Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-04-11

upon rubbing off the dirt l found them
all pure and bright.
That night l slept but little. 1 could
only lie awake and think of the vast
wealth that lay buried in that bleak
hillside. But what could / do? The
lot was not mine, and l Arald run great
risk if l troubled another mans prop
erty. And, moreover, if 1 made fur
Their exploration while the land was not
mine, the secret might be divulged and
the vast wealth snatched from me. I
must purchase the Twist lot, and 1 had
no doubt that I could buy it for a mere
song.
On the next day / rode over to see my
cousin, and when / had spoken of the
Twist lot, he informed me that not
only that lot, but a number of others
were for sale. They had been adver-
tised, and would be sold at auction in
two weeks. He called me a fool when
l told him l should bid on the Twist
lot but | told him / had looked it over
and made up my mind that my sheep
could find plenty of gazing there
throughout the Summer months He
asked me if l hadn't already got all the
sheep pasture | needed; but / told him
he need not trouble himself.
During the next two weeks / kept
quiet and held my tongue, giving no
opportunity for my secret to become
known. On the appointed day / went
over to the settlement where the land
was to be sold. 1t was to by put up in
hundred acre lots, and sold by the orr
ginal plans of Whitney purchase. Lot
number one was put up first, and sold
for one quarter of a cent an acre.
The next lot was the "Twist lot"
50 called and l heard it whispered that
iron and copper had been discovered
upon it. A stranger, in jockey clothes,
started it at fifty cents an acre. Anoth-
or stranger, who wore a blue frock and
top boots, bid seventy-fve.
Then there was more talk about iron
and ore. The man in the jockey suit
pure iron ore, had been found IN some
of the gulches, and he bid one dollar an
acre. At this point I entered the on
test, and bid one dollar and twenty-five
cents-up-up-up twenty-five cents a
time, until at length l had bid ten dol
lars an acre. People called me crazy.
Ten dollars an acre was more than the
very best land in the whole country
was worth. But | held my bid, and
kept my counsel.
And the Twist lot was Knocked down
to me for just n thousand dollars.
The terms were cash. | told them to
make out the deed while l went home
after the money. And away / rode. |
,,.+,Nl ,,- III .tn1,,x 90 ,nJ1 n,1
silver, and found nine hundred and fifty
dollars. | borrowed the other fifty
without trouble at the settlement, and
straightway proceeded to the Office OF
the Squire Simpkihs where the deed had
been made. The instrument was duly
signed and sealed, and when the Squire
had assured me that the payment OF
the money would make all fast and safe,
l handed over the gold and silver.
| observed that the name of John
Twist had been recently signed, and l
asked Simpkins if MI. Twist was pres
ent.
che was here a few minutes ago."
said Simpkins. "and will be back
again for his money. He's feeling pref.
ty good, / should judge, since he has
got rid of hishundred-acre lot for twice
as much as it cost him, and for a thou
sand times more than any sane man
would think it was worth
Half an hour afterwards [ called at
the Squire's again. Mr.. Twist had just
gone out with his money.
There he is now" said Simpkins,
Just bound off"
looked out the window, and saw,
t the door of the inn, on the opposite
side of the way, a tall man, in a bottle
green coat, with bright glaring but
tons, just mounting a horse. l recog-
nized the man.
who is that man2" | asked he
with the green coat and bright but
tons 2"
"That," said Simpbins, "ia Mr.. John
Twist
In a moment more the man IN the
b~ottle-green coat had ridden away, with
his heavy saddle-bags behind him and
/ buttoned up within that coat | beheld
my reverend guest 1t rushed upon
me that the Rev. Paul Meekmore and
John Twist was one and the same per-
son And this was not all that dashed
upon me!
A few days afterward | took my
humps of white metal to a man who was
yersed in such matters, and asked him
what they were. He took the largest
lump and tested it, and said
"Pewterl'
/ asked him if pewter was ever dug
out Of the earth in that shape.
well, said he, seeing that pew
ter is an alloy of tin and led,lt couldn't
be very well dug up, unless somebody
had gone and buried it beforehand
Touching further explanations on
au :. Iu,.4 - ~ viii MT SnnnL |