Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-08-21

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which he would regard any one putting {
question to him, won for him, among al
the miners, the somewhat appropriate su5
lreqUet of Dummy" His real name wa
jeremiah Haford. He was native of oue
| of the Middle States.
As soon as Dummy was certain he hat
attracted the attention Of the company. h,
threw his arms wildly and furiously int,
the air, swayed his body back and fortl
with a quick, rapid movement, and renew
ed his shouting with redoubled force fo
help.
The violence of his manner, and tn,
deep earnestness of the tones of his voice
caused about dozen Of those nearest t,
him to start in a rapid pace to learn til,
cause Of this unusual state Of then faYositi
/ Dummy.
/ On their arrival, which was but thu
work Of a moment, they found him labor
ing under an intense excitement-the per
/ spiration standing in large drops upon hi
forehead, his small piercing eyes rolling
wildly in their sockets, and his face all a
glow with a feryor of animation which tolC
plainly that something of most extraor
binary character had happened to him.
He was too full of feeling by this time t.
utter word Of reply to their numerous
questions, which in their eagerness they
put to him in rapid succession. All he
could now do was to point off in north
east direction and then quickly at his fee
where lay huge, ponderous mass of min
eral of about a hundred and seventy pounds
weight.
The lump presented the glowing, daz
cling appearance of new broken ore, Oh
every side.
| This was done by Dummy, who, upon
discovering it, was so completely overioyed
at It's discovery and possession, which, e.
ven he, in his half demented condition
knew well enough, was a fattering indica-
ton Of a rich deposite of lead ore in the
immediate vicinity, land of which he was con
scious, by the prior right Of discovery, he
was entitled to the absolute ownership
save therent; he set about at once to break
off the corners, the jagged points and pro-
jecting Jumps for the purpose of feeding
! his delighted eyes with the sight of the
rich bright shining appearance Of the new
| " broken mass.
After gloating over the rich treasure IN
til his ayarlce was IN a measure gratifed,
he wished to communicate to others the
great good fortune which had crowned his
efforts. Knowing that on Saturday, all
the miners We're to be found at the Light
House, he resolved to carry this huge piece
all the way from the place Of discovery to
the saloon which was distant probably 6
mile and a half,-and difficult road il
was, for between it and the boys, two for
ini3ahle bills 10 be crossed reared theil
frowning sides. Still, nerved BY excite
ment Of the splendid fortune which had
begun to dawn upon his mind, and the in
tense desire that burned in his bosom O
imparting the fact to bis acquaintance, he
resolutely took up the massive lump anc
commenced his toilsome journey. It's i'm
mense weight and peculiar shape which
made it difficult to hold weighed heavily
upon him, and he was forced often to lay
it down to rest. He toiled on, and OF
however, sometimes rolling it over and o
yer, and sometimes carrying it in one way
and another, until, when almost exhausted
with his strength just spent, he reached
nearly the top of the only hill which shu
out the view Of the saloon. It was at thi;
point, with about two-thirds of his body il
Isight, he commenced the shouting before
alluded to and which resulted in bringing
the miners to his assistance.
After making several Intellectual attempts
to learn from Dummy how, where, and
when he got the large piece Of mineral be
fore them, and to understand what he wish
ed Of them, they concluded, after mo
ments consultation, to return to their sports
and leave him with his mineral alone il
his glory. They started, and after getting
few rods distant, Dummy understood
what they were doing, and darted afte
them with great speed, and pointed bacl
at the lump, and then at the Light House
BY this time they comprehended his mea
ming, and returned and took it from thu
ground and carried it to the company
while Dummy marched after them in 81
lence. AS soon as they came near thu
House, the whole assemblage quilted thei
sports and flock around to learn the secre
which attached both to the piece of mine
raj and Dummys connection with it,
Knowing that it was seldom he ever dug
but on the contrary passed his time con
1 tentedly picking the small bits of the orr
which were thrown out of the holes by tn,
miners, and buried in the mass of dirt &C
eompanying them.
By this time Dummy's feeling had quit,
! subsidized, and in answer to the question
which were put to him by several of thos,
lowering about, he said, that becoming
i great deal exhausted with the fatigue 0
scratching over the old dirt piles which haC
become compact and hard from long expo
] sure to the storms, and atmospheric inhu
ences and feeling great degree of thirs
from the heat of the warm August day, h
sought the stream near by-and while ben
ding over the clear crystal water to irnbib
a portion of the reviving fluid, he saw a
1 the bottom, among the stones which line,
bit, one piece which apparently had regula
sides and square corners, very much unlik
l all Others. After taking long, deep, re
freshing draught, he leisurely rolled up tn
i sleeves of his shirt, and thrust his arms in
4 to the stream and drew up the cube-hk