The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-10
JOHN H. WALTON, OF INDIANA,
STRANGE CASE OF THE WILSON'S
OF POUGHKEEPSIE.
lima Town-Weighty Reasons for n
Case Of Neuralgia-Thc New York
Policeman Who Took a Trip South.
True D-enouenlent or the Story.

war, the ~crOSs-country stage drove up
to the entrance Of the principal hotel
Of a large town in eastern North Car
DINA, and two passengers alighted. The
first to descend from the vehicle was
a man looking to be about 90 years Of
age. of medium stature, strongly built,
~close-cut iron-gray hair. n a clean
ON the pavement, and assisted the
other passenger in getting out Of the
stage-a man with a bandage around
his face, his hat pulled over his brow.
his throat muffled UP, and a long, heavy
overcoaL enveloping his form almost
from head TO foot. Leaning on the arm
of the first passenger, he walked slow
~ and feebly into the lobby of the no
TEL, and Sank into an arm chair near
the fireplace, where a pile of oak ;ogs
were giving out warmth and cheer. The
other ma walked to the desk and reg
istered: John HI. Walton; John II.
Walton. Jr., Indiana"
The clerk, CHANGING at the register,
struck a call bell for a porter, who,
taking a key, preceded the guests up
stairs to No. 80 on the second floor, the
apparently sick man climbing the steps
with no little labor and difficulty. AT
time, which was made known
by b horrible gong Of old times, John
II. Walton came down into the office,
and asked to be shown to the dining
room, explaining that the other guest
was his son, who was suffering from
long standing neuralgia and abscess OF
the ear, n would like his meals sent
to the room for the present. On the
clerk suggesting that a doctor be sum-
moned, the stranger coldly replied that
he a. the prescription and medicine
Of his family physical min Indiana, and
could treat the cas- without other assis-
tance.
AS the days passed, the son sick up
stairs. seemed to mend but slowly, for
he kept his bed, with the sbandage still
over his ace and head, and his eyes
turned to the wall when a servant en-
tered the room. However, his ailment
appeared to have no bad effect upon MS
appetite, for he enjoyed heartily the
good fare sent up from h hotel table.
The elder Walton was constantly
astir, and evidently had a purpose in
coming to the town. Without being a
companionable man, for he seemed
rather of a. reserved and secretive ma
ture, he managed to mingle enough
with the people IF the place to acquire
all the information possible about its
business, population, debt, etc, and cs-
pecially with regard to the soil, farm
ing advantages and crops raised in
the county, the rate of taxation, and
other kindred matters.
His soon develOed itself.
One Thursday the weekly and on!T
newspaper of the own contained an I'd
vertisement of a valuable farm for sale,
comprising several hundred acres,
about tWo-thirdS cleared in upland n
Rowland, and adapted to pasturage,
corn, cotton, etc., while there were be-
sides a fine apple and peach orchard
and a small vineyard Of scuppefnong
and other grapes. The farm was we'll
stocked in cattle, a few sheep, work
horses and mules, and had a good barn
and other out-hOuses, and an unpreten-
tious but comfortable dwelling. The
reason, and h true one given Tor
selling was that the owner, a young
man, without family, a pushing, ag-
eressive fellow, was anxious to go into
partnership with an elder brother, who
was running a large cattle ranch in
Texas.
After carefully reading this adver-
tissment, Walton first paid a visit 10
the editor Of the paper in his office.
Thence, after a conference, he went to
a livery stable, hired a conveyance.and
had himself driven out to the farm
advertised. There he spent the day
with the owner, going over the house,
the barn and stables, making a o OF
the whole farm, and informing himself
of its soil, capacity, adaptation to GER
ain crops. etc. The result was that
the next Thursdays paper contained a
paragraph in it's local columns, an
nouncing that the advertisement bad
been withdrawn, the property having
passed by private sale n the posses-
sion of Mr.. John H. Walton, of India
ma, who, with his family, would make
his home in the county.
About ten days afterwards there were
two other arrivals at the hotel, to meet
whom Walton was up betimeS in the
morning when the stage drove up:--a
neat, comely woman between As and
so years old, and a girl about 20 years
Of age, with a plain out intelligent.
bright face. These were shown INTO
the hotel parlor, and Walton, going
dwon into the office, entered tnei-
naTnes or the register: Mrs. John II.
Walton; Miss Susan Walton, Indiana
In the mean time Walton had not been
idle. The bachelor housekeeping and
furnishing of the former owner of the
farm was of course not extensive
enough for a family. Three bed rooms
MAO pStn HtlSu up. dilu OtueI uouSS-
hold and kitchen effects added. The
HON was ready; and, after a day or
two for rest at the hotel for the wife
and daughter, and a ride over the town,
the Walton family moved out to their
new possessions, the sick son still DAN
daged, and muffled, and huddled up,
when he crept downstairs, n enter
ed the carriage.
Tine passed on, and the Waltons
seemed to glide naturally n easily
into their new life. The few neighbors
of the sparsely settled country made
their acquaintance,and they found Mrs.
Walton a simple, motherly woman
though she did not strike n as hav-
ing been brought up on a farm, and
never voluntarily discussed farm nat
ers. The daughter was a modest, retir-
ing sort of girl. with little to say Cor
herself. The son never showed himself
to any caller al the house.
The elder Walton entered on his vo-
cation with bouldless energy and ca
pacity for work. The former owaer
hired to him a sufficient number of his
slaves to cultivate the farm for two
years. with the option Of buying them