The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-10-17
How He Dug Himself Out.

Some years since, an eccentric old genius
whom for convenience we will call Barnes,
was employed by farmer living in town
some six or seven miles westerly from the
Penobscot river, to dig veil. 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 cssenti-
ally 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 after
they are dead, and no one being yet astr, he
concealed himself il q rank growth of bur-
docks by the side of board fence near the
mouth Of the well. At length, breakfast be-
ing ready boy was dispatched to call him
to his meal, when 10 it was seen that Barnes
was buried in the grave unconsciously dag
by his own hands The alarm being given,
and the family assembled, it was decided first
to cat breakfast, and then send for the coron-
err, the minister, and his wife and children
Such apathy did not flatter Barness selfes-
TEEN Bit but he waited patiently, deter
mined to hear what was to be said, and see
what was to be done.
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
what should be done. The minister at once
gavc his opinion that they had better level
up the well, and let Barnes remain: "for,"
said he, she is beyond temptation to sin
and on the judgement day, it will make no diff
ference whether he he buried five feet under
the ground or fifty for he is bound to come
forth in either case" The coroner likewise
agreed that ut would be needless expense to
his family or the town to disnter him, when
he was SO effectuaIly buried, and therefore
entirely conceded with the minister. His
wife thought that as ale had left his hat
and frock, it would hardly be worth while to
Dc 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
the inquest, lay quiet until the shade OF even
ing stole over the landscape, then he quietly
decampcd to parts unknown. After remain
ing dncognnio for about three hours, one NOR
ming he suddenly appeared (hatless and frock-
less as he went) at the door of the farmer for
whom he had agreeedto dig the unfortunate
well. To say that an avalanche of questions
were rained upon him as to his mysterious
temperance, &c, would convey but a feeble
idea of the excitement which his bodily pres
sence created. But the old man bore it all
quietly, and at length informed Them that
on finding himself buried, he waited for them
to dig him out. until his patience was exhaus
ted, 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 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, six miles east OF
the PenobscoC river!
No further explanations were sought.
New PATENT.-Mr. Cyrus C.. Aldrich
of Minnesota, has obtained patent for a
seed planter. of which the Scientific inner
lean remarks
The invention consists in making the box
cs which treasure and deliver the seed with a
convex or semi-cylindrical bottom fitting into
a concave recess they have perforation in
the bottom, and gradually oscellate to
and fro by means of levers connected by
cranks to the axle of the cart; also q box
provided with plunger operated on by a lev
ell frame which regulates the delivery of the
seed, and the application of weight in the
covering up Of the seed, and COMPRISING tie
soil upon il. This class of machines has often
failed from the passage becoming clogged with
earth, but in this invention this is prevented
by the plungers and accompanying machine
nv. There is marker attached to the plan
ter, which marks the place where the seed
has been deposited and covered, and thus
enables the driver to plant in rows that are
perfectly parallel.