Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-11
He Made His Will.

Az M"o ".i Au"Iio lilnlnr carcn
we will call his name Spooner. Ns Snaa
was a good miner when sober 'poon
mitigated nuisance when drnnts' an
had been on many sprees in ca ms
will call it ''Spooner's Runn@n
credit was exhausted. 1t was o r.a
to state the fact, but Spooner s wss
very conscientious about settl;ns
whisky bills, SO the gentlemen
dealt in tangle-leg had learned u y
him the cold shoulder. One m w
he said to his employer: .Joe." s,id9
II think there must be a letter s fou
at the postoffice; and I would II.
lay off to-day and go down to l oa,
for ALI right was ,Joe,s cay
Spouse, ''only I can see in your eva !
meanto get drunk. If you do and ~
back here l will have you thrown ~
the Midas shaft" The Midas SHAFT !.
two hundred feet deep in solid pornIr1
Spooner went away and made tho rn'
of the saloons. He had no coll,taaa
and he knew his credit was unSa
cloud too dense to be lifted by ANY, Inv!
mate lever. At last he strolled intas
store of the principal trader-we !,
call his name Ketchum-and mill
said: "Ketchum, when you can snY
me a few minutes time, I want ta
YOU" "All right, what is it?"
Ketchum, shortly, II want to tell va1
said Spooner, solemnly, "that tbour
look rugged, the doctors tell me ID
an incurable heart disease; that Will
may live for several months, l NAV
any time be seized with a fatal spsJ
especially if 1 become excited, and
want you to write my will. Wonder1
ly Ketchum asked: '.What
the world have you to dispo
OFF" ~ have a few things,"y
Spooner, sadly; ''won't you do ait
thing like that for an old friend
Certainly" said Ketchum, and col
to his desk, he drew out a sheet offm
cap and commenced to write as follo
II, Moses Spooner, of so-and-so, bel
of infirm body but Of sound mid
do, etc." "Now about the pr
erty," said Ketchum. Spm
waited q moment, until he could prod
ly control himself, then said:
desire that my one-half interest in
Big Fissure be sold and the procee
after all debts and charges are paid,
sent to my old mother, Patience Spoon
in Pike County, Missouri" Ketch|
put it down. Spooner continued: d
undivided one-third interest in the La
Duck wish to have sold, and, al
paying $1,000 to your head clerk, Jd|
Che is a friend of mine), send the resi-
my mother. with instructions that
paid to Missouri Price, also of Pik|
Then, Embarrassing emotion, he add
Sou would before this have been
wife, but l could not think Of maxi
the dear girl my nurse" Spoonerd
tinued to dispose of his property, !
finally said: "That is all except sS|
which I have in the-bank at
Lake City. Put down $4,000 to
little daughter, Nellie, MIR. Ketch]
the other $4,000 to yourself. Also
that appoint you and your clerk Jo|
my executors, to serve without bond
Then he went offby himself, took ases
a barrel, and for some moments bud
his face in his hands. Ketchum cal
Jones to the desk, had him copy onl4
cap the will in a neat, clerkly nd
called up Spooner and two witns
had the willsigned, sealed and witness
folded the paper, placed it in ald
envelope, had the envelope properly
prescribed and laid away carefully
the safe. Then said Ketchum: sSpoO|
let us take a little drink for old frie|
ship sake" II cannot said Spoon
"You know my weakness.
doctors say one drink might
me, and %protracted spree would
spre to-" A light shone in Ketchu
eyes. The doctors be bowed" said
Zone drink would not hurt any nj
You are low-spirited this norm
Spooner, come and brace up. A
the necessary resistance Spoonery iel1
and got outside of a rouser HOY
that asked Ketchum. Spooner admit
that he felt no bad effects, that, inda
it made him better. He took anoth
He kept taking them. He drank
day and night at intervals. Ketch
and Jones alternated in supplying b
He kept on for two weeks, but
symptoms of the fatal spasm maniteS
itself. At last one afternoon he
prone asleep on some boot boxes W
a physician came in. Ketchum as
the man of science to examine him
see if he had any symptoms Of
trouble. The doctor complied. nc
his wrist; put his ear to his breast;
his wrist again and said. "He la
heart like an OK; it is beating like
hammer and as regular as the strok9
a steam-engine." Spooner was ke]
out, and Ketchum and Jones 1ea
up his account. 1t amounted tos1
Next morning Spooner came in win
nerves on edge, and wanted adr1
He was kicked out again. The nea
he was. raving with delirium trent
and the men about town comps1
Ketchum to send him with a nurse
physician down to the springs, lNe
miles away. That day joe
owner of the mine, came down To-
and Ketchum tremblingly inquired ]
much was due to Spooner on tine !.
of the mining company. "lts the .u ua
way" said Joe; 81 bought nm sI
clothes, paid a back board Dill III
Lake, and paid his way up here, ' a
still owes me something like :
Spooner recovered, but he gets NJ y
accommodations of Ketchum, anu
any man asks Ketchum now to WIN"
his will, he drops all other Du us
niol-c ,,,, - hondlo ana Io