The Ketchikan miner., 1908-12-26
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: A Tramp's Dream


,.ia kitchen door preparatory to the Leo:.lay meal a tramp turned in from the highway und asked for Il bite to eat. 1e was asked if he would work for it. and after look in the direc- lial of the corndeld and shake of the head he replied:
 "i m just out of the hospital with three broken ribs and am not strong enolt,h, but I'll do Il heap better than to halGie Il hoe. 1 turned in here be- night while l was sleepin' in q barn five miles away. Yes. it's the same place-house barn. orchard. blue pump in the well and everything else. It's just as if my dream had been photo graphed."
 "What sort of dream?" asked the farmer but without much curiosity.
 Il thought 1 stood right there under that pear tree and saw you come up from the barn. You had an iron bound box on your shoulder. and you could hardly stagger under it. You threw IL dON Juot " uSiC thol OiNh HUI Ia scratchin' and got the ax and broke 1t open. Gee whiz!'
 And what?'
 "Well, the $20 gold pieces went fly. in all around here like snowfakes in winter. It was the beautifulest sight my eyes ever beheld-great big waller coins, and how they did chink togeth- er It was their chinkin' that woke me up."
 But there's nothing in dreams" said the farmer. although he was beginning to turn pale around the mouth.
 "Mebbe not. mebbe not but l never had one yet that didn't come true. Are you willin to let me search your barn and gimme half what 1 fnd?'
 "You sit down here and I'll bring you out some dinner, and then we'll talk further about it."
 Farmer Bingham was no fool He was a young man of twenty-five and was accounted above the average in sharpness, but the dream hit him. He had scarcely related 1t to his wife when she exclaimed:
 "You carry that tramp out the big gest dinner he ever had and then pump him dry and get rid of him."
 After the tramp had eaten his fill he offered to help them about the box. They made excuses.
 Ladies and gentlemen he said, "I understand-I perfectly understand. You don't want me around when the box Is found and opened. You don't want me to hear the chink-a-chinll of them yaller boys. You think I'd claim sheer for dreamin'. Waal. I'll move on and let you have all the fun to your selves"
 The tramp was watched out of sight, and then the couple went to the barn and began their search. They had put in two hours and were still at it when Mrs. Blnghams mother arrived. The idea was not to give her the slightest hint about the treasure. but in the course of half an hour she had picked the information from her daughter. Then she said:
 Amelia. you want to see that you get your rights ill this thing. Half that money belongs to you, and you want to stand up for it."
 "But George will do what's right about it. of course"
 There's no Of course about it. The minute he gets that box ia his hands his greed will be aroused. He won't want to give you enough to buy an apron out of it."
 That old barn was almost turned bot tom side up. but no box was found. The farmers brother came around next morning on an errand and when he found George crawling out from un- der the hogTlen he wanted an explana- tion and had to have it. AS soon as he got it he said:
 You look out for Amelia. If ever I saw avarice in woman's eyes it's in hers. She'll want at least half of the money to buy gimcracks with"
 Before noon the wife's father and two brothers and sisters were on hand. and after them came the husbands father and other brother. There were wran- gling and Quarreling from the start. When the dirt floor of the smokehouse was spaded up and the spade struck an old tomato can. there were pushing and showing and swearing. When the farmer prepared to drain off the wa ters of the goose pond and refused to pledge himself to an equal division. there was fight, out of whi-h grew bloody noses and black eyes. Of course the affair attracted the atten- ton of the neighbors. and they came by the dozen to mix in and help along things. The barn was pulled almost to pieces, the ground dug up in fifty different places and an old well on the premises cleaned out. The house and cellar were searched. straw stacks tipped over. and there was fever i'll the veins of the searchers. The farmer and his wife had reached the point where they no longer spoke to each other. their kin were quarreling at every possible excuse, and the county sheriff had about concluded to take a hand in it when the old tramp who had dreamed was seen turning into the gate again. A rush was made for him, and as soon as he could get his breath he explained:
 "They call me Truthful Willie be- cause l never told lie in my life. When I make mistake try to rectify