The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1903-05-02
Old John Harding'S
Money
copyright. 1903. by C. b. Lewis. ]


elor. living on farm with his broth.
II was known that he had been hoard
ing for forty years. He died in his bed
without giving an alarm and without
leaving any message AS To where he
had hidden his wealth.
| was interested in the ease rs u dis
tant relative. while scores became In
tercsted through curiosity. We had 30
hire men and arm them with guns 10
keep the srarchers off the farm, and
there we're many among them who
would have kept every dollar OF the
treasure had they stumbled upon IT,
Where to search after the house had
been fruitlcssly gone over was the
question. and II was n puzzliug one.
Put yourself in old Mr.. IInrding's
place and tell me where you would
hide that money. Not in the house. for
fear of robbers first and search later
on. not In the barn. because the build
Ing was liable to bc struck 10y lightning
and burned He wanted to keep IL
away from his relatives. aud yet he
wouldn't want il lost for good and all
nor would hc wish It 10 fail into the
hands OF strangers. That IL simply hu-
man nature. 1t Is II paradox, but II *
human nature ns we'll You wouldn't
throw 1t down the wen. because tho
we'll would be searched There would
be the same objection to sheds and
stacks ne 10 the barn.
Both Hannah and Henry felt sure
the old man had buried the money.
felt Just as certain 10 the contrary He
had brought II home In installmcntS.
and h" would not run the risk Of open
Ing and closing cache seven or eight
different times. Much Of the lost mon.
ey was drawn out Of bank two weeks
previous to his death
Whenever he went To town he wore
a pair OF boots. On all other DAYS hc
wore II pair of old shoes. which were
soft and easy on his feet He did not
change back to his boots rs soon ~ he
reached home. but only after be had
returned from walking about the farm.
hence 1t might he inferred that he had
10 pass over bad ground
The woman brought me his boots
just as he had pulled them on for tive
last time. There was dried mud on
them. II could not he mud from tie
highway, because when he went to
town lust the roads were dusty The
sole OF the right boot was considerably
worn, and in Il crevlce | found a little
.stf
Ing 10 the mud. were several blades of
grass She brought me the suit uf
clothes lac had worn that day and for
three or -four days subsequently. ana |
found cookies and burs on the trousers
and bits OF rotten wood IN one OF the
cont pockets.
TO the west OF the house and halr
mile away was the forest 10 reach
1t he had 10 pass through the orchard
Between the orchard and the forest
was u creek. On the east side of IT,
where, | judged he would naturally
cross, was bed OF sand ON the other
side was u muddy spot, but with a log
TO walk on The forest covered eighty
acres OF ground, and but little Of II had
ever been cleared of underhruSh
In going from the house through the
orchard and across the creek and back
| got plenty of cookies and burs OIL my
clothes. and had | made miSStcp at
the log | should have fallen into the
mud and water. Granted that the old
man had hidden his money in the
woods. what particular spot should
look fory The brother had not han.
pened 10 see him 20 beyond the or.
chard, but on one occasion. when he
had need OF certain tool aud went to
the shed to lind 1t. II was missing two
hours later II had been restored II
was mallet that he wanted
Going on the theory that the old man
had used the mallet | went 10 the shed
and looked mt all the tools Most uf
them were rusty with the dampuesS
There was rust on Il certain anger and
on certain chisel, but II was fresh
rust The point OF the auger also re-
tanned some bits OF the last wood II
had been bored into. These bits | was
assured by several persons had "A
beechy taste Therefore | reasoned
that the auger had been bored into a
beech tree. had no doubt that he had
used mallet, chisel aud aueer 10 make
Il hiding place for his money
The first move was To 20 through the
forest IN search OF what might Ice call.
I'd eligible beech trees | marked of
twenty within ten minutes walk uf the
creek and then began a close inspcc-
ton OF each one | did not look at tops
or trunks. but on the ground There
were plenty of brush and limbs aud
dead leaves. but at the end of two days
steady search found chips aud spin
tiers In paving around aud then knew
that the quest was ended.
Never did man hide his money In
a safer place or with more skilltul
hands The tree was double one for
the first four feet from the ground
Where the two came together was a
tlecayed spot, 1t wasn't larger than II
mans fist when Harding discovered IT,
and funguses had taken root and were
thriving Everything looked So per
fectly natural that | was good hour
getting at the keyhole Of the treasure
box Had | not found sure evidences
Of his work In II few chips and spin.
iers the tree would have been put down
on the list OF failures. lie did not In
tend TO leave those evidences behind
him. AS fast as he cut out the wood
he placed IL aside. aud ms he crossed
The creek on his way home he threw
the chips into the water as ] after
ward ascertained
We'll [ have nothing more 10 Tell