Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-06-19

/ the figure was set at high notch, but
he paid it with he utmost non chat
lance, and forthwith proceeded to
burn all the establishments original
furnishings, and replace them with
\ new and elegant appointments. There
/ We're other houses near, and the neigh
boring land inc uded il his purchase
was hilly and uneven. The houses
were purchased and moved away, per-
haps torn down, while an army of
laborerS We're employed to smooth the
wrinkles out of the landscape.
Once established in his castle, Tom
1 gathered around him many servants
and filed his stables with fiue horses.
TIE lawns were kept smooth, and it
was sure death to the beast who ven
tured to despoil them, Once Coffin
saw two men leaning against the fence
OF his grounds, and he rushed out
with two horse pistols to drive them
off. The servant who was
not willing to swear that
black was white, if Tom Sc fan
cied, had to pick up his buds and
walk. If any of the horses failed to
come up to his expectations the ami
NAL was led dowa to the lakeside and
shot. Once teamster offered Coffin
Sl0e for an animal that was being led
to the slaughter, but the offer was
angrily refused.
Tom would go off at intervals, nc
one knew where, and return in a few
weeks 1t became known that he
had sheep ranch somewhere out
west a flour mill in Michigan, and q
residence in Chicago, and it IS sup
/ posed that he went off ON business
Once he returned with young aad
pretty wife, although before thst ne
/ would not allow a woman around his
house. He and his wife live in
Winthrop part of the year now, and
/ 90 off at intervals 10 somewhere,
as the villagers say. How much he
/ is worth can not be definitely found
out; the villagers tell startling stories
about his having closets packed full
of bills and silver, but this is I'm
doubleday exaggeration. Tom Coffin
is as rich as mud, though, the Win
thropites think him the greatest
crank on earth.
The other of Winthrop's oldest mer
is Uncle Bragdon, and his great
specially is drinking cider. His ca
pacity for surrounding apple juice is
astonishing, and people whose stom
achs are of the ordinary pint size vii
hardly believe the stories of Uncle
/ Bragdon's feats of drinking. He j!
about 20 years of age now, aud hi!
occupation from mill work to hoeing
potatoes is principally drinking cider
That part of Kennebec county il
which Winthrop is located is noteC
for its fine orchards and immense pro
duction of apples and cider. so Uncl,
Bragdon is favorably located for graft
1 flying his appetite The story of hi
bargain with the widow is the best o
many told about him, and not only ;
Gomical yarn, but true one.
The widow in question had grea
I pile of wood in her doorway, anC
Uncle Bragdon was hired at so mucl
to saw and pile it. He soon began t,
ask for cider, and the widow, wh'
had, like everyone else in Winthrop
a cellar full, favored the old man
whim until he had empted a keg o
two, and then, by agreement, she be
gan to charge a small price per gal
Ion. The wood-sawing went on, wit
a drink of cider for punctuation be
tween every two sticks, and tn
widow kept tally.
When the job was done the widoy
and Uncle Bragdon figured up and 70
a fact he had drank so much eide
that he owed the widow $3.50.