The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-04-10

During the next two weeks / kept
quiet and held my tongue, giving no OPP
portunity 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 be put up in hundred-acre lots,
and sold by the original plans of Whit
ney purchase. Lot number one was put
up first, and sold for one quarter of
cent an acre.
The next lot was the "Twist LOT, :" so
called, and heard II whispered that iron
and copper ore had been discovered upon
1t. A stranger, in jockey clothes, start
ed 1t at fifty cents an acre. Another
stranger who wore blue frock and top
boots bid seventy-five.
Then there was more talk about iron
and copper. The man in the jockey
suit said that he had positive assurance
that pure iron orehad been found in some
of the gulches, and he bid one dollar an
acre. At this point entered the con-
test, and bid one dollar and twenty-five
cents. Up-up-up-twenty-fve cents
at time, until at length had bid ten
dollars an acre. People called my 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
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 rode. i
emptied my old stocking of gold and
silver, and found nine hundred and fifty
dollars. 1 borrowed the other fifty
without trouble at the settlement, and
straightway proceeded to the office of
Squire Simpkins, 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, /
handed over the gold and silver.
observed that the name of John
Twist had been recently signed, and 1
asked Simpkins if Mr.. Twist was pres
ent.
" He was here few minutes ago."
said Simpkins, "and will be back again
after his money. He's feeling pretty
good, should judge, since he has got
rid of his hundred acre lot for twice as
much as it cost him, and for thousand
times more than any sane man would
think it was WORTH
Half an hour afterward called at the
'squire's again. Mr.. Twist had Just
gone out with his money.
There he is now," said Simpkins,
"just bound of"
looked 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 a horse. L recognized the
horse, and recognized the man.
"Who is that man." 1 asked, she
with the green coat and glaring but
tons 20
"That,' said Simpkins, F." is Mr.. John
Twist
In moment more the man in the
bottle green coat had ridden away, with
his heavy saddle bags behind him, and
buttoned up within that coat L beheld
my reverend guest 1t flashed upon me
that the Rev. Paul Meekmore and Mr..
John Twist were one and the same per-
son And this was not all that flashed
upon me.
A few days afterward took my Jumps
of white metal to man who was versed
in such matters, and asked him what
they were. He took the largest lump
and tested it, and said:
"Pewter!"
asked him if pewter was ever dug
out of the earth in that shape.
WE'LL" said he, seeing that pewter
is an alloy Of tin and lead, it ceuldn It be
very well dug up, unless somebody had
gone and buried it beforehand"
Touching further explanations ON my
"Twist lot'' will not speak. L will
only add that have at home an old
stocking with half dozen Jumps of
pewter in it, and never look upon it
but 1 am forced to acknowledge that
dreams are sometimes very strange and
wonderful things.