The Van Buren press., 1873-05-13
During the next two weeks | kept qui

~ tli0 'th "a NNhk'"' &c
tuuity for my secret to become known.
On the appointed day | went over TO the
settlement where the land was to be sold.
1t wa. to be put up in hundred acre
lots, and sold by the original plans Of
the Whitney purchase. Lot number ono
was put up and sold for one quarter of
a cent an acre
The next lot was the Twist lot, " so
called, and heard it whispered that iron
and copper had been discovered upon it.
A stranger in jockey clothes started 1t at
fifty cents an acre. Another stranger,
who wore blue fro-k and top boots, bid
seventy five
phero was more talk about iron and
ore The man in the jockey suit said
that he had positive assurance that pure
irsn ore had been found In some OF the
gulches. aud he bid one dollar an acre
At this point entered tho contest aud
| bid one dollar and twenty five. Up--up
-up-Lwenty five cents st time, until nj
length | had bij ten dollars an acre.
/ People called me crazy Ten dollars an
acre was more than the very best land IN
/ lllt Nlult Spiutl hbS 'P''"f ''''
held my bid, and kept my own counsel.
And the Twist lot was knocked down
to me for Just one thousand dollars. The
terms were cash told them to make
out the deed while ! went home after the
money. And away l rode, emptled
my old stocking of gold and silver, and
found nine hundred and fifty dollars. |
! borrowed the other fifty without trouble
a! the settlement, and s,raightway pro-
cceded TO the office of Squire SimpkIns,
where the deed had been made The in
strumcnt was duly signed and sealsd,and
when the Squire had assured mo that the
payment OF the money would make all
| fast and safe, handcd over the gold and
silver
noticed that the name Of John Twist
had been receatly signed, and ! asked
Simpkins if Mr. Twist was present
lIo was present few minutes ago.
said Simpkins, land will bc back again
for his money, Hes feeling pretty good
| should Judge, since he has got rid oil
his hundred acre lot for twice as much as
| it cost him, and for a thousand times
more than any sane man would think II
was worth.
Half an hour afterward ! called at the
Squiras again Mr.. Twist had just gone
out with his money.
There he is now" said Simpkins,
"just bound Off
| looked out at the window and saw at
the door Of the inn, on the opposite side
Of the way, a tall man in = bottle green
coat, with bright glaring buttons, just
mounting horse, recognized the horse
and | recognized the man.
"Who is that man. ! asked "ha
with the green coat and brass buttonsF
That, said Simpkins, "is Mr. John
Twist
Ina momnet more the man in tho bot
tie green Goa, had ridden away, with his
heavy saddc.bags behind him, and but
toned UP within that coat | bsheld my
reverend guest Is rushed upon me that
the Reverend Paul Mcekmore and John
Twist were one and the same person
And This was not III that Alshed upon
/ me.
4 few dsys afLcrwarl took my Jumps
| OF wh,tc metal TO man WHO was Ncrsed
in sach matters, and asked him what
they were. He took the largest lump
,nd tested 1t and said
Pewter
asked him If pewter was ever dug cut
Of the earth in that shape.
"Well, said he, seeing that pewter
is an alloy Of flead and tin, it couldn't he
very well dug up, unless somebody had
gone and buried il before hand.
Touching further explorations on my
4" Twist lot, will not speak. will
only add that have an old stocking
with half dozen Jumps Of pewter in it
and never look upon it but am fore
ed to acknowledge that dreams arc some
times very strange and wonderful things