Local businessman David Dalton praised for good deed

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When bad things happen, no matter how small and friendly the town, it’s refreshing when a story about a good deed comes out.

Last week, Mary Bloom informed the News about a missing wallet’s way back to its owner.

David Dalton, of rural Hammond, was mowing the ditch in front of his house in mid-October, as he’s known to do. After making a few passes, he noticed a black, biker-type wallet.

He immediately stopped to pick it up, he said. Luckily the mower blades were set high enough and the wallet was sunk low enough that it didn’t get shredded.

The wallet was wet, Dalton said, so he knew it had been lying in the ditch for four to five days. A big rain shower had occurred a few days prior.

When opening the wallet to look for identification, Dalton found a significant amount of cash inside.

“I didn’t count it. I wouldn’t be comfortable counting someone else’s money,” he said.

With that much money still in it, Dalton was sure he was the first to stumble upon it. He also was certain the owner would be desperate to get it back.

After searching for identification, Dalton found that it belonged to his neighbor, Mike Gillis.

Dalton took a break from mowing, got in his vehicle and headed over to the Gillis residence. When the man wasn’t home, Dalton decided to go to his work site to deliver the wallet.

“I wanted to see the look on his face,” he explained.

At first Gillis seemed slightly annoyed for being stopped from his work, Dalton said. When he saw what was being delivered, it was a different story.

“His eyes lit up and he just screamed. He was a very happy man,” Dalton said.

Gillis told Dalton that he had just cashed a check and accidentally left his wallet on his trailer. Since losing it, he had searched the roadway on foot multiple times.

Although he was offered a reward, Dalton said it was unnecessary.

Additionally, Dalton said he wasn’t even tempted to skim some of the cash before returning it.

“I wasn’t raised that way. I couldn’t even consider that,” he said.

Dalton said that he’s glad he found it, rather than someone else who may have taken the money.

“Nobody can afford to lose that much money right now,” he explained.

Tags: missing wallet returned, hammond, david, dalton