Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-04-04

it not. Ny calling hath higher and
lolier aims. And yet this poor fesl.
is sometimes weak enough to lust after
the tlross of gold and silver -
BY degrees We got from him that he
had dreamed Of silver mine among
tho crags of our hills. This mine seem.
ed to his vision utterly exhaustless in
the precious metal but no could not
locate it. Betsey whose curiosity was
aroused, would have pushed tho mat
ter, but Mr.. Meekmore finally shook
his head more solemnly than ever, and
and said that he would rather forget
the dream if he could.
When the missionary's horse was at
the door, and the owner was prepared
to start oft, he informed us that he was
bound toward the Canada line, and that
he might return that way. OF course
we told him that our door would be
open to him: and he promised that he
would abide with US again if he had the
opportunity.
In two weeks Mr.. Meekmore came
back. He had received summons,
he said, from the Home Board to return
to Boston and make immediate prepara-
tions for a Winter campaign III the
West.
The second evening in the society of
| the reverend gentleman we enjoyed
more than we enjoyed the first. His
tnnd of anecdote and adventure was
literally exhaustless, and an odor of
sanctity and delicacy prevailed all his
speech. We urged that he should
spend a few days with us, but he could
not. He said it would give him great
pleasure to do SO, but his call to the
new field of labor in the West was
pressing and imperative.
On the next morning, at the break
fast table, our guest was even more Sc
date and thoughtful than on the pre-
vious occasion and when. questioned
on the matter he told us that he had
been visited by the same dream again.
'.This time" he said, "The vision
came with wonderful distinctness. I
not only beheld the vast chambers of
virgin silver, but I saw On exact profile
Of the everything territory. It was a
Wild desolate spot, by a deep ravine
through which the snow of Winter
seemed to find release in Spring, rush
ing down craggy hillside, to dark
wide: stretching swamp below. This
would not impress me So: seriously
were it not that once before q dream Of
the same import proved a startling
reality" =
We conversed further on the subject,
and after breakfast Mr.. Meekmore took
pencil, and upon the blank leaf of an
old atlas he drew picture of the spot
he had seen in his dream and. he
pointed out where, beneath the roots of
an old, stumpy pine tree, he had seen
out.cropping Of the precious metal:s
He had drawn the picture, he told
us, to show us how vivid his dream had
been; but he advised us to think
no more of it. Even if it were
possible that the dream had substance,
the body of the mine was far below the
surface and, moreover, the Lord only
knew where the spot was located, even
allowing that such a spot existed.
For once in my life had allowed nv
cupidity to get the better of my out
spoken honesty. I allowed the reverend
guest to depart, and did not tell that I
knew where there was a spot exactly
the original of that which h he had pic
tured, even to every rock, shrub, tree
and rayine. And that spot was upon
the wild lot which had been:purchased
by John Twist, and which John Twist
owned still. -, 80: ~-. :....,
That very afternoon, armed with an
old Ak and pick. I sailed forth to the
Rough outside of the Twist lot. I knew
exactly where the pictured lot was to
! be found, and when I had reached it I
was more than ever struck by the faith
fulness of Mr.. Meekmore's draft, The
accuracy in detail was wonderful. And
when had reflected that this draft had
been made by one who was an utter
and absolute stranger to the place
made from the simple impression of a
dream-is it marvel that [ was
strangely influenced. I found the old
tree which the reverend dreamer had
particularly designed, and went to work
at it's roots.
And ere longmy labors has rewarded
Beneath one of the main roots I found
a lump Of pure white metal as large as
a hens egg ;and upon further choppinq
and digging I found several more
smaller pieces. They had evidently
been broken from a 1A0lted mass. and
upon rubbing off the dirt I found them
all pure and bright. .,
That night 1 slept but little. I could
only lie awake and think of the vast
| wealth that lay buried in that BILE ak
hillside. But what could do2 The
lot was not mine, and I should run grea,
risk if I troubled another mans prop
erty. And, moreover, if I made fur.
ther exploration while the 1and was moi
mine, the secret might be divulged and
the vast wealth snatched from me. ]
must purchase the Twist lot, and I had
no doubt that I could buy it. for mere
song. :; ~: .. ~ 49,, -:
On the next day Irode over to see m,
cousin, and when had spoken of th e
/ Twist lot, he Informed" me that not
only that lot, but q number of others
were for sale. They had been aadyer.
tlsed, and would be sold at auction in
two weeks. He called me fool when
Itoll him I, 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 I hadn't already got all the
sheep pasture needed ;! but / tola him
he need not trouble himself. . -,
|. During the next two weeks r. kept
quiet and held my tongue, giving nc
t opportunity for my secret to become
known. On the appointed day T Went
over to the settlement where. the land
was to be sold. It was to by put up in
hundred acre lots, and sold by the ori
ginal plans of Whitney purchase. Lot
number one was put up first, and sold
for one quarter of a cent an acre.
T. The next lot was the sTwist lot, >
SO called and heard it whispered thai
iron and copper had been discovered
upon it: A stranger, in jockey clothes,
started it at fifty cents an acre. Anotl,.
or stranger, who wore blue frock and
top boots, bid seventy-five.
| Then there was more talk about iror
and ore. The man in the Jockey suit
said that he had positive insurance that
pure iron ore, had been found III some
Of the gulches, and he bid one dollar al
acre. At this point entered the con
test, and bid one dollaran twenty-fiv.
cents-up-np--up twenty-five cents :
time, until at length I had bid ten dol
lars an acre. People called me crazy
Tcn dollars III acre was more than tn,
| wary 1nck land =, %1,o ~,,l,a1o .>...L