Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-23
THE HOUSE
ON THE HILL
BY NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.


in town in the state OF Ohio. The
hill is there yet. but there is no house
on 1t. Twenty years ago stranger
went to the town and bought the hill
and built frame house there. When
the house was about completed he
died. 1t was decaying wreck when
along came Mr.. Bushwick from no
one knew where and bought the prop
erty for $500 AS soon as he had the
deed he offered It to any villager for
$500 and was laughed ut as weak in
the top story.
Failing to effect n sale, Mr.. BuShwick
had the house put in repair and an
nounced that he intended TO live there
He also announced that he should use
1t as an observatory. or course the
villagers knew what an observatory
was. When Mr.. Bushwick's telescope
and tripod arrived and were set up on
the veranda he permitted the villagers
to have look-not ut the heavens. but
at the earth. They could almost see
the housefles in the town beneath
their feet
Gentlemen" said Mr.. BushwicI
when all was ready, "the price OF this
property is $500. 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
one 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 aft
er the observatory" had been estab-
Hshed and as the old couple sat on the
piazza of their house n wrangle took
place. After n bit the husband looked
around. and, seeing no one passing.
he administered n 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 it was dispelled by the
waving Of n small white flag.
Elder Thompson was n good man, a
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 n humble
bee came along and lifted him once
for his mothers sake After ebmiag
down from his high jump th& eftser
broke down young cherry tree tore
down panel Of the fence and ran his
dog into the house. 1t was no more
than good man should do, but when
be looked up and saw that accusing
telescope and white flag he felt hurt
and conscience stricken.
a dozen other things of the kind
happened during the first week. and
then the citizens decided that an OBJ
servatory was unlawful. They con-
suited lawyer, and he smiled at them.
He told them the town could be sur
founded by observatories and not con-
niet with any law. Then it was
Thought best to make up shake purse
and buy Mr. Bushwick out.
Gentlemen" said the telescope man
when they approached him on the sub
1ect the price of this property is
$500. Take it or leave it."
IBut you have no right to be spying
ON our homes" was retorted.
There is no spying / am simply
surveying the earth before me. If any
OF you happen to come within my
range OF vision cannot help it. do
not think shall write n 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 home OF her own She was fond
Of strolling In her garden. A Mr.. Bios
som, who lived next door. was fond of
leaning over the line fence aud quot
ing poetry 10 her. His wife had warn
cd him to stop it or she would quote
something TO him, but on certain aft.
ernoon he forgot the warning and was
repeating "SheridaDs Ride" 20 Miss
Saunderson when there came a wife.
club and cataclysm. The telescope
took it all IN. The white flag waved
Joyously. Dozens Of people saw il
wave and went hunting for the cause.
and there was some more TO talk
about. Two or three days later a COM
mittee climbed the hill with $500 I'm its
hind pocket ana tlt1 Mr. fRusaiwick 10
tnke it and .get,ogt, ,..
'Genuemep. ] am sorry if you have
been put to any trouble" he kindly re-
Inied, but the figure on the property
is 5000. You see, q sort OF real estate
boom has set in"
The committee hemmed and hawed
and refused 70 pay. Two days after
that the report spread that the observ-
atory man was going 20 have a 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
u the night glass or any other kind
q glass. but 81 would be o great i'm
Tovement 10 the landscape 90 remove