Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-09-08
The House On The Hill.

in a town in the state OF Ohio. TIE hill
is there yet, but there is no house on it.
Twenty years ago stranger went to the
town and bought the hill and built
frame house there. When the house was
about completed ne died. II was de-
cayed wreck, when along came a Mr..
BuShwick from no one knew where and
bought the property for 800. AS soon
as he had the deed he offered it TO any
viIlager for $500 and was laughed at as
weak in the top story.
Failing TO effect sale, Mr.. BuShwick
had the house put in repair and announc-
ed that he intended 10 live there. He
also announced that he should use il as
an observatory. OF course the villagers
knew what an observatory was. When
Mr.. BuShwick's telescope and tripod ar
rived and were set up on the veranda he
permitted the villagers to have a look
not at the heavens, but at the earth.
They could almost see the houSeflieS in
the town beneath their feet.
Gentlemen, said Mr.. Bushwick when
all was ready, "the price OF this property
is $4OO. 1t will increase 500 per week
until sold"
OF course he was loony, but so long
as he appeared harmless the people would
only laugh at him. The first man to
make a discovery was a Mr.. Graham.
He was an old man, and he had an old
wife. They were always wrangling, more
or less. When they had wrangled about
so long each time he would box her ears.
Two days after the observatory had
been established and as the old couple
sat on the piazza OF their house awrangle
took place. After a bit the husband look
ed around, and, seeing no one passing,
he administered a cuff. A moment later
he happened to look up on the hill and
saw that the telescope was trained upon
him. If there was any doubt that Mr.
Bushwick had seen that cuff inflicted 1t
was diSpeled by the waving OF a small
white flag
Elder Thompson was good man,
very good man, as all elders should be
and are. He was sitting in his back yard
under an apple tree, thinking how good
and peaceful and nice it was TO be real
good, when bumbIebee came along
and lifted him once for his mothers sake.
After coming down from his high jump
the elder broke down a young cherry
tree, tore down panel OF the fence and
ran his dog into the house. 1t was no
more than a good man should do, but
when he looked up and saw that accusing
telescope and white flag he felt hurt and
conscience stricken.
A dozen other things OF the kind hap
pencd during the first week, and then
the citizens decided that an observatory
was unlawful. They consulted lawyer,
and he smiled at them. He told them
the town could be surrounded by ooSer-
vatories and not conflict with any law
Then 1t was thought best to make up a
shake purse and buy Mr.. Bushwlck oul'
Gentlemen" said the telescope man
when they approached him on the sub
iect "the price of this property is SoOO'
Take it or leave it.
"Bufyou have no right to be spying
on our homes, was retorted.
"There is no spying. am simply sur
veying the earth before me. II any OF
you happen to come within my range OF
vision cannot help it. do not think !
shall write a book on what see. ! may,
but do not think So"
The citizens refused to pay the sum
named and went down the hill to their
homes, while Mr.. BuShwick returned to
his post and his telescope. One OF the
residents of the village was an old maid
named Miss Saunderson. She had a
home of her own. She was fond OF
stroling in her garden. A Mr.. Blossom,
who lived next door, was fond OF lean
ing over the line fence and quoting poet
ry TO her. His wife had warned him 10
stop il or she would quote something TO
him, but on a certain afternoon he forgot
the well-meant warning and was repeat
ing "Sheridan's Ride" to Miss Saunder-
son when there came a wife, club and
a cataclysm. The telescope took II all In.
The white flag waved ioyously. Dozens
of people saw if wave and went hunting
for the cause, and there was some more
TO talk about. Two or three days later
a committee climbed the hill with $500 in
its hind pocket and told Mr.. Bushwick
to take it and get out.
Gentlemen, am sorry ii you have
been put to any trouble, he kindly re-
piled, "but the figures on the property
are 5000. You see, a sort OF real estate
boom has set in"
The committee hemmed and hawed
and refused to pay. Two days after that
the report spraad that the observatory
man was going to have night as well as
a day glass-a glass that would almost
see through a pine door. Then there
was hustle. Three men took up the
task OF collecting. Oh, no; they were
not afraid OF the day glass or the night
glass or any other kind of glass, but it
would be a great improvement to the
landscape to remove the house on the
hill and set out some pine trees there.
When they went up to see Mr.. Bush
wick again he wanted 500, but seeing It
was they and seeing they wanted 10 bet
ter the landscape, he would throw off $50
and get out. In three days he was gone,
and the sigh of relief that went up was
heard all over Lorraine county. Things
do happen yet in thattown, but the world