The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-14
THE LOST LANDMARK.
Mysteries Of Law and Surveying at
Thrushwood-R Redwood.

htuWOlus
To THE EDITOR or THE suN-Sr: II
there is anything more dangerous than
a Krupp gun II is the science of the
law Even when dealing with compars-
lively trivial matters II Is intricate and
involved 1t misleads with its peculiar
idloms and archaic expressions. One
would think, for instance, that man
could buy little piece of land with
out getting into trouble. Bur my first
experience with that prosaic branch Of
the law known as conveyancing nearly
caused n matrimonial separation.
Several years ago, when | decided to
go In for market gardening. 1 pur-
chased little farm about an hours
ride from the city. My wife named II
Thrushwood preferred Redwood but
was not insistent about It, chiefly be-
cause | didn't know exactly what Red
void meant. After looking over the
farm with a critical eye my wife said
she didn't see how | ever came to sug
gest such name she even ventured to
inquire in what way | considered II
appropriate. dismissed the question
as lightly as | could under the circum-
stances.
I'VE will not quarrel over IT," I said !;
III you prefer Thrushwood, I'm salts
fed. II is very pretty name indeed.
although to me II lacks the SAVIOR OF
old romance" Don't be fool" she
replied in her sprlghty manner. so the
farm was named Thrushwood ex-
amined the deed with great curiosity
and not little pride. According to the
description there were eight and forty
two-hundredths acres OF land, more or
less" The expression more OF less
seemed loose and slovenly. and I called
my lawyers attention TO this apparent
defect In the title. He assured me that
II was simply a phrase very commonly
used by scriveners.
But ought to know how much land
I'm getting | urged. lie protested that
my ideas were revolutionary and slur
on precedent. why" said he. very
few Of the feudal barons knew the ex-
act boundaries OF their domains"
| couldn't deny this at the time. al
though | was unable to see why It
should make any difference with me.
one OF the courses ran north 40 deg.
+. rods and four IT., more or less. TO
stone sunk in the ground" | searched
for that stone In vain. Nobody seemed
10 know what kind Of a stone II was or
how long ago II had been sunk In the
ground. / spoke to my lawyer about II.
but he shook his head and advised me
TO consult a clairvoyant / excavated
over a considerable area TO the depth
of two feet but discovered nothing more
significant than a rusted knife blade
and an old suit OF clothes | examined
ancient records at the county seat and
personally interviewed many residents OF
the county, especially the near cente-
narlans the Jareds, the Enochs the
Nuahs and the Pelegs. hut | was un-
able to find single trace OF the lost
landmark after spending weeks upon the
quest. And all the while a storm was
brewing.
one day ] returned home late in the
afternoon after interviewing an ancient
surveyor who lived about three miles
from Thrushwood. In my right hand /
carried beautiful piece Of white mar
bile ! had found In an open field. AS
climbed the back fence | saw my wife
standing in the citron beds. She ran
TO meet me. her eyes full OF wonder
and her face aglow. oh" she cried,
you don't mean 10 say you've found
the Landmark and are now going 10
work ="
falt the barb. but gave no sign.
This IL not the landmark" | replied,
somewhat coldly I'm very sorry" she
said as We entered the house together,
for I've decided / can't do the work
alone on this place. and I'm not going
A crisis was at hand. realized IL
fully. for after seven years of married
Ike | knew her tone OF finality the mo-
inunt ! heard K. Without any excite
ment | pondered the matter briefly and
my decision without asper-
ity would abandon the search for
the landmark and help her with the
work
That, as have said, was several years
ago We have done very well since
then. We are even thinking OF branch
ing out "a bit and next year we may go
in for chicken farming on a small scale,
So far as the landmark is concerned
have no desire to tnd II. Dim. mysteri-
Gus traditions now cling to II. II links
with an older and more
primitive civilization II liz as inter-
esting as a haunted chamber or way
side ghost. And this is as II should be,
for a decent sort OF mystery gives
wholesome zest to life.
An old cave, an abandoned mine. a
peculiar echo. tradition Of buried
treasure, even lost landmark, these
are but few OF the many sources OF
delightful speculation that should lend
peculiar charm TO country life. But
they don't In this commercial age they
are rarely exploited. Instead, our atten- |
ton is called TO drainage, soils, fertiliz- |
srs and crops And the sons and daugh- |
iers OF the soil leave the old homesteads
and the city, holding out To them It's
cheap and gaudy mysteries. swallows
them up. SIMON CREEL.
ALBANY, February 10