The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-27
THE SCHEME WENT ASTRAY.
An Easy Way to Get Your Ten Acre Lot
Dug Up.

An Easy Way to Get Your Ten Acre Lot
Dug Up.
A curious sight met my gaze as !
turned into the road that leads to
Covina. In ten acre lot there were
about 100 men and women of all ages
and sizes working with feverish
haste tearing and uprooting the
ground.
The only party who did not ap.
pear to be excited was an old man
seated on bowlder in the shade of
pepper tree, calmly smoking a
corncob pipe.
"Howdy, strangers" he exclaimed
as he removed his pipe. Eyer rather
late, but hit amt been found yet, so
if yer wanter start in ye kin" :"
"What hasn't been found?"
"Them yaller boys, stranger.
Thar's 100000 out thar in thet yer
field"
"Hcw did it git therei"
"Hit wuz planted thar by the old
Spanish fathers over 200 years ago,
an hits all in $40 gold boys, an hit
goes ter the man who finds hit.
"Nonsensel Don't you know that
there wasn't such a thing as s20
goldpiece in those daysl"
The old man grinned at me and
then said:
II see thet yer on, stranger, but
don't give hit away. Yer see, thet
ten acres belongs ter me, an want
er put spuds in hit, so jes' started
thet yer yarn ter git the field dug
up. Ireckon thet hit will all be dug
up by sundown.
smiled and rode on.
In the evening l passed the same
spot again. The excitement seemed
to have increased and centered on
one spot in the middle of the field.
A huge bonfire lighted up the scene,
and the dirt was flying in all direo-
tions.
AS was watching the novel scene
I was hailed by the old man from a
spot near by. I walked over to him
and discovered that he was tied to
tree
"For Gawd's sake, unite me,
strangeri" he cried.
"What is the matter9' I asked.
"Matter7" whined the old man.
"The matter is thet I'm an old fulel
After ye left this mornin / got to
worryin fer fear they wouldn't git
the place dug up before sundown, so
went over an added another hun
dred thousan ter sorter cheer them
up.
"Waal, darn my hide, while wuz
a-hoppin Ground thar a-wavin my
arms an a-shoutin to them ter work
faster lost a $50 goldpieoe, an one
of them fules found hit, an hit set
the whole lot plump crazy, an wuz
the craziest of 'em all a-tryin ter
make them believe thet thet yaller
boy wuz mine.
"Furst trisd argument, but they
wouldn't listen. Then l tried swear
in, but they wouldp't listen ter thet.
Then tried foutin, but they hadn't
time ter fout, so they tied me ter
this tree. Stranger. they've got
hole over yonder thet's so feet deep
an goin deeper every minute an only
Gawd knows when they are goin ter
stop.
They've ruined the field, an
they I'VE ruined me, cause thet yaller
boy wuz all I had. But, stranger. ]
ain told ye the worst yet. Thought
thet my ole woman needed little
exercise, 60 didn't let her in on the
scheme, an she's over yander ez
crazy ez the rest, a-clutchin an claw
in at the dirt like a wild hyena. An
when night came she went an sot
fire ter the house, so thet they could
hev light ter work byl
stranger, I'm a ruined man, an
if the old woman gifts on ter the
scheme I'll be dead onel Fer
Gawd's sake, unite me, SO thet I kin
leave the country!"
Iuntied him, and he started down
the road on clean jump. and for
aueht know he is running yet
st. Louis Post-Dispatch.