The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-11-11
How lie Dug Himself Out.
A COOP TORY.


Some years since, an eccentric old oe-
Mus. whom for convenience we shall call
Barnes, was employed l:y farmer, liv-
ing in q town some SIX OF seven miles
westerly from the Penobscot river, to dig
well. The soil and substratum being
mostly sand, old Barnes, after having pro
crossed downward about forty feet, found
one morning upon going out early to his
work, that the we'll had essentially caved
in, and was nearly filled to the top. So,
having that desire which some men have
of knowing what will be said Of them
when they are dead, and no one being
vet astir, he concealed himself in rank
growth of burdocks by the side of board
fence, near the mouth of the well, having
left bis frock and hat on the windlas over
the well. AT length breakfast being rea-
dy q boy was dispatched to call him to his
meal, when 10! it was found that Barnes
was buried in the grave unconsciously
dug by his own hands. The alarm being
given and the family assembled, twas de-
c;ded first to eat breakfast, and then send
for the coroner, the minister, and his wife
and children. Such apathy did not fiat
ter Barnes sclf-esteem bit, but he avail
ted patiently, determined to hear what
was to be said, and see what was to be
seen. l W ~
Presently, all parties arrived, and be-
gan prospecting the scene of catastrophe
as people usually do in such cases. At
length they drew together to exchange
opinions as to what was to be done. The
minister gave at once as his opinion that
they had better level up the well and let
Barnes remain: ''for' said he, "he is now
beyond the temptation of sin; and in the
day of judgement it will make no differ
ence whether he is buried five feet under
the ground, or fifty, for he is bound to
come forth i'll either case"
The coroner likewise agreed that sit
would be needless expense to the family
or the town to disinter him, when he wa
50 effectually buried" and therefore coin
cided with the minister.
His wife thought as he had left his hat
and frock, Kit would be hardly worth
while to dig him out for the rest of his
clothes - and so it was settled to let him
remain.
But poor old Barnes, who had had no
breakfast and was not at all pleased
with the result of the inquest, lay quiet
until the shades of evening stole over the
landscape then he quietly decamped to
parts unknown. After remaining incog-
alto about three years, one morning he
suddenly appeared (hatless and frockless
as he VENT at the door OF the farmer for
whom he had agreed to dig the unfortu-
nate well. To say that an avalanche of
questions were rained upon him as to his
mysterious temperance, DC, would con
vcy but feeble idea of the excitement
which his bodily presence created. But
the old man bore it all quietly, and at
length informed them that on finding him
sell buried, he waited for them to dig him
out, until his patience was exhausted and
then he set to work to dig himself out,
and only the day before succeeded for, his
ideas being confused by the pressure of
the earth at the time he was buried, he
had dug very much at random, and, in
stead of coming DIRECTLY to the surface, he
came out in the town of Hidden, sac
miles east Of the Penobscot rirer.
No further explanations were sought
iOl' r' ..E d. tt.E