The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-09
After Half
Century
By JOHN TURNLEE

his front window he noticed some mcI
digging In Il vacant lot opposite. II,
WAS seized with trepidation lest som,
Objectionable building was to be erect
ed Oh the lot and, dressing himself
went out to make inquiries He learn
ed that the lot had been sold and the
owner was about to erect on it SOAP
factory.
Mr.. Merton at once sought the man
and secured an option on the lot at a
substantial profit to the latter. Then
he visited several Of his neighbOrs,
proposing that they should club to.
gether and protect the locality by buy
ing the lot. Only one person. Il man
named Cavity. was willing or per
haps able to make such an investment.
and he and Merton became the owners
BY agreement they put the property In
the hands of a trust company. to be
divided among the heirs of the third
generation, Or the grandchildren Of the
two owners. The Mertons were to
have the north half and the Gawtrys
the south half
Twenty years later. both Merton and
Cavity being dead and the part of the
city in which the lot lay having be
come used for business. the trustees
leased the lot for thirty years. and a
store building was erected upon 1t.
BY the terms Of the lease ut its expira-
ton the building was to belong to the
owner Of the lot.
Meanwhile the descendants Of the
joint owners had become scattered. The
trust c0mpany's directors and officers
had been changed. and there was no
descendant Of either Merton or Cav
try who knew about the lot. for which
but $500 had been paid by the two pur,
chaSerS.
One day an advertisement appeared
for grandchildren of the late John
Merton and Samuel Gawtry. 1t elicit
ed no response and was repeated from
time to time for II year. when it met
the eyes Of Il young bank clerk named
Spencer in western city. His IA
ther and mother were dead. but he
knew that his mothers maiden name
was Merton. He wrote to the advor
tiscr and received a printed statement
setting forth the facts in the case OF
the Merton-Gawtry lot. Spencer. con
was his grandfather, investigated the
case and. after Il long hunt. found that
he was the only living grandchid of
the said Merton and consequently heir !
to the north half Of the property
No response to the advertisement |
whatever came from the Cavity side. |
and no division could be made Of the ,
lot and building until the heirs in this |
family were found. John Spencer. de-
sirous of coming into what was II for
tune. ut once made 1t his business to
hunt up these heirs. He began mt the
fountainhcad. making inquiries as to
the first and second generations of
Gnwtrys. and learned that II son of
Samuel Cavity had settled In Detroit.
Spencer went to Detroit where he
learned that the widow of Slmucl
Gawtry of the second generation was
living in Strlitcncd circumstances.
Not wishing to excite false hopes in
his person. he made inquiries in Il
way and learned that the
original Gnwtry had had several chill
lrcn. but the only living ginndchild
was Marian Cavity. daughter of the
widow he hHd found. IIavin. pro
rr''Cd thus far, Spencer returned Ia
'!icAgo and reported his find Ia the
rust COMPANY and left its officers to
niiNfy themselves that he tSppnccp
MI Mari"n t;wtrv were the heirs tu
h" runrrty in question and. this
lone. to give each heir II half. ,
on" morning Miss Marian Cavity. :
when aluGr ta - to her school duties,
ook Il letter from the po<tmln inform !,
NJ her That the Trust company OF p,
'hi,d ago WIS ready to convey to her
nr-hllf of Il certain lot and building in
hat lily hequeathCd To her by her
Samuel Gawtry. She re-
erred thu rlIttrr fo her mother. who
aid she had never heard of her father {
whin% such property. He had left !
uNdSb ltIlN years Htlbft. poor
nan. Miss Gawtry put the matter !
own rs Il mistake and. proceeding to Q
chool. thought no more about it.
Gne evening She received Il call from
young man named Spencer. He was
bout To mention the fact that she wis 9
n heircSS when il occurred to him that q
ince there WAS Il building on the prop G
rty there might he difficulty in divid- I
~ il and ii would he better that they [
hould own it together. But he was an l
onorahlc fellow and scornei to win O
er knowing that she was an heiress.
Miss Cavity" he said. II have come q
, Detroit to inform you that YOU are
'int owner with me Of lot and build
~ in Chicago worth in all half a mil
on dollars"
The young lady. remembering the
'rmer information she had received on
lis subject, coolly remarked:
That's mistake. My mother SAYS
er father owned no such property in
hicago."
viii you marry me IL what I tell
Oh is true?'