Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-06-20
A Capitol story.

F. o j
Some years since, an eccentric old Ceni-
us, whom for convenience we will call
Barnes, was employed by farmer living
in town some six or seven miles westerly
from the Penobscot river, 10 dig a WE'LL
The soil and substratum being mostly sand,
old Barnes after having progressed down
ward about forty feet, found one morning
upon going out to his work that the well
had essentially caved in and was full nearly
to the top. SoabaSing that desire, which
men Jhave,tof knowing whatawilt he said of
them after they are dead, and no one being
yet astr, no concealed himself in rank
growth ofburdocks by yithe side of board
fence near the mouth of the well, Having
first left his hatapd frock upon jhe.nindiiiess
over the we'll. AT length breakfast being
ready, a boy was despatched to call him -
his meal, when 10! and behold il was seen
that Barnes was buried in the grave, sun-
consciously dugIby his own hands. The
alarm being given, and the family assem-
bied, it was decided first to eat breakfast
and then send for the coroner, the minister,
and his wife and children. Such apathy
did not flatter Barnes selfesteem a bit, but
he waited patiently, determined to hear
what was to be said aud see what was TO be
seen. i,..t.... 8, -.Ae, 80
Iresently all parties arrived ond began
prospecting the scene of the catastrophe,
as people usually do in such cases. Al
length they drew together to exchange opin-
ions as tolwhat should be done. The min
lister at once gave it his opinion that they
had better level up the we'll and let Barnes
remain for, said he, 'be is now beyoudthe
temptation TO sin, aud in thosday of iudg-
ment it will make no difference whether he
is buried five feet under the ground or fifty,
for he is bound to come forth in either
case. The coroner likewise agreed that 1t
would be q needless expense 10 his family
or the town to disnter him when he was so
effectually buried, and therefore entirely
coincided with the minister. His wife
thought that as she had left his Int and
frock, it 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 poorold Barnes, who had no breakfast
and was not at all pleased with sthe result
of the inquest, laid quiet until the shade Of
evening stole over the landscape, then he
quietly decamped TO parts unknown.
After remaining incognito for about three
years, one morning he suddenly appeared
(hatless and frockless as he wentj at the
door of the farmer for whom he mad agreed
to dig the unfortunate we'll To say that
an avalanche of questions were .rainedupo
him as to his mysterious Temperance,
&C., weuld convey but feeble idea of the
excitement which his bodily presence crea-
ted But tho old man bore it all quietly,
and at isngtb informed them that on find.
ing himsSlf buried he waited for them to
dig him out, cntil his patience %ss exhaust
ed, when lie sat:n wortalo dig A'nlself ont.
and tonlythe daybefore had succ .eded l.for.
his ideas being somewhat confused by the
pressure of The earth at Ike time he, was
buried, he had dug very much at random,
and instead of coming directly TO the sur
face, dc came out in the town of Holden, six
miles east Of the Penobscot rivcry
No further explanations were sought for
by those who were so distressed and sor-
rowful oyor his supposed firal resting place.
Bangor ,TssSsrsohihn,
Wanted. ri
A young man of industry, ability and in,
iegritys DC, This meets our eye daily in
the column Of wants" and il is as true