Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1906-08-09
A
POnd,Island
Story

A"os Johnson was a typical shift
less character. Although he possessed
whe and seven children. he saw no
necessity Tor work. Things went from
oao 10 worse and his wife, tired
Vi supporting Amos as well as his
seven children, passed him over TO
the county.
The county alms-house authorities
tried neral suasion for awhile, but
obtained no results. He was hopeless.
rlraIlv someone invented a plan 10
make him work. The plan met with
omeai approval. and accordingly he
was set on on a small island. barren
OF everything but grass and rocks.
They provided him with fishing ma
ter1als, boat. some lumber and ten
days provisions.
me elan was successful. He work.
ed. He built himself hut. and settled
down to 1--we by fishing He even be-
came industrious, having no company
and no liquor. for he was not permit
ted TO land at home. He had TO sell
his fish and buy his provisions from
Tie boat AID TO- obtain liquor. always
more CT less difficult in Maine. lie now
found impossible.
After a lonely winter on the island
ne decided 10 buy few sheep for COM
1cld, having saved, or rather ac-
cumulated enough money TO purchase
the animals.
Cne day. as he was rolling stones to-
eether for the purpose, he happened
upon rather large one. When he had
With great difficulty rolled il over he
was attracted by a yellow CLEAN from
the hollow. He leaned over, and TO
his amazement, found a heard of gold
pieces. They were all fiye-Gollar
pieces. dated 1870.
Immediately he went wild with JOY.
Now he could escape his island prison.
He ran to the hut, seized a fish-basket.
and filed il with the gold. Then he
hastily gathered the few belongings
he valued. fled them all into his
skin and started for the mainland
when he reached The docks he start
ed to land. But unfortunately for
him special Officer happened 70 be
on the spot and gruffly ordered him
back to his boat. He tried TO tell about
his find. but he was merely told TO
stow all that, it's no use" He had
the gold, he was a rich man. but there
he was. He could hardly realize the
situation. but kept on climbing. How
ever, the officer of the law promptly
and fcrcibly showed him back into his
boat, and there was nothing for IL
but 10 accept the situation.
He had no fish to sell that dag. Bit
he bought his provisions, as usual.
though he paid for them with gold
Also he Indignantly told his story and
went back TO his island. When he
reached there he hid his all but useless
gold and went TO work. For his work
was all he had with which TO use up
time. ldleness, continued. was tor
tGre-in- itself On that lonely island.
All this he realized and realized too
what change had come over him
during his stay there. He had acuuir-
ed desire 10 do things. and the ad-
vantage which he had looked forward
to obtaining from his newly discov-
cred wealth was the association with
others, and not the freedom from
work. He intended 20 keep on work
Ing in some way or other but in jus,
what line he had not decided.
He ate his evening meal and then
wrote carefully composed letter TO
the authorities who had condemned
him to This island. IL was late. for
him, when he finished this. so he went
to bed.
few hours later he was roughly
dragged out Of bed. tortured until he
disclosed where his gold was hidden.
and then brutally murdered. by the
men to- whom he had told his story
that day.
They carried the heard back with
them and began spending il. A piece
soon reached bank. followed by
others. and their freshness was i'm
mediately noticed by a Guick-eyed
teller. n few DAYS later the papers
announced that the famous gold count
erfeit issue of 1870 had reappeared
and its issuers had been arrested.
A. ID. SWIVELY.