Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-26
READS like ROMANCE
POLK COUNTY MAN FALLS HEIR
TO A FORTUNE.
Ed. A. Eaton of Hopewell Unexpect,
edly Finds Himself Worth
About 100000.


To have lost all one possessed, in g
material sense, through sickness anc
death in the family and to have
knocked around making an honest liv.
ing as best he could for himself and
daughter for several years and then tc
awaken one bright spring morning to
find that he had unexpectedly fallen
heir to property in the east to the
approximate value of 100000, is a
state of conditions which would bring
gladness and rejoicing to the heart of
almost any human being and such has
fallen to the lot of Ed A. Eaton, who
has been ekeing out a living by buy
ing and selling all kinds of farm pro-
duce in the village of Hopewell, in
Polk county, and his daughter, Mrs.
Lizzie Smith, who now lives in Chi
cago.
Not many years ago Mr.. Eaton, a
man Of about so, was a prosperous
citizen of Illinois, happily possessed of
a little home and surrounded with all
of the little blessings that make life
worth while, but the happy household
was stricken with disease and when
the "grim spectre" finally came to
reap his harvest Mr.. Eaton awakened
to the realization that he had lost his
beloved wife and helpmate, that his
little fortune had been exhausted and
he was thrown out upon the world to
start all over again with an aching
heart and little girl to bring up and
educate in the world. He went to
California, where he performed such
work as he could find to do, and, two
years ago, came to Salem
Although possessed of good edu-
cation, having had good schooling in
his youth as an adopted son of a we'll
to-do Illinois farmer, he did not stay
in the city but struck out for the
country where he could be close to
mother nature and away from the
frivolities of city life. He left his
daughter in the east to finish her ed
ucation. He started out to buy poul-
try, eggs, butter, and, in fact, all
kinds of farm produce which he ship
ped to the city markets until he met
up W. C. Miller, an old and prosper
GUS farmer of Hopevell, who provided
him with living quarters and Office
and storeroom in which to carry on
his commission business and with
work during the cultivating and har-
vest seasons, and there he has made
his home for nearly two years. In
this way he managed to pick out an
honest living for himself and an edu-
cation for his daughter since the day
he lost his wife and home and met up
face to face with adversely.
One day recently he received big
legal looking package through the
mails and when he opened it he found
that he and his daughter had fallen
heir to the fourth of an estate in Hi
nois, left by an aunt by adoption,
Mrs. L. j. Eaton, and that their share
would amount to about 100000 For
his share of the fortune, which he is
to divide with his daughter, he will
receive an S0-acre farm near Aurora,
Illinois, fully improved, including
modern two-story farm dwelling; two
lots with houses in Springfield and |
some valuable real estate in the city
of Chicago. The farm land is worth |
$3.50 per acre on the market, besides a
coal right which goes with the farm.
the value of which is inestimable.
After settling up all of his affairs
Mr.. Eaton departed from Salem yes
terday morning for California, on bis
way back to claim the estate and to be
reunited with his daughter, who was
happily married last September and
who is preparing to move back 10
Springfield upon one of the properties
of the estate. Mr. Eaton has fallen
in love with Oregon and its matchless
however and when he gets his
business Strengthened in the east and
converts some of the property into
ready cash, he will return to Hope
well where he has taken an option
upon valuable tract of farm land
and where he expects to spend the
balance of his life.-Salem Journal