Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-07-10
A Canital Story.

Some years sibce, an eccentric oiu ee'
MUS, whom for convenience We will call
Barnes, was employed by farmer, living
in a town some six or seven miles wester-
ly from the Penobscot 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 well had essentially caved
in, and was full nearly to the top. So,
having that desire, which some men have,
Of knowing what will be said of them af
ter they are dead, and no one being yet
astir, be concealed himself in a rank
growth o: burdocks by the side of board
fence near the mouth Of the well, having
first left bis bat and frock upon the wind
lass over the we'll. A; length, breakfast
being ready; boy was dispatched to call
him to bis meal, when 10 it was seen
that Barnes was buried in the grave un-
consciously dug by his own hands! The
alarm being given, and the family assem-
bled, it was decided first to eat breakfast,
and then send for the coroner, the minis
ter, and his wife and children. Such apa-
thy did not hatter Barnes self-esteem
bit, but he waited patiently, determined
to hear what was to be said, and see wha.
was to be seen.
Presently, all parties arrived, and began
"prospecting" the scene of the 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 up his opinion that
they had better level up the well, and let
Barnes remain: " for" said he, "he is
now beyord the temptation to sin; and
in the day Of judgment, it will make no
difference whether be is buried five feet
under the ground, or fifty, for he is bound
to come forth in either case" The Coro-
ncr likewise agreed that sit would be a
needless expense to his family or the town
to disiuter him, when he was SO effectually
buried" and therefore entirely coincided
with the Minister. His wife thought that
as she had left his bat and frock, it
would be hardly worth while to dig him
out for the res: of bis clothes )" and so it
was settled to let him remain.
But poor old Barnes, who bad no break
fast, and was not at all pleased with the
result of the inquest, laid quiet until the
shades of evening stole over the Landscape;
then he quietly decamped to parts un-
known. After remaining mcognito for
about three years, one morning be sudden
ly appeared (hatless and frockless as be
went) at the door of the farmer for whom
he had agreed to dig the unfortunate well.
To say that an avalanche ofquestions we're
raned upon him as to his mysterious re-
SNsaaeFe9 ne rseqathehv wl1ch'H,s- p6n.
ly presence created. But the old man
bore it all quietly, and at length inform
ed them, that, on finding himself buried,
lie waited Cor them to dig him out, until
his patience was exhausted, and then be
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 be 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, sir milts east
ef The RnoJscot riUer!
No further explanations were sought.