The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-08-28
A Great Speculation.
BY RoSSITER JOHNSON.

the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which he
had recently been to see, describing infinitely
the approach TO the cave, the winding pas
sages, the mysterious rivers, the eyeless fish,
and the crystals and stalactites. Tommy
was lost in admiration.
Wishing to teach him as much as possible,
and 10 have him remember what he had
learned, his father, after his uncle had gone,
continued the subject, telling him about
other celebrated caves-Wier's cave and
Madson's cave, in Virginia; Francona, in
Germany. Kirk iale, in England; and Fin
gals, in Staffa. Then be told him about
Celebrated artificial charlottesville cata-
combs of Paris, Rome, Syracuse and Paler-
mo; and, finally he described some of the
discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii,
and in the mounds of our western states.
When he had fully awakened Tommy's inter-
est and curiosity, he told him in what books
he could find more information on these SUBJ
jects, and then left him to study them up for
himself
Tommy and / were, one day, in his
fathers yard at the point where the sward
began to slope toward the brook, a tributary
to Rocky creek. We sat on large boulder,
with our feet hanging over the edge, looking
down into the little valley of the brook, and
be repeated what his father and his uncle
had told him about the caves and the cata-
combs and Herculaneum and the mounds.
WlSu, Sdlu -tUdb Tue mOuIl OF one
of EN- was in our yard"
sYes," said /, 'tha: would be nice. Then
we could go in and see all the curiosities and
get as many crystals and vases and arr ows
and hatchets as we wanted"
My fancy included the products of all the
different kinds of caves and excavations in the
one which was to be in Tommy's yard; but
perhaps it was just as vel, Uncertainty it was
all the more enjoyable.
ssRuf that xv0utdn't hn tho hast IF II said
he.
''Why, what wouldp''
We could put up gate, and charge folks
for going in" he answered, and his eyes
twinkled over his imaginary profits.
"Conld we p said !, increduously.
''Of course I could,'' said he; and the sin
gllar pronoun signified to me that he was
growing avaricious, and no longer wanted me
for partner in the business.
began to wish that the cave had been
located in our yard instead of in theirs
thought If 1t had been, I could teach Tommy
lesson of Dagranimous liberality by divid-
Ing the money with him every Saturday
night. - -,
Places he continued; "and it's the easiest
way to get rich there is. You just put up a
little sign that says: This way TO the cave ?
and hand pointing. And then it's long
distance, and the path is crooked and real
hard to walk on, and you leave all the stones
and bushes and old rubbish in it. And when
the people get to the end of it, there you are,
sitting by little table with box on it for
the money; and they've got to pay you TWEEN
ty-five cents, or fifty perhaps, before they
can go In, because the caves on your land.
And some of 'em say they wont give it,; and
then they think about the hard, stony path,
and they say it's too bad to come over all
that for nothing, and then they pay the
money and 60 in. And you have some little
books on the table, that tell all about it, and
you sell 'em one Of them for ten cents, or
else they can't understand it; and there you
make some money"
Tommy was growing very enthusiastic on
the subject, and was catching little of the
same spirit.
II wish we bad cave" said l.
Eyes," said the speculative Tommy, 81
could sit at the little table and take money,
and you could 60 with the folks and show
'em the way and tell 'em about things.
Some of 'em have rivers in 'em, that have
fish in 'em without any eyes; and you have
to row the people across in boat, and you
charge 'em extra for that"
had an idea. "Sdppose we make a
cave?''
''Could we?" said Tommy.
"We could try" said l, remembering that
somebody or other had once given that as
heroic answer, which had once made him
famous. And now, what if the same an
wer, given in thessame spirit, should make
Tommy and me rich!
''How should we do IT," he asked.
"Oh, dig tip said I, as confidently as il
had been journeyman cave maker half my
life, and were ready to take Tommy for my
apprentice.
''Where would we have it?'. said he, look
ing around.
II don's know; let's look for a good
place." said !, and slid down the face of the
rock. followed by the little fortune hunetr.
We surveyed the whole yard, and very
quickly concluded that the entrance must be
somewhere along the bank OF the creek, at a
certain point few yards below, instead of
descending in grassy slope, fell off suddenly,
and presented an almost perpendicular face of
clay, on which no grass grew. 1t was evident
That this was the place to begin operations, if
we were TO make cave. We had nothing to
do but to dig straight at the base of the cliff;
and we could throw the dirt into the strea n,
and the wafer would wash il away out OF
sight. This would prevent the work from
Delng discovered, unless some one should hap
pen to 60 down the bank and approach closely
TO the mouth of the proposed cave.
asked Tommy what he thought his father
would say to the cave. 81 guess" said he,
she wouldn't want me to do it. But when
he sees the money, he'll say it's all right"
ut can't hurt anything, at any rate" said
L, beginning to fear that if he thought too
much about what his father would say, he
might give up the project.
NO." said he, at can't hurt ANYTHING. We
can throw the dirt over into the brook. and
not make bit of muss. And then it'll lie
underground. and the ground on top III be
just as good for garden or anything as ever
twas"
"And then," pursued, "when we get a
hundred dollars, we can make our fathers and
mothers present of half of it'' for / still
had vague fear that, in some unsupported
manner; the cave might interfere with some
OF Mr.. Bakers plans.
But Tommy didn't know about making
any such munficent presents. 1t wasn't the
way people usually lid when they got rich.
He promised, however, to think about it.
One thing was certain. We must keep the
whole matter profound secret-that was
agreed upon. And We would begin our oper-
atioDs the very next day-that was also
agreed upon. l stood before the face of the
clay cliff, and with sharp stick marked the
arched-out line of the entrance to the cave
that was to be.
We got together again in the evening
alone in Mrs. Bakers kitchen, and used uI
several sheets of paper in drawing plans fol
the cave.
"We must have some parts of it very crook
ed" said /.
Yes, and in one place there must be quite
large room, with stalakites hanging down
rom the top" said Tommy.
On yes! stalactites," said I, intending te
correct him very gently.
said So" N A'' NY UNIV oA
Nv was :; sure was right, and was not inclined
ie. 20 70. We came yery near falling
1nto serious quarrel on the subject. and
giving up the project. At length we agreed
to leave it to the dictionary, Which the conf.
word Ae" oue 'ne
swell, stalactites," said he, ''if Won mus,
have it so; and then he hurri d on to the
consideration Of other parts of the plan. ST
we could strike a stream OF water under
ground 1t would be nice," he continued
There's one runs right through the bottom
{ eur WELL"