The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1857-01-29
estooning even the ugly stick chimney,

until it grew a 'thing of beauty"
Upon Mays birthday, she having then
arrived at the mature age of one year,
being able to lisp dozen broken words,
and to go on her own dimpled feet from
place to place, her mother gave a festival
to her and her two admirers, Amos and
Daniel. She made little arbor of
punches of trees over a smooth plat of
grassy ground, and decorated it profuse-
ly with flowers. A feast of all the good
things at command was spread therein;
and baby May wore ga1 land in honor
of her great attainment. She behaved
with her usual sweetness; but Daniel the
older of the two boys, having shown a
disposition to be ungallant, by appropria-
ting her gold cup to his own exclusive
use. Amos, after bearing this conduct for
some time with silent surprise, finally
forgot himself in his indignation, and,
seizing his brother by his flaxen curls, he
gave him such a shaking that Alice was
obliged to interfere. Good -humor was
soon restored; and from that time Amos
was the self-constituted guardian OF baby
May whenever they played together
Not that Daniel was not also her lover as
BEFORE but he had a faint streak of selfish
ness cross grained his character, from
which his brother was as free as ever a
boy could be. Amos was great favor
ite with Alice. Despite of sun burnt
cheeks and awkward clothes, he was a
fine looking child, his flashing gray eyes
and noble forehead revealing qualities
much like his fathers, and which only
needed the refining influence of education
to make them remarkable. The fair En-
glish lady despite of her many other du-
ties, spent many an hour in teaching the
two boys such knowledge as would avail,
when school should be established in
the settlement, to give them a fair start
with other children of their age who had
not lived so secluded.
The summer passed and Mr.. Lancas-
ter determined not to remain where they
were another winter; when an incident
occurred which caused him to change his
resolution. He had cut the most of his
corn, which was stacked in the field,
awaiting the time of husking; but, wish
ing some stalks to give his horses, he one
day went out and pulled up few, not
being able just then to find his sickle
What was his astonishment to find dan
Cling to the roots of one of these stalks a
piece of pure lead ore half as large as his
fist! Geology had been his favorite study
once; SO be kept his discovery secret
from every one but his wife, and spent
the nj xt week or two in explorations
He found that there was very rich and
EXTENSIVE lead vein beginning in the VAL
ley at the west of his house, passing un-
der the whole of his farm and Mr.. Pot
ter's, and running OH for some distance
along the prairie to the east. Of mining
operations, he had little practical know
ledge, for a part of his fathers fortune
consisted in mines in England; and, out
of the passion for mineralogy which he
had, as well as having Leen sometimes
next door 10 look into the accounts of the
Company, he had some idea of their val
ue and the means necessary for working
them. But how to get his treasures to a
market was the difficulty through which
he could not see. When he had finished his
surveying, he took Peter Potter into the
secret of their mutual good fortune, who
pondered over it for a night before he ex-
pressed himself.
Elm the first place." said Peter, the
next morning, when Mr. Lancaster called,
eve must get hold of as much of the vein
as we can to keep out spectators The
Government Surveying company will sur
vey this tract next week, and we can buy
in as much as we like at dollar an
quarter an provided we we got any
money. We got two hundred dollars
saved up one way and another, and shall
have fifty more when my corn IS tuck to
the Station
'.My wife has hundred pounds which
her father sent her but the other day.
"Good. Well buy up the vein, and
then we II go shucks with some Teller that
has the ready money--some Eastern
speculator. He II only hev to construct
railroad-woodeno one will do for year
or two-up to the Station. There IS a
good harbor and dock there now, where
vessels come whenever there's business
We III dump our lead right out of the cars
into the vessels, and they II take it tc
every part as fur as Buffalo,"
''Our May shall be an heiress yet!'
cried Mr.. Lancaster, exultingly, as he
went back to his cabin, and caught ur
the little creature, and tossed her to his
shoulder
ssA I,airacc hoh., NIL