The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-08-06
A Capital Story.

SoIno years since, an eccentric old geni-
US, whom Tor convenience we will call
Barnes, was employed by farmer living
| IN town somo six or seven miles westerly
from The Pcnobscot river, TO die a well.
The soil and substratum being mostly sand,
old barnes, after having progressed down.
ward about forty feet, found onemorn,no un.
on going out TO his work that III well had
essentially eaved IN and was full yearly to the
top. 30 having that desire which men
hnvo OF knowing wba. will DC said Of them
after they arc dead, and no ono being vel,
astlr, he concealed himself in q rank growth
OF burdocks by the side OF board fence
near tho mouth of tho well, having left his
hat and frock upon tho windass over the
well. At length, breakfast being ready, n
boy was despatched 10 call him 10 his meal.
when 10. and behold il VIA, seen that
barnes was buried in the grave Unconscious.
ly dug by his own hands. Tho alarm he.
ing given, and the family assembled, il was
decided first 10 cat breakfast anl then send
Tor tho coroner, tho minister and his wifo
and children. Such apathy did not falter
Barnes selfesteom q bit, but no waited pa.
tently, determined TO hear what was 70 bo
S''Nt "hA oS0 Nba W DC Soen,
Presently all parties arrived aud began
prospecting" tho scene Of the catastrophe,
as people usually do in such cases. At
length they drew together 10 exchange
opinions as 10 what should bo done. The
minister at once gavo it rs his opinion that
they had better level up the we'll and let
Barnes remain; for, said he, .he is now be-
yond tho temptation OF sin, and in the day
OF judgment it will make no difference whe.
ther he Is buried five feet under ground or
iifly, for he is bound TO como forth in either
case" Tho coroner likewise agreed that '.it
would be q needless expense TO his family
or the town 10 disiuter him when he was
so eifectually buried" and, therefore, en-
tirely coincided with tho minister. His
wilo thought that rs "he had left his hat
and frock, it would be hardly worth whilo
10 dig him out for the rest Of his clothes;"
and so it was settled to let him remain.
But poor old Barnes, who had no breakfast
and was not at all pleased with the result
of tho inquest, laid quiet until the shades of
evening stolo over the landscape, then ho
quietly decamped to parts unknown.
AstOr remaining incognito for about three
years, one morning he suddenly appeared
ihatleSs and irockloss n he wont at tho
door of tue farmer Tor who,u lao had agreed
to dig the unfortunate VOL. To say ,hat
an avalanche Of questions was raned up
on him as to his mysterious re-appearauce,
&c., would convey but feeble iGea of the
excitement which his bodily presence
created. But tho old man bore it all oui-
city, and at length informed them that on
finding himself buried, ho waited for them
TO dig him out, until his patience was OK
haus!ed, when he set TO work 10 dig him
self out, and only tho day before had sue
ceeded! for, his ideas being somewhat con
fused by tho pressure of tho earth at the
time he was buried, lie had dug very much
At random, and instead of coming directly
to the surface, ho came out in tho town Of
Hotamc, SIC males east Of tic PcaoJscot rio
err!
No further explanations wcre sought for
10y those who wero SO distressed and sor-
rowiuI over his supposed fual resting place.
Bangor Jcgcrsoaian.