Bare living i'll
this city. This was the name of his
own brother and he wrote making in
quiries to determine whether it could
be bis relative. The brief description
he gave of his own birth, family and
subsequent career cleared up the whole
mystery. The dead was alive.
Justice Bare Immediately penned
reply and during the next few days
will await with feverish anxiety let
ter from his brother which will give
full account of all that has ensued
and clear up the mystery of his long
Sjlence