Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-10-24
FINDS ITS
OWNER AFTER
FIFTY YEARS
Interesting Story of Old Arizo-
nan Who RevisitS Old Home
and Relatives in Pittsburg
After Half Century,

Phoenix. Ariz. oct. I'D. W. Nc
Callen, better known as Walker Nc
Callen. Of Ray Camp. Pinal county.
was in Phoenix Yesterday en- route
home, after a very eventful visit in
the east. II was his first trip back
Ia the old home in Pittsburg for hfty-
one years ana it is easy To imagine
that he saw many changes. He went
ufimarily TO see his relatives. if he
could find any. a thing he was not very
sure about. and he came very near
falling 10 do 50. II was only by a
lucky chance thai he did ind them,
and when successful he had the finest
kind of a visit.
F~ifty-one years agO Mr.. McCallen
turned his face TO the westward. II
was during the gold excitement in CAL
ifornia and he kept travelling until he
reached the western strand. As 50
often the ease in those days, he neg
lected 10 write and the mail service
was a very haphazard Institution any
way. He finally lost track of his rel
atiVeS from whom he was so widely
separated. and did not think il worth
while to try and restore communica-
tian. Eventually he drifted down into
Arizona and a number of years ago ne
located In Pinal county, acquiring VAL
liable claims. Some of them he still
owns and some he has sold, providing
himself with a competence.
Mr.. McCallen Is now - years old
and being in easy circumstances he de-
cided To visit Pittshurg again. lie
might or might not be able to trace his
relatives, If any were yet living, but
he could al least see the city and
note the changes Of the better part OF
"a lifetime. He left on his journey sew
eral weeks ago, but when he reached
Putsburg he was lost, except for the
guide books. police and other officials
who take care of strangers. lie was
prepared to be surprised ana startled,
but he was not prepared TO be COM
ploteN beWildered He looked the city
over 10 his satisfaction, but could iiud
nobody that he knew. or had even
heard about in former days. Neither
could he find anybody who knew any
one he could name as a possible rela-
tive. lie had decided that he
couldn't live very long i'm that smoky
city and would not If he could, ana
was about prepared to give up all hope
OF finding any relative, however dls-
tant. and return to Arizona again,
When it occurred To him To apply TO
the police.
The chief was found. but he said
70 was TOO far baCk in history Tor
him to grasp as he had only been liV-
ing there during the period since ne
born. However. he accompanied
Mr.. McCaIlen to the office of the
who was an older man. He
could not give any Information either
but there CHANGED to be a clerk IN
the office who had known people of
that name and after working the tele-
phone Il while a relative was found.
A date was made for Mr.. MeCallen To.
be at a certain place the next day aud
when he got there he faced a whole
house fun of relatives.
The face that most appealed TO him
was that of his sister. who was mar
to a man he had known in his
childhood. The sister hen handed 40
Mr.. McCalleu a letter dated in 1868
written by a brother. now dead Tor
years and addressed to Nj. Me
IN san Francisco. IL had been
returned 10 the writer and kept in
the family ever since. awaiting the
daV when his address should be made
known. The letter was written IN PLAIN
and the ink was cet-
good FOR it had not faded IN
the slightest. and the envelope car
lies the old-fashioned scent stamp.
The letter is merely about family mat
ters. and states the anxiety TO hear
the wanderer, who at the time
the writing was supposed to be in
san Francisco.
Mr.. McCallen. who left for his home
I'm Raw Yesterday, said he could not
and would not live in Pittsburg now,
INT he will surely visit the old home
and the relatives from whom
has been so long separated every
summer from now until the end.