Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-10-04
CHAPTER XIV

When Silas Babson failed to come
home for dinner the night the Bank
Of Valley Center closed forever. his
wife waited until eight O'clock and
then telephoned Henry Rookby. Upon
Mr.. Rocky Immediately fell a sus-
picion that something tragic impended.
He found Babson's tin box unlocked.
so he opened 1t and found Babson's
letter to his wife In the envelope with
the life insurance policies.
Shaking slightly with apprehension,
Mr.. Rocky went into his cage and
found there an envelope addressed to
to him. 1t was from Babson and read:
"Dear Henry: can't stand it. If
live my wife and children will be
paupers and I'll be the most hated
man in this county. could never heat
back-and I'm too old to try. And I'm
too tired. Look for me in Lake Bah
son. Good-by and good luck. S. B."
So Mr. Rookby telephcned the super.
intendent of state banks at the capitol
to send somebody up to take charge Of
the Bank Of Valley Center. Then he
pasted a notice on the window. an.
nouncing the closing Of the bank.
The payment Of the semi-annual in
terest had been due on July /. Alas
The funds Of the district had been
deposited in the Bank Of Valley Cen
ter, and all but 80 per cent of them
had been lost in the collapse Of the
/ bash SO the district. not knowing
&h6f the holders Of its bonds pur.
2pesdG doing, defaulted on the interest
payment.
On July the trustee for the bond.
holders notified the district that unless
payment of the defaulted interest was
made by August legal action would
be taken to foreclose the deed Of trust
given to secure the bonds.
The directors of the district held
meeting. They recalled Nate Tiche-
nor's threat to buy the bonds from the
original purchasers. Was he scheming
to delude the farmers Of ForlorD Val.
ley into growing more and more al
falfa and planting trees. thus enrich
ing his land to point where his
threatened foreclosure would make the
disaster all the greater?
The secretary was instructed to
write to Tichenor's attorney and ask
him for a frank exposition of Nate
Tichenor's intentions. Back came a
prompt reply to the effect that Tiche-
nor's intentions we're unknown to his
attorney; that Tichenor was In Eu-
rope.
A mass meeting was held, but while
there was much talk there was no
concerted action: since nobody knew
what to do. nothing was done, and on
the first day Of August the interest
payment was still in default. On the
second day of August suit was filed
by the trustee to foreclose the deed
of trust. and Forlorn Valley. realizing
that all was over, sat dumbly and pa.
tiently awaiting the end.
The farmers could do nothing else.
They had no place to go, so they
waited to be dlspossessed formally by
the sheriff.
On December 30 Nate Tlchenor and
his wife came home. Darby met them
with the limousine when they got Off
the train at Gold Run and noticed that
they were accompanied by a nurse
who held a two-months' old baby In
her arms.
Hello" said Darby, II see got
another boss"
"a boy. Darby. We had to have an
heir to Eden Valley. you know"
81 suppose you've heard the news
about Forlorn Valley"
Eyes. sir. Seems pretty bitter medi.
cine, but they asked for 1t. as Rube
says, and they got It."
"You bet they got 1t. Have any Of
the farmers In the district moved
out?"
mo. I don't think 80. Joe BrainerCi
says they haven't any place to CO. so
they're hanging on, hoping the new
owners will lease the farms back to
them. sir"
swell, that might be possible. Stow
the bags. Darby. and let's CO. We must
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