The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1857-08-15
miscellaneous.
A Capital story.

Some years since an eccentric OLE, genius
whom for convenience we will call B,rnes
was employed by farmer living in IA town
some six or seven miles westerly from the
Pennb,cot river, to dig well. The soil and
S,l5stratum being III ,>tiy sand. Old Barnes
after having pr09rcsSc. downward about forty
feet found one morning upon gong out carly
to his work that the well had essentially caved
in and was full nearly to the top. So having
that desire, which men have, knowing what
will be said Of them after they are dead. and
no one being yet as,ir. he concealed himself in
rank growth Of burlocks by the side of board
fence near the mouth of the well. having first
left his hat and frock upon the wind lass Of
the well. At length breakfast being ready
boy was dispatched TO call him to his meal.
when 10! it was seen that Barnes was bued
in the grave unconScinusly dug by his own
hands. The alarm being given and the FAM
ily assembled it was decided first to cat
breakfast and then send for the coroner, the
minister, and his wife and children. Such
apathy did nor tattcr Barnes self eStee ma
hit, but he waited patiently determined to
hear what was to be said and see what was
to he seen.
Presently all parties arrived and began
''prospccting' the scene oft catastrophe, as
people usually do in such cases. At length
they drew together to exchange opinions as
10 what Should he done. The minister at
once gave it as his opinion that they had bet
ter level up The well and let Barnes remain:
for, said he, he is now beyond the temptation
10 sin and in the the day of Judgement 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
a. 81 -, L.. II.
expense to his family or the tswn to diSinier
him when he was c!t,ctual!v buried, and
therefore cn,irly coin.i,led with the minister.
His wife thought that as he had left lis hat
and fock. il would be hardly worth while to
dig him out for the rest ofiis clothes; and
30 it was settled to let him remain.
But poor old Barrcs. who had no break
fast and was not all pleased with the result Of
the inquest, laid quiet until the shades of eve
ming stole over the landscape: then hcquie,ly
dccamp,G to parts unknown. After remain
ing iaco .ni'o Tor about three years. one morn
ing he sudllynly appeared thatlcSS and
t,ockless as he went) at the door of the farmc"
for whom hch,d agreed to dig the unfortunate
well. 70 say that an avalanche of questions
wcIeranel upon him AS to his myStcriour
disappearance &e., would convey but feeble
ilea of the excitement which his bodily pre-
Sence created. But the old man bore it all
quietly and at length informed them that Oh
finding himself bnricd he waited for them to
dig him out, until his patience was exhausted
when he set to 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 he was buried he had dug
very much at random, and instead of coming
directly to the surface he came out in the town
of Holden, SIT miles east Of the Penobseot
Ircr!
No further explanations were sought for by
those who were so distressed and surrowful
overh his supposed final resting place.