The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1927-07-29
Letter Addressed
TO Hissaself
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
By AID seNUsThR
W6,,lilHNI W6py,,rlillsHNI

~
getic and enthusiastic at once.
He shifted his weight from one leg
to the other-an but danced-and his
eyes sparkled as boys. "Yessir,
there's gold here and you folks don't
know 1t. Do you know why you don't
know it? Well, it's just because It's
close at hand.
A laugh from the group on the
porch of the Morcom house shamed
the old man into silence, but there
was one who took pity on the butt
of the towns jokes.
Maybe" he said, "old Tyler knows
more than we What was 1t, now, you
were sayIng?"
Suspiciously the man made answer.
Gone was the enthusiasm and he spoke
slowly, with a reminiscent drawl.
"It is only that men think they have
to go to the ends Of the earth for
precious metals. They climb rocky
mountains, go into the deserts, where
they suffer Of heat and thirst, travel
way up north to Alaska, fight, starve,
and work themselves to DEATH and all
the time ;"
"Yes"
"All the time 1t may be right here,
right under their doorsteps. Don't you
know they dug 1t out Of cellar Of
hotel on the American river In Cali
fornia, found it In fruit orchards in
Oregon?"
Eyes, but, Tyler the one who In
terrupted spoke gently, 'whO ever
heard of gold In this corner of 4 r.
kansas?"
"That isn't the point. There are
stories enough of the Indians finding
1t here and there are indications. You
can't fool me on Indications" And old
Tyler, offended and saddened, walked
away. for he knew in his own company
he could find enthusiasm once more.
He was q figure around Linderville,
q man to be pointed to as charac-
ter. And yet the town knew 1t would
miss him If he were to wander to new
fields. AT times he was gone for a
week or more and there were few who
did not own to some anxiety lest he
should fail to return. No sooner was
he back than came the temptations to
twit him concerning his enthusiasms.
1t was fun plaguing old Tyler. May
be he didn't mind.
One day after a particularly trying
time old Tyler retired to his room in
the hotel determined to shake the dust
of Linderville forever from his feet.
1t was then he received his first let
ter one that he kept to himself de-
spite all the curious inquiries. Two
days later, dressed for prospecting, he
set out, stopping moment before the
group on the porch.
"I'm on a good trail this time" he
said, "Wouldn't be surprised If
struck it rich"
When the usual laugh came the old
| man, for once, was not annoyed. He
waved his hand cheerfully and plod
| ded out of town. He did not come
back. AS the days passed men grew
| anxious Then a searching expedition
was started. At one place they founG
his pick and again his old hat, but
| there was no trace Of the man. Lin
| derville recollected how 1t had teaseC
| the prospector and felt ashamed.
reward was posted and the porch con
! ferences took on regretful and sol
| emn air.
| The second letter came for old Tyler
and he was not there to open 1t. Fol
two days 1t rested on the desk of The
| hotel
"We might as well open It," one
suggested. 'It might be from some
relative who ought to be notified o,
his death, or disappearance"
They opened the letter, crowdine
around. This is what 1t said:
adrian Tyler: The quartz you sen
me for assay Is unusually promising
1t runs 800 to the ton and If you have
any quantity, the prospect should bt
exceedingly valuable"
They had laughed! And he hat
gone off waving his hand and smiling
Old Tyler, the one they had believed
touched by the love of gold, knew
more than they. He had known 1t al
the time. Linderville was doubl,
ashamed, and then, as that feeling dis
appeared, 1t became fovetous. On,
by one the male population took t
the slopes and fields in search of tn,
gold that Tyler had found The dream
of that fortune, never found, endure!
there yet.
Back In Minden, with the son VIII,
wrote to him extending an invitation
old Tyler sits with the Chess and
Checker club as q man who enjoys {
huge joke.
THAT letter." he said, "that letter
addressed to myself at Linderville
just wonder what effect 1t had on the