Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-29


with no snc1css for the first five days.
and positive disaster on the sixth. On
that day Mann had gone alone in the
search. but returned i'll haste. and.
with the first trace of agitation he had
ever shown. asked: What kind of a
looking man is your neighbour" oh"
said the elder, with whitening scorn,
"he is ng-legged, long-haired
balloon of the desert homely as a mud
fence. Why do you ask"
Well" said Mann, Il saw such "A
man watching and following me- We
must get rid of him some way. l am
work ing for you, and l cannot afford
to find fortune for someone else"
A council of war was held in the
elders barn. in which 1t was decided
to do two things. The next day at
many places on the farm were pla-
cards, like flowers that had bloomed in
the night telling the world that Tres
passing was not allowed" Also the
mineral hunting was done at night.
The elder was what is known in sport
ing circles as slayer and. in spite
of the mishap of discovery. pushed the
search with vigor. and, after what
seemed to him as many days when
avarice and cupidity had banished
canton. there were signs of success.
The rod began TO give out flashes.
and finally they struck. on course
that gave a STEADY glow
On and on it led them. Mann con-
stantly rcpcating: we are on the
right track" TILL horrors. it led them
off the elders lauI and onto the next
an LII in
Mara, to prove the reliability of the
rod, took the spade from him and dug
at the spot indicated. At the second
spade deep" there was an unmistak-
able sound of metal. With renewed
energy he soon uncovered enough To
reveal a good sized camp kettle. Let's
Jerk il out of there and run. almost
gaspnd the elder, but Mann was the
soul ef honor.
No" he said. we found this ON an
other mans land and 1t Is not ours.
Besides, we could not carry it; 1t
weighs 800 pounds. l cannot get the
lid off, but through this crack l can
feel the coins. Here is one. 1t VIII
be no harm. 1 am sure, TO take one
each from Il man who has that many.
On the way home the elder stumbled
AMI mumbled like n drunken man. ana
on two or three occasions, when ne
brought up against stump. Mann
heard expressions that sounded IKE
profanity. He cherished the coin.
however. and once lighted match TO
look at it,
Long into the night Mann could hear
the now almost distracted elder pac-
ing the floor in tho parlor and he
knew that the next morning was the
time for action.
There is one way, elder, that yon
can possess this treasure honestly
said Mann the next morning, and
that il to buy your neighbor out. He
will likely be contrary and ask high
price but from what you have seen
and know you can well afford to pay
hundred times what the stony old
piece of land is worth | must have
my half of that money. and do not
wish to be compelled to go to your
neighbor to get it,"
Elder Jones was in profuse perspl-
ration at the close Of this brief speech,
and he took action at once. In 70 min
utes he was at his neighbours bachel-
or's hall with a figurativc flag of truce.
He found the despised neighbOr neith-
er bcligerent nor cordial but his pro-
posai to buy was treated with disdain.
ME sell out jest when I've got a for
tune!" he almost shouted. why, I've
got a. fortune in that sulphur spring
and men up North ready to back me In
putting up hospital. Sell OUT Not
for your uncle Hezekiah."
The elder had been willy in his time,
and mad not entirely forgotten his ahil-
ity, lie meekly told his neighbor that
he himself had thought of d small
sanitarium for his friends. especially
old and inflrm preachers, and that he
would pay royal price for the land.
His neighbor looked away over the
hills and up and down the little valley
that divided his farm. Then ne said:
Elder. you are traded with, for I
can't go back on the church and the
preachers. l was a Christian once, il
l am backslider now. My price for
the hospital site Is $4,000, but you give
the farm is yours
In one hour they were in the elders
buggy headed for town. where the
trade was completed. The elders
neighbcr said he had to look around Il
break into tho treasure kettle. Mann
was not there when he arrived home.
but he felt sure that he would show up
for divide of the spoils,
With the first shades of night. the
elder. equipped with pick and Spade"
hurried to the treasure trove. With
fiendish haste for man of his delibcr-
ate movements ne uncovered the ket-
tie and burst the lid. to find it well
filled with railroad spikes. He saw
that he was well stung' victim Of
graft, and IN his heart prayed for the
recovery of Jim Blankensfelt. who had
led him on. It would be some comfort
to see Jim wearing stripes. but a let
ter from the hospital authorities but
added wort, wood in a heroic dose.
Dear Sir he read. there was new
er anyone by the name of James
Blankensfelt treated here. The man
who posed as Blankensfelt was from
your county"
Up to this time the elder kept
tight grip" on his piety, but when he