The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-08-13
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ene years sedireccentric old genius,
Oh FOR convenience we will call Barnes,
ivy employed by farmer living in town
sdneAix or seven miles Westerly from the
Peno5scot river, to dig well. The soil and
substratum being mostly sand, old Barnes,
after having progressed 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 full tothe top. So
having that desire which men have, Of know
ing what will be said of them after they are
dead, and no one being yet astir, he conceal.
ed himself in rank growth of burdocks by
the side Of board fence near the mouth of
the well, having first left his hat and coat
upon the windlass over the well. At length
breakfast being ready, boy was dispatched
to call him to his meal; when lol it was dis.
covered that Barnes was buried in the grave
unconsciOusly dug by his own honds The
alarm being given, and the family assembled,
it was decided first to eat break fast and then
send for the coroner, the minister, and his
wife and children. Such apathy did not fiat.
ter Barns self esteem q bit, but he waited
patiently to hear what was to be said and see
what was to be seen.
Presently all parties arrived and began
prospecting the scene ofthe catastrophe, as
people usually do in such cases, At length
they drew together to exchange opinions as
to what should be done. The minister at
once gave it as his opinion that they had bet
ter I9selup the hole and let Barnes remain:
."for, said he, che is now beyond the temp.
tation of sin; and on the dag 0; judgment it
will make no difference whether he is five
feet under ground or City, for he is bound to
come forth in either case" The coroner
likewise agreed that it would be q needless
expense to his family or the town to dsinter
him, when he was so efFectualIy buried, and
therefore entirely coincded with the minis.
ter. His wife though that "as he had left
his coat and hat, it would be hardly worth
while to dig him out for the rest of the
clothes;" and SO it was settled 10 let hii,
! remain. u
But DID Barnes, who had no breakfast an
was not at all pleased with the result OF the
! inquest, lard quiet until the shades Of even.
ing stole over the landscape; then he quiet
| y decamped to parts unknown. After re.
naming tncognito for about three years, one
morning he suddenly appeared [hatless and
coatless as he went) at the door the farmer
for whom he had agreed to dig the uufortun.
ate well. To say that an avalanche ofcues.
tions were rained upon him as TO his mystic.
rious appearance, &c. would convey but o
feeble idea of the excitement which his bodi.
ly presence created. But the old man bore
it all quietly, and at length informed them
! that on finding himself buried he waited for
them to dig him out, until his patience was
exhausted, when he setto work to dig himself
out, and only the day before had succeeded;
for his ideas being confused by the pressure
of the earth at the time of his burial, he had
dug very much at random, and instead OF
coming directly to the surface, he come out
in the town of Helden, ST" miles east ofht
Penobscot rtUr! -,
No further explanations were sought for
by those who were SO distressed and sorrow.
full over his supposed final resting place
Bangor Jefersonian.