Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-05-25
A Capital Story.


genius, named Barnes, was employed
by farmer living in town some SIX
or seven miles westerly from tn e
Penobscot river, Maine, to dig well.
The soil and substratum being mostly
of sand. old Barnes after having pro-
Dressed downward about forty feet,
| found one morning upon going to work
that the well had essentially caved In,
and was full nearly to the top. 30,
having the desire which men have OF
knowing what will be said of them al
ter they are dead, and no one beng
vet astir, he. concealed himself In a
rank growth of burdocks by the SIDE
of a board fence near the mouth OF
the well, having first left his frock ana
hat on the windlass over the WE'LL
At length breakfast being ready, boy
was dispatched to call him to his meal,
when 10 and behold !! it was seen that
Barnes was buried in the grave I'M
consciously dug by, his own hands
The alarm being giqn, and the faml-
" assembled, it was decided to first
eat breakfast, and then send for the
coroner, the minister, and his wife
and children. Such apathy did not
Aatter Barnes selfesteem a bit, but
he waited patiently, determined to
hear what would be said and see what
was to be seen.
Presently all parties arrived and
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 his opinion that they had
better level up the well and let Barnes
, remain; ''for" said he, che is now be
;. vond the temptation of sin, and in the
: day Of judgement it will make no diff
ference whether he is buried five feet
, under ground or fifty, for he is bound
to come forth in either case" The
= coroner likewise agreed that it would
: he a needless expense to his family
:, or the town to disinter him when he
! was effectually buried. and therefore
\ conceded with the minister.
. His wife thought that as "he haC
left his hat and frock it would hardly
be worth while to dig him out for thu
: rest of his Clothes and so it was de
1t cided to let him remain. But poo
r old Barnes, who had no breakfast, anC
= not at all pleased with the result o
# the inquest, lay quiet until the shade
=. of evening stOld over the landscape
:. when he departed to parts unknown
After remaining incognitO' for abou
three wears, one morning he suddenl,
le appeared (hatless and frOckless as h
d went at the door of the old farmer
Of for whom he had agreed to dig tn
ID unfortunate we'll. To say that a
at avalanche of questions were raine
ID upon him as to his mysterious REAP
% pearance, etc, would convey but
10 feeble idea of the excitement whic
h. his bodily presence created. But tn
old man bore it quietly, and at lengt
n informed them that, on finding hin
; self buried, he waited to be dug OF
again, until his patience was exhauste
u when he set to work to dig himse
TO out, and had only the day before SUI
is ceeded, for, his ideas being very niue
Cd confused, he had dug very much 6
a. random and instead of coming direc
ly TO the surface. he came out in I'll
town Of Holden, six miles east of I'll
POnobscOt river.
No further explanations were aske
for by those who were so distresse
III and sor owful over his supposed fin;
ne resting place.
ch