The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-10-29
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dreams. ssid old Silss rsf.on. Hs tool
another whif al his pipe, and then added
"ose Of the greatest speculssions ] eve
went into come OF dream; . wonderful
dream. I'll tell ye About H."
Aud We listened 10 the old mans sior,
a. follows:
"You remember. some Of you. about
the great land speculation here in Maine
some 30 years ago. Poor men-s very few
Of them we're made suddenly rich and
rieb men were made suddenly poor. J
was living then in Grey. One day old
Sam Whitney. Of Oxford. stopped u our
place and showed us map Of new town
which bad been laid out 10 SAgadahoc.
On the map 1t looked beautiful. There
we're brooks and lakes, and broad plains OF
pine and OAK. With streets al laid out, and
! spop - churches and sebeo, hcsses all
markell out Ia proper array. I bad .
cousin living down that way, and con-
cluded to 90 down and take look. I
found the town Of Elienville. which old
Whitney bad showed me on his map. to
be n wild, worthless tract. all rocks and
swamp. but on the edge Of tL,s tract. in
another township, my cousin owned .
good piece. Of land, and bought 100 acres
OF it. and made me nice farm, and for
that purchase l was never sorry.
Meantime Ellenville was nearly oil sold
in 100 acre lots. The excitement WAS at
fever heat. aud people bought without
ouce thinking to come and look at the
land they we're purchasing. But BY aud
by the new comers came 10 look up their
property, aud you can rest assured they
we're blue set when they assembled on
the territory. Within all the limits Of the
mapped out township there was not an
acre that could be cultivated. On the
eide that bordered on my farm il was .
craggy ledge Of rocks, and beyond that to
the eastward the land settled away under
the mud and water OF q snnken slo1gh.
Some Of these lots had been sold as high
as IS an acre; and few Of them even
went higher than that One poor fellow
named John Twist. Of Vermont. had paid
s5 an acre for. q lot that cornered on my
land. On the map it had been set down
as magnificent pine forest, with 9 beau
tiful river upon its border, on which there
was superb water power. John Twist
bought and paid for it, and when be came
to look at it he found II to be mass Of
barren rock, with here and there clump
Of scrub oak and few stunted Norway
pines; and for river he found . water
course that tumbled melted snow over the
crags in the spring, but which was dry
most Of the time. did not see the poor
fellow when he came to survey bis proper.
ty, but could imagine how be felt.
After while, however. the excitement
passed OF and the sufferers Of Ellenville
turned their backs upSa The graves OF
their speculative hopes. On my farm I
prospered. My land was Of the best
quality; my wife was true helpmate; my
crops were abundant; my stock thrived
and l found myself, at length, with q good
ly pile OF silver dollars tied up in my
stocking.
One evening in early autumn, after our
crops had all been gathered. man, riding
= sorry looking nag; pulled up before our
door. He was well looking man, with .
sedate and solemn face, and dressed in
black. 1t was safe enough to conclude
that he was minister; aud SO be announc-
ed himself. He said be was Rev. Paul
Meekmore. He was . missionary, on .
homo circuit, and asked shelter for him
self and beast for the night. OF course
we welcomed him cheerfully, and were
pleased with him. He had travelled ex-
tensively, and bis conversation was in.
teresting and instructive Before he went
10 bed he read chapter in the Bible. and
said prayer; and Betsey said to me after
he had retired, that she Lad never heard
such beautiful prayer in her life.
The next morning ut the breakfast table
Mr.. Meekmore was very sedate. He asked
q blessing and then only answered such
questions as were asked him. Finally
Betsey told him she was afraid he had
not slept well. He smiled. aud said be
had slept very well. saving the spell Of .
curious dream which had visited him
three separate times during the night.
Betsey asked him il be would tell what II
was about
1T was the old dream OF hidden wealth.
he said. with solemn look Il haven
dreamed such dream before since by .
wonderful dream 10 southern Africa was
led to the discovery Of diamond mine
worth millions OF dollars; aud il never
pro6ted me penny. But such wealth Is
not for me. I need it not. Ny calling
hath higher and holier aims. And jet
this poor flesh Is sometimes weak enough
10 lust alter the dross OF gold and silver. >
by degrees We got from him that he bad
dreamed OF silver mine among the crags
OF our bills. The mine seemed to his
vision utterly exhsustIess in the precious
metal, but he could net locate It, Betsey,
whose curiosity was aroused, would have
pushed the matter; but Mr.. Meekmore
finally shook bis head more solemnly than
ever, and said be would rather forget the
dream II he could.
When the missionary's horse was II the
door, and the owner was prepared 70 start
Cd, be informed us that be vas bound
toward the Canada line. aud that be might
return that way. OF course We told him
thss our door would slxsys he open to
him; and be promised that be would abide