The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-26
JOE HARPFR'S WILL
BY JOHN HAMBLIN

The excitement was intense, and more peo-
pie turned out to pay last tribute of re-
spect to Joseph Harper than had ever fol-
lowed another citizen of the county. While
the house was crowded full after the burial.
at least 200 people who could not get in stood
about the yard to learn the contents of the
will. The first person mentioned in the docu-
| ment was an old maid. Before the find of
the treasure she had been in the habit of
| mimicking the walk of the old Bachelor and
had made a great hit.
Miss Lucy Arnold" read the document,
is to walk twice across the floor and initiate
my gait as closely as possible. She is then
to- be allowed to take a double handful Of
coins out Of the box as token of my esteem
| 1t took Lucy five minutes to work up her
| nerve for the performance, but she figured
| that double double handful of coins would
be at least $500, and she went ahead.
! The next legatee was William Johnson,
farmers son, who was required to laugh in
a hearty manner for the privilege of taking
one handful of coins. He had always been
asking old Joe why he didn't laugh. 1t was
a pretty hard job for him to get up a haw!
haw. on this OCCASION but he finally accom-
plished it and made mighty one handed
grab. +
Then the document mentioned Mrs. Scott
wife Of Peter Sect, who was in the habit
of puckering up her mouth in curious way
when saying it was the way Joe did when
he tried to whistle ''Aud Lang Syne.' She
was 10 stand up and quicker her mouth for
two minutes by the clock and was then to be
awarded with a pint basin full OF coins. She
hung off about it for awhile, but her hus-
| band braced her UP, and she earned her
| coins and got her mouth back to its usual
shape again. -.s. ~
| Then came the turn of Miss Hattie Davis
another old maid The old bachelor was deaf
| in the left ear, and he had a rather curious
way of jerking up his left hand when spoken
! to. Miss Davis was in the habit of initial
ing this movement. They will read that she
was to stand up and then go through the
motion twenty times, and she was to be re-
warded with all the coins she could grab with
both hands. But for her mother being pres
ent to tell her that two big handfuis Of money
would doubtless bring sutton for her hand
Miss Hattie might have not reaped under the
will. ga
| A few months before discovering the treas
ure Joseph Harper had suffered for several
weeks with rheumatism in the hip and had
been compelled to drag his right leg he
| walked. Young Aaron Geernwood, who was
the smart Alec of the neghborhood had
given limitations of the limp for the delecta-
ton of the neghbors The will read that he
was to limp ten rods and back after the
Harper style' and would then be allowed to
fill one, trousers pocket with coins from the
box. The young man went through the per-
Torrance, but none of the spectators was con-
vulsed with laughter.
There were twenty-five legatees under the
will. and twentyone of them had to go
through some performance in order to inherit
In each and every case the bachelor got even
and a little more, though lying in his grave
| The twenty second and last person to be
mentioned was the wife Of a farmer living
five miles away. 1t appeared that she had
once called Joseph in as he was plodding by
in a storm and had fed and warmed him. To
her left all his real estate and per-
sonal property, amounting to a matter Of
| $1,000, and she was charged to congratulate
| all the others on what they had received.
This charge was never fulfilled. She had
not yet risen to carry it out when the row
began, Joseph Harper had found box of
| coins in a hollow tree, but they were bogus
quarters and halves and dollars and hidden
! away by some gang Of courterfeiters years
before. He had made use OF the find to square
! up old scores. '.' '.--'-'
| OF course the :'legatees' were boiling over
with Indignation, and of course the "out-
| siders'' were tickled to death, and the row
! did not cease until doors were unhinged,
windows smashed adm fences leveled There
| are some still living who speak of the dead
| man with a show of respect hut there are
| others who never hear his mentioned
| without exc1aiming:
| What! Joe Harper! Why, he was the
| meanest man who ever died in this whole
] statei'