The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-07-16
A WELL THAT CAVED IN
And a Man Who Was Three Years Dig.
ging Himself Out

Some years since an eccentric old genius,
named Barnes, was employed by farmer
| living in a town some SIX or seven miles
westerly from the Penobscot river, Maine,
| to dig we'll The soil and substratum be-
| ing mostly of sand. old Barnes, after hav-
ing progressed downward about forty feet,
| found one morning upon going to work
| that the well had essentially caved in,
and was full nearly to the top. So, hav-
| ing the desire which men have of know
ing what will be said of them after they
are dead and no one being yet astir, he
concealed himself in rank growth Of
burdocks by the side of a board fence
near the mouth of the well, having first
left his hat and frock on the windlass over
the well.
At length, breakfast being ready, a boy
was dispatched to call him to his meal,
when 10 and behold! it was seen that
Barnes was buried in the grave uncon-
scousy dug by his own hands.
The alarm being given and the family
assembled, it was decided to first eat
breakfast and then send for the coroner,
the minister and his wife and children.
Such apathy did not fatter Barnes's
self-esteem bit, but he waited patiently
determined to hear what would be said
and see what was to be seen. Presently
all parties arrived and began prospect
ing the scene of the catastrophe, as
people usually do in such cases. At length
they drew together to exchange opinions
at once gave his opinion that they had
better level up the well and let Barnes re
main, for said he che is now beyond
the temptation of sin, and in the day of
Judgment it will make no difference
whether he is buried five feet under
ground or fifty. He is bound to come
forth in either case" The coroner like
~. 4 L
pense to his family or the town to dis
inter him when he was effectually buried,
and therefore conceded with the minister,
His wife thought that as "he had left his
hat and frock it would hardly be worth
while to dig him out for the rest of his
Clothes" and so it was decided to let him
remain.
But poor old Barnes, who had no break
fast, and was not at all pleased with the
result of the inquest, lay quiet until the
shades of evening stole over the land
scape, when he departed to parts I'M
known. After remaining incognito, for
about three years one morning he sudden
" appeared (hatless and frockless as he
VENT at the door of the farmer for whom
he had agreed to dig the unfortunate
well.
To say that an avalanche of questions
were rained upon him as to his mysterious
temperance. etc, would convey but a
feeble idea Of the excitement which his
bodily presence created.
But the old man bore it quietly, and at
length informed them that, on finding
himself buried, he waited to be dug out,
until his patience was exhausted, when
he set to work to dig himself out, and
only the day before succeeded, for his
IDEAS ,s being very much confused, he had
dug very much at random and instead of
coming directly to the surface, he came
out in the town of Holden, six miles east
of the Penobscot river.
No further explanations were asked for
by those who were so distressed and sor-
rowful over his supposed final resting
place.-From a Maine paper of 50 years
AGO.