The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-10-10
SwIrT'S COMET.
BY REBEccA HARDING DAVIS.

BY kEhfCGA HARDING DAVIS.
There was great excitement in Cross
Creek village. on the eyeningo OF june 18th,
and with reason. News had ONE to Mrs.
swift that her husband would return from
the East that night. Nor was this one OF
his ordinary returns from buying goods.
important As those events were 10 his
tO~wnspeople. For 10 Cross Creek, n 10
most inland Villages fit size, New FORK.
Philadelphia. and other Scaboard villages,
were called. "a Nqdsse. 1.-THE East and
= over the mountains and held in their
awe-struck belief to be an epitome of al.
the learning. fashion. brilliancy and wick
edness in social life of the country. When
swirl and Joe Bond made their annual Wis
its. therefore. 10 this far-oti. mysterious
region for dry-goOds, glassware and medi-
cines. a halo OF interest fingered around
them for days after their return Every
scrap of information they could give was
eagerly welcomed and believed though at
other times swift. at least. was not held to
bc n inflllihle a Gospel in his variations.
But this had been IN expedition OF a diff
ferpnt Kind. A month ago, the eros,
Greek Banaer had announced in loaded
type. how deeply We were panied 10 learn
that our Distinguished fellow-citizen. VIII
liam swift. ESQ.,. had Just received infor-
mation Of the dectase OF his maternal I'M
Gle, residing during his lifetime east OF the
mountains
In the next weeks issue thc BqHEer
stated that il Z" was assured that all our fell
l-Ow-own>men would rejoice with u 10
learn that William swift. Esq. had. by the
decease of relative. fallen heir 20 a con
siderable sum. and hoped that this fortunate
circumstance might NOT induce that gen
tlcman 10 seek any wider sphere OF action.
than Gross Creek would afforl." \ little
lower down the announcement was made
that MIR. swift had thought IL e%Xpedient
to make n iourney.Ea-t. in order 10 De
present AT the reading of the will Of his
relative
Half OF Cross Creek was present al the
door of the Farmers Rest" To see swift
of. for This was before the opening of the
railroad. Bets ran high that day, and dur
ing the two weeks Of his absence. as TO the
amount of his fortune, which was esti-
mated az every value. from half a million
down Ia zone Of -wift's f~ish-stories."
At last authentic news came. What
property the dead man had been possessed
of. he had left to other relatives no money
To swirl. But so the letter 10 his wife
stated. 1.-THE deceased has been noted for a
habit Of a~ccumulating curiosities cf great
value and variety. usually Of "A scientific
character. Two Of these. Of immense value.
have been b~eqtIeathed TO me. Oneis a tele-
scope, the other an organ. | will bring
both with M on my RETURN
IAN Organ.'' exclaimed DIR. Potter.
when the news was proclaimed in Mace's
grocery store. ..What Use could a private
individual make of an organ? Such a
thing was never heard OF. No doubt Broth
err swi.i viii be willing "a dispose oft rea-
sonably 20 the new church
AfuhfaI na4.nu pri.a sIpeiarfal hp would
no longer .it in his pew. if his ears were 70
be profined by the tinkling and piping of
any such new-fangled folly.
DIR. Potter answered sharply. and the
discussion waXcd hot n fierce on the re-
Iigious view Of the question. until Judge
Plumer suggested that possibly Brother
swift might present the organ 10 the
church. The chances of this. and how the
getting it tor nothing would make ii
proper to take il. 0~ccupiedthem forth rest
of the evening.
Swift hal arrived at last. SO had the or
gan so had the telescope.
Alas for the hopes Of the church people I,
The organ was not one fitted for sacred
music. IL was a lueer-built affair. which
was wound up like a muSic-box. with
cymhals. kettle-drum. triangles and bells
attached. many Of which were cracked.
and all out Of tune. Ii played a dozen set
airs and pieces" among which were the
Battle Of Prague' and the dead March
in Saul" swift set IL up in his parlor.
and ground al IL during the whole Of tive
DAYS. to the unmeasured delight of the
town. when IL occurred 10 Or. Potter. that.
by charging "A few pence for admission.
a sum might be raised for the benefit Of
the Sunday-school. After that. Jack
Plumer stood in the door and received five
cents from all corners. 10y which means. in
fact. the new Sunday-school library was
purchased.
But the telescope was another matter.
"What wonders Of science" said the
Banner. may not BE- developed TO the
minds Of our youth by this boom"
1t wa stated in Mace's grocery, and the
news was carried home to every fireside.
that the telescope surpassed. or at least
equaled in size. the famous one of Lord
Ross. by means Of which SO many planets
had been discovered.
Now nobody in Cross Creek knew any
thing Of astronomy. il Is true; but the
general idea was that all that was needed
was to set up the instrument. and turn il
skyward. whereupon the glories of the
CELESTIAL world would be revealed to
them.
Swift, assisted by everybody. put a
wooden framework. or scafiold. at the top
Of Hobbs Hill. covered by a movable
roof. IL was no easy matter to adjust the
telescope and place Il properly bat at last
the work was completed. A solemn com
mittee was appointed Of Judge Plumcr.
Doctor Potter, aud Swift himself, To make
the first Investigation Of how matters were
going on In the upper world.
Perhaps said Mrs. Plumer to her