The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1911-04-27
THAT GOLD
MINE
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1870 by Associated Lit
erary Press

when 1t rainsr'
Abner Day, farmer, had heard these
words hundreds of times IN the fifteen
years since he had married the Widow
Winters, and his reply had always been
the same:
WAL, some folks are born that way
and can't help it."
On q portion of Abner's farm was a
range of hills. 1t was limestone
ridge, but there was legend that gold
had been found there years before
a nugget of gold as big as a teacup
That legend never died. When other
news was scarce it was brought to the
front, and it was generally believed in.
Abner's grandfather had meant to open
the hills some day in search OF other
nuggets. So had his father. So had
he. The trouble was to find time.
There were blowing and dragging and
planting and hoeing and reaping, and
ne never got day to himself.
The widow began to poke at him as
soon as married, but it did no good.
She would go on to tell how many tons
Of gold were probably hidden away in
those hills and how, if dug out, they
could have the clock cleaned, q new
door to the shed and the cellar stairs
repaired.
III get around to it some day,
Sarah" he would reply.
"But why not tomorrow"
"Mebbe / can"
But he didn't. His farm work inter-
fered. As he finished his morning
meal the wife would say:
"Now, Abner, that gold mine today.
You can dig half a ton of it as well as
not, and we need new flatirons and
washboard."
Eyes, / know"
AS the day passed and he sat down
to supper she would ask:
"Dig any gold today, Abner"
"Nope had other things to see to-
OF course the gold mine legend was
gossip for many miles around. Once
q month at least some one came along
and wanted to dig on shares. They
would see the wife first and she would
readily agree. All she wanted was
that a lawyer should draw up the
agreement so that it would hold wa
ter. She had been cheated by light
ming rod man once and she didn't pro-
pose to be anybody's victim again
She kept corner Of the cellar cleaned
out to store the gold in, but 1t was
never used. The stranger would &c
down into the field and talk with Alb
ner and after he had winded himself
he would hear the farmer say:
"These taters has got to be hoed, and
you come around some other time"
But don't you want to be a rich
man."
at would be kinder nice"
"You could go to Europe"
"Yaas"
"You could build a fine house and
have your carriage and servants"
81 see"
perhaps you'd be elected governor.
"Shoo.'
"And I'll have lawyer draw up the
contract and bring it here tomorrow t.
be signed. Digging will begin at once
Within a week.
"Yes, I know, but these taters"-
1t was always so. and when Abnel
scuffed up to the house at shutdown Il
was to find his wife In the sulks or ir
tears, and she generally ended VI
with:
"And If you don't go to digging TIT
first thing in the morning l will"
Think Of Fifteen years Of pokins
and not a hole made in the hillside
The ex-widow must have been a pa
tent, determined woman to stand 1t
But stand it she did. She would con
quer or die. One day, after her many
disappointments, she fell Ill. The doc
tor pronounced it typhoid fever. ant
she became a very sick woman. A
times when she was out Of her head
she would babble about that golt
mine At length, to prevent furthe
worry, the NJ. D. advised Abner to g
to digging and ease the mind Of tn,
patient.
"But I've got to pillow out corn tomor
row." was protested.
"Never mind your corn. You get {
couple Of men and open those hills o.
you'll soon be a widower."
"Do you think it'll be safe to hav'
several tons of gold around?
"Quite so. When l call again wan
to see you at work"
In a lucid interval the patient wa
told that digging was to begin. Sh'
was very III, but she braced up enough
to say:
"Tell Abner that If he finds any oil
plow points or wagon tires mixed vi
with the gold to throw 'em one side
He's an awfully careless man."
Abner and his hired man dug ant
dug and dug. They dug here and the.
dug there, and people came for tel
miles around to see them throw GU
shovels of gold. But there was n
gold. There was neither gold nor sil
yer nor copper nor iron. There wa
limestone, but nothing else-nothini
but a petrified hickory ak handle
When this was found the patient ha
passed the crisis of her fever and wa
mending. ,Abner was permitted to g
to her bedside and exhibit his find.
what is itY she asked.
"a petrified ak handle"
Didn't you find the petrified a
blade to 60 with it?'