Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-22
Wealthy Alaskan Locates For
mer Wife and His Two Chill
dren in Presumption, But
Is Turned Away.
HAD BEEN LONG WANDERER
He Drifts and Dissipates; Braces
Up, Becomes Affluent, and Now
Wants to Enrich Offspring.

Separated for years from his wife and
children because OF the Iatter's alleged
preference for another man; drinkInq
OF the dregs of the bitterness of dis
sipatlon and abandon; reforming and
realizing an ambition for riches, the
latter gained through the discovery of
an Alaskan gold claim; hunting out
his wife only to find that she has d.
sorced him, and now seeking the prlvi-
iege of bringing up his children under
proper educational and moral InfiU-
ences, and offering to settIe fortune
upon them If they will consent to the
appointment of guardian-suchi Is the
llfe's story narrated by Herbert 3.
Ehier, still young man, who yester
day located his former wife In the vii
iaee of Presumption. EhIer left this
afternoon for his Alaskan home, after
addressing the following letter to the
postmaster at Presumption, the commun-
IcatIon having been written on the sta
tionery OF the Now Harper, where
EhIer was guest:
Drifts From Bad to Worse.
Rock Island, ILL.,, Sept. %, 1910.-To
the postmaster of Presumption, ILL.,:
Dear Sir: The writer desires to en-
list your confidence, and just a little
assistance. And to begin with, let me
tell you my story: I am Herbert B.
Ehler, formerly the husband Of Mrs.
Sadie Ehler, who Is a resident Of your
village. We were married in 1895.
when I was 10 years old. Two children
were born to us. Byron and Blanche. In
1901 we separated. 1 was not all that
I should have been. No man is. AT
any rate, an interloper Ca friend of
mine), destroyed my hopes and home
at Bynchburg, Va. / drifted, first from
bad to worse, and then l came to, and
after while / saw the folly of throw
ing my life away, and started to make
q fortune. I succeeded, failed, and sue
ceeded again. Then about four years
ago thought would hunt up my fam
fly. and share with them the fruits of
my success. / went to Kansas City,
where they were living, and learned
that my wife (she was not divorced
them was receiving attention from an
other man. Naturally went away, but
without letting my wife learn 1 knew
of her conduct.
Wife secures Divorce,
She finally secured a divorce from
me three years ago. But again l hunt
ed her up in Cincinnati, but 1 learned
she was still friendly with another
man. l then went to British Columbia
and Alaska, and for the past IS months
have been making $4,000 per month
on a gold claim which located in the
province OF Cossiar, in the Dominion OF
Canada. Again l sought my wife and
located her in your village. Yesterday
/ visited her in the guise Of civil en-
gineerl l went to the house, asked to
see my children, but was refused. The
same man was with her, living at the
house ostensibly as boarder. With
out seeking further evidence or again
trying to see my children, came away,
and this afternoon l return to my camp
in Alaska.
Fortune for Children.
Now, my dear sir, those two children
whom l have neglected, but whom 1
could not assist under the circum-
stances, are mine, just as much as
their mothers. l don't want to rob her
of them, but I want them to live under
better influence, to grow up and have
an education and moral standing be-
fitting their rights. To this end 1 am
going to ask you to talk with Byron
and Blanche, both of whom you must
know; find out from them They're old
enough to understand) If they would
like to go to a good boarding school.
Tell them what their father desires for
them, and explain the advantages they
will have. If possible, talk to their
mother
I am ready to settle $4,000 on my