The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-11-11
A CAPITAL story.

The Bangor Jefersonian says some years
ago, an eccentric old genius, whom, for con-
yenience, we will call Barnes, Was employed
by farmer living in n town some six or
seven miles westealy from the Pcnobscott
river, to dig we'll. The soil and substra-
tum being mostly sand, old Barnes, after
having progressed downwards about forty
feet, found one morning upon going out carly
to his work, that the well had eventually
cayed in, and was full nearly to the top
Now, having that desire which men have OF
knowing what will be said of them after they
are dead, and no one yet being astir, he con-
cealed himself in rank growth Of burdocks
by the side Of board fence near the mouth
OF the we'll, having FIRST left his hat and frock
coat upon the windlass over the mouth Of
the we'll. After waiting for some time,
breakfast being ready, n boy was dispatched
to call him to his meul, when 10 il WAS sup
posed that poor Barnes was buried in the
grave unconseiously dug By his own hands.
The alarm being given, and the family as
sembiod, il was decided 6rst to eat breakfast
and then send for the coroner, the minister,
and his wife and children.
Such apathy did not aatter Barnes self
estcem u bit, but be waited patiently, deter
mined to hear what was to be said, and see
what was to be seen.
Presently I'LL parties arrived and began
"prospecting" the scene Of the catastrophe,
as people generally do in such cases. Al
length they drew together TO exchange their
opinions to wha, should be done. The min
lister At once gave it as his opinion that they
had better leave the well az it was and let
Barnes remain, ''for," said he, sshe is now
i beyond the temptation to sin, aud in the day
4 Of judgment it will make no difference wheth
or ne Is buried Eve feet under ground or fifty
Tor he Is bound to come forth in either
/ CASE
i The Coroner likewise agreed that sit would
be needless expense to his family, or the
town, to disinter him when be was so effec.
tuaily buried" and therefore entirely coin
4 cided with the minister. His wife thought
AZ SHE had left his hat and frock coat, /.
would be hardly worth while to dig him out
for the rest OF his clothes;" and so it was
settled to let it remain.
i But poor old Barnes, who had no break
fast, and was not at all pleased ut tho result
Of the inquest, laid quiet until the shades Of
evening stole o~er tho landscape, when he
quietly decamped TO parts unknown. After
remaining incognito for shout three years,
one morning he suddenly appeared (hatless
and frocklsss as he wens) at the door OF the
farmer for whom he had agreed to dig the
unfortunate well.
To say that an avalanche Of questions
/ rained upon him ~ to his mysterious re-ap-
pcaranee, &c., would convey bat feeble
idea Of the excitement which his bodily ap-
pearance created. But the old man bore il
all quietly, and at length informed them tina,
on finding himself buried he waited for them
to dig him out, until his patience was ex-
hausted, when he set to work to dig himself
! out, and only the day before had succecdcd
for his ideas being confused by the pressure
OF the earth at the time he was buried, he
had dug very much ut random, and instead
OF coming directly to the surface, he came
out in the town of Holden six miles east Of
the Penobscott river.
Nc Further ordinations were soup III for
BY those who were SO distressed and sorrow.
ful over his supposed final resting place
IN. \. Mirror.
CsAAr.-" slocum, can you take up that
note to-day Z"
''l'm sorry to say not-never was SO much
cramped."
"By the way, you are always cramped, are
you notfn
"Sorry to say am, bu. there is natural
cause for it.n
"What 10 il 20
"Why ! was weaned on green apples and
water melons =,
GA Republican paper, in chronisling
the Free Soil victory in Kansas, and the cleo.
ton Of PARROT over Ransom, who has re-
tarnsd . Michigan, quosss the following lines
from = ola AssAeSf -