The Republican journal., 1881-01-20


than the surrounding pasture land.
His evident purpose was to overflow it,
but what this was done for, did not at
first appear But when the 'boom" in
ice began, and the papers were full of ac
counts of almost fabulous prices paid for
''ice privileges" which lay convenient for
shipping, whether they were mill-ponds
or fresh water marshes, the object of Mr..
POtter'S dam was obvious.
He purposed to overflow the swamp
and make a ten-acre pond. From the
pond thus formed to the wharf below it
was, perhaps, two hundred yards, and a
descending grade all the way, so that, by
means of cheap bridge or "shute," the
ice could be sent sliding on its slippery
way till it reached the very verge Of the
wharf, there to be taken on board vessels
waiting to receive it.
A day or two after the dam was built,
Rob, with bitterness of heart, started up
to see what was going on there. Mr..
Potter happened TO be going the same
way.
You mustn't mind my gettln' leetle
the best end of that air leetle trade, Rob-"
Mr.. Potter smilingly remarked, slapping
him familiarly on the shoulder. "a fel
ler don't have a chance to make clean
| five thousand dollars ev'ry day, ln' bar
gins bargin, whichever way it turns"
With strong effort, Rob held back the
angry reply which rose to his lips, and
walked along in silence, till they reached
the swamp.
"Ilello How's this ?" exclaimed Mr.
Potter, turning very red in the face.
''Why, what"
For instead of the sheet of water which
he had expected would meet his eye, 10,
and behold the swamp itself had gradu-
ally risen till it was nearly level with the
land around it
In vain Mr.. Potter stormed, and | re-
gret to say-swore. There was no lack
OF water, but unfortunately it was under
the surface OF the swamp instead OF over
flowing it.
/ he roots of the MOSES and grass could
find 10 holding ground in the soft ooze
beneath, 50 that the inHoWing water find
ing itself deprived of its usual outlet by
the dam, had raised the entire mass with
it.
ter, in tremendous rage, when he saw
that there seemed no possible remedy ex-
cept to cart away the entire ten acres.
And his anger was in no way appeased
when Rob, shaking with suppressed laugh
ter, remarked pleasantly:
"A bargains bargain, whichever way
it turns-eh, Mr.. Potter"
But now Rob set his wits to work.
elbow much will you sell the swamp
lot back tor-dam and all, Mr. Potter ?"
he asked few days atterWard, when the
swamp itself had frozen over 50 that it
would bear an oX-team.
"Sell." growled Arad ''give me what
| paid your ma, and what the dam cost
me, an it's your'n again"
The upshot of the matter was, that,
after considerable haggling, Rob bought
back the swamp, dam and all, for twenty
dollars, to the extreme astonishment Of
Covert, who exclaimed loudly ut his folly.
"But then the Barretts never had no
torethought," as Aunt Polly Race kindly
observed at the sewing society.
Now, Squire Pond-Who had cleared
UP very strong field adjoining the Bar
rctt land-had an immense rock heap as
| large as a small barn i'll one corner Of his
land
Let NE have the use of your OK team
this winter, Squire Pond" said Rob, ap-
pcaring before that gentleman, with a
glowing face, ona sharp November morn
ing, land Ill haul your rock heap away
"Bless lne, what is the boy up tonoW ~
calculated the squire, looking at him Gu
riously over his spectacles.
But Rob kept his own counsel.
you'll see, sir, in due time" he said,
and Squire Pond, with whom Rob was a
great favorite, finally consented.
Rob worked like a trooper that winter.
Early and late he hauled rock and spread
them in heaps over the ten-acre swamp
lot, and | should be afraid to tell YOU how
many tons he had deposited there before
the end OF the winter And then, having
taken down part of the dam, he waited.
Spring came, and summer, following on
its heels, outstripped it; then it was au-
tumn again, and now with fear and
trembling, Rob built up his dam in the
latter part Of October, and awaited re-
suits.
Well, his experiment proved com
pete success. The weight of the rocks
distributed over the surface, kept the en-
tire mass in its place to Rob and his
lnolhefS : JOY, their nelgnDOrS aStOnlSh
ment, and Mr.. Potters discontinue
In December it began to freeze, 50
through January, and then Rob had as
nice littlepond of clear ice as there was
in Maine.
He sold the privilege outright for that
season, receiving the snug little sum Of
WE'LL hardly dare tell you how much
but | know it was considerably more than
three thousand dollars, and it is going to
be a source of a greater or less income
every year, as the demand for ice is con
tinually increasing.
Mrs. Barrett is prouder than ever of
Rob, who has given up all idea of going
to sea, and will enter the Mercantile Col
lege in Portland this winter.
''But then" as Aunt Polly Race re-
marked to Squire Pond, recently, ''them
Barretts allus had plenty NV brains, an
was bound to git ahead in the world