The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-09-28
Sp,,Y,rs Eerus Will,


was n good miner when sober. an unmit.
i.ca.r nuisance when drunk. lie had
b""n on many sprecs in camp-we will
call "SpooncrS Run'-and his credit
was exhausted. 1t WAS grieyous tr
state the fact, but Sponncr was not con.
scicn,iou' about settling his whisky
bills. SO the gentleman wiu dealt in the
tang le-leg had learned to give him the
cold shoulder. One morning he said to
his employer: Joe" said he, IL think
there must he letter for me at the post
office; and would like to 'lav OIL to-
day and 20 down to camp for it. ''All
right. was DOES response. ''only | can
see by Your eve YOU mean 1" get drunk
1t You do and come back here l will
have YOU thrown down the Midas shaft. ="
The Midas shaft was POO feet deep in
solid porphyrr. SpooIrr went away
and made The round of tine saloons. lie
had no collateral. AMI he knew his cred
it was under Il cloud too dense to be-
lifted hy any legitimate lever. AT last
he strolled into the store of the prnici-
pal trad,r-we will call his name Kctch-
um-and mildly said: .'Kr,chum.
when y"n can spare me Il few minutes
time. want To see YOU. 'All r.rh;,
what is ii?' said kcici,um shortly. Il
want To tell you.' said Spooner. sol
cmnly. ',l,at though look ruY1ed. the
doctors tell me that have IN ncurabe
heart disease: that while NAV live tor
three or four months. | may AT any time
be seized witha spa>:l. ii bacom. exert
eel. AMI ! want YOU IL write my will. v
Wondcrin.ly Ketchum asked: "Wiat
in the world have Nou To dispose OFF"
II nave few things said Sponnrr.
sadly: won't yon do Il little thing like
tina, tor an old frcnd?' Certainly"
said k"tchum. and "on Ia his desk. he
drew ont = sheet of foo!>cap and com
mrnccd 10 write ~ follows: Il. Moses
Spooner. so-and-,o. being of iniirm body
but of sound mind. etc. Nov about
the property" said K.tchum. Spooncr
waited Il moment, until he could prop
erly control him -elf. then said | de-
sire that my onc-half interest in the Big
Fissure be sold and the proceeds. after
all the debts and charges are paid. he
sent OF my old mother Patience Spoon.
er. in Pike County, Mo- kcichum put
il down. Spooncr continued: MY
undivided one-lhird interest in the Lame
Duck | wish to have sold. and, after
paving $1,000 To your head clerk, Jones
the j. friend of mine), send the rest
10 my mother. with instructions that it
be paid 10 Missouri Price. also of Pike.
Then. with increasing emotion. he adj
died: Lou would before this have been
my wife, but could not think of max
inc the dear Girl my nurse SpoOner
continued To- dispose of his property
and finally said: That's ali except
81. 900 which have in the - bank at
Salt Lake City. Put down $1,000 to
your little daughter. Nellie, Mr. Kctch-
UNI, AMI the other $1,000 to Yourself.
Also add that | appoint you and your
clerk. Jones. my executors, to serve
without bonds. Then he went of nv HIM
self, took Il seat on Il barrel. and for
some moments buried his face in his
hands. ketchum called Jones to the
desk. had him copy on legal cap the
will in Il neat, clerky hand, called up
Spooncr and two witnesses, had the will
signed. sealed and witnessed. folded
the paper, placed ii in Il large envelope,
had the envelope properly superscribed
and iai' away in the safe. Then said
Kctchum: '.Spooner. let us take lit
tie drink for old friendship sake" !
cannot" said SpoOner. You know nv
weakness. The doctors say that one
drink might kill me, and protracted
spree would be sure to- A light shone
in Kctchum's ewes. 1.-The doctors be
bowed" said he. '.One drink would
not hurt any man. You are low spirit
ed this morning. Spooner; come brace
up After the necessary resistance,
Spooner Welded and got outside of q
rouScr. How is thai?" asked Ketch-
nm. Spooner admitted that he felt no
bad effects, that, indeed, he felt better.
He took another. He kept taking them.
He drank all day and night ut intervals.
kc,chum and JoncS.alternated in sup
plying him. He kept OH for two weeks,
but no symptoms of the fatal sDasm
manifested itself. AT last, one after
noon he lay prone asleep on some boot
boxes when physician came in. ketch-
uni asked the man of science TO examine
him and see ii he bad any symptoms of
heart trouble. The doctor complied.
He felt of his wrist; put his ear to his
breast; felt his wrist again. and said:
lie has Il heart like an OK; it is beating
Ike ,rip-hammer. and as regular rs
l.c stroke of II stram-engine. SpoOner
WAS Kicked out. and Ketchum and
Jones figured up his account. 1t
amounted Ia 1868. Next morning
Spooncr came in with his nerves on
rLrr. and wanted drink. He was
kicked oul again. The next day he was
ravin" with delirium tremenS. and the
men about town compelled Ketchum to
sent, him with nurse and n physician
doHn To the springs twenty miles away.
That day Joe =. the owner of the
minr came down town, and ketchum
tr"mbl;n.ly inquired now much was due
To SpDnnrr on the books of the mining
company. "lt's the other way," said
doc: II bought him 4 suit of clothes.
paid = back board bill in Salt Lake, and
paid is way up here. and he still owes
me- something like SO" SpoOner re-
covered, bu; he gets no more accom-
mola!ion> Of ke,caum, and when any
man asks Kctch,m now To write up his
Will. "e drops all ntiier business. picks
up a pick handle. and his eyes take 4
dangerous clare. Ii may liz Il little OBJ
scare. bu! there Is u moral in the above
story -SdH Lake TriJal2C