Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1911-11-09
A Prophecy
BY CAROL r. PIERCE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911


Enoch Armsby. a Connecticut Yankee,
who had taken it into his head to run
a plantation on the Mississippi river
some twenty miles south of Vicks'
burg. found himself northern man
with southern interests. Despite the
differences between him and his neigh
bors they didn't drive him out. His
sou. Zeke. who had lived In the south
longer than in the north, enlisted In
the Confederate army and this dis
posed the southerners more than ever
TO let the father alone.
Enoch Armsby told his southern
friends that there were reasons Why
the north would prevail
Il guess, he said, "nothin' can
stand against the south for hghtin
but It isn't dghtin that's goln to win.
The northern people are full OF re-
sources When they come down here
youll find that they will convert fer
ryboat into man-of-war, build
bridges with cotton bales and when
they capture one o your railroads
they'n xii out time table and run
il nearer the schedule than you fellers
can do it in line of peace
II reckon one southe'ner can whip
ave Yankees" would be the reply
"S'posin they do. Sposin' they Kill
three out o the five Yankees and
make prisoners Of the other two The
two they don't kin will invent some
way 0 gittin out o jail and go on
hghtin They win he joined by three
more Yankees and be as strong as
ever. That'll 90 right on"
rhe Federal forces slowly made their
way down the river and in time the
great event OF the war in that region.
the siege Of Vicksburg, began Zeke
Armsby participated in the fighting
that took place in the rear OF that city.
was captured and confined with lot
of Confederate prisoners OF war In a
mandatory of undertakers supplies
When the news reached his father the
neighbors said.
MIR Armsby, reckon yer son Il have
. chance 10 show that Yankee ingenu-
ity yo' hcen bragpin about now
Reckon he'll find way 70 gettin out
Il guess zeke u git ont If any one
can
''How's he goin' to do it? That fac
tory is on a point o land stickin out
into the river There's high wall on
,,o .t1o ma ,,,.,ta, On tbn Otbar The
Yanks hain't such fools ns to give
their prisoners boats are they?'
Il guess not the father admitted
We'll. Wen see what Yankee inge-
nuity u do There's several hundred
southerners in that building, and II one
northerner inyents a way to git out
wen give up the point about the su-
periority OF 30 people.
one morning one OF Mr.. Armsbys
neichbors stood on the bank looking
up the river, shading his eyes with bis
hands Another person saw him, and.
having nothing TO do, walked slowly
out to see what the first was looking
at Another and another joined the
party. and finally Armsby himself APP
peared
"Somep'n quaary asked one OF the
party
Powerful QUAR- ia reckon 1t was
driftwood. only TO somep'n shinin on
il Thar-did 70 see the FASH
Every one saw 1t and wondered The
drftwood or whatever il was came
rapidly nearer. Cor the current OF the
Mississippi is by no means slow. and
as the thing approached many were
the comments made upon It., Some
said Il was a log that had been
box, while others noticed thar II was
smaller at each end than in the middle
As il rolled something, either glass or
metal. occasionally caught the rays ~
the sun and sent out flash
by gum. IT'S cotlinr' exclaimed
one Of the watchers,
"A coffin ?" exclaimed the others
what can coffin be dom sailln
down the river?"
at is coffin. sho'"
w ullt NutNt 'thlAihN were .hfiN--
made the coffin for such ii was was
approaching the bank IN which thu
party was standing
There must be q co'pse in it, re
marked one, "or il would roll over
THAT thing that reflects the igl Is
the plate"
The coffin doated by. aud as II ala
SO the upper part Of the lid VAS lftt
or by the said corpse, and a pale f,tte
rose and looked AZ the party With
frightening effect.
BY jung exclaimed Armshy hts
my boy Zeke"
Reckon said several others
dad" cried the young man. come
out Ia d boat and gl me ! haven
got no oars"
Armshy ran downstream 10 where
a boat was tied. rowed out TO The cof
tin and towed it ashore Then Zelt
told them thai in the underta ker's sup
PLY manufactory his prison be had
discovered pile OF collins he had
launched himself i'm one az them I've
fore daylight
"Fcller citizens spoke up one of the