Year: 1866

Some years since an eccentric old
genius, called Barnes, was employed
by farmer living in town some
six or seven miles westerly from tae
Penobscot river, Maine, to dig 4 we'll.
The soil and stratum being mostly
Of sand, old Barnes, after having pro-
gressed downward about forty feet


found one morning upon going to
work that the well had essentially
caved in, and was iull nearly to the
top. SO, having the desire which
men have, of knowing what will be
said of them after they are dead, aud
no one being yet astir, he concealed
himself in rank growth of burdock
by the side of board fence near the
mouth Of the well having first left
bio frooh ""1 L~I ~ro" o,V "iu'lass
over the well. AT length breakfast
being ready, a boy was despatched to
call lin to his meal, when 10! and
behold it was seen that Barnes was
buried in the grave unconsciously
dug by his own hands. The alarm
being given, and the family assem-
bled it WIS decided to first eat break
fast, and then send for the coroner,
the minister, and his wife and chill.
dren. Such apathy did not flatter
Barnes self-esteem bit, but he wait
ed patiently, determined to hear what
would be said and see what was to
be seen.


Presently all parties arrived and
began ''prosp pecting' the scene of the
catastrophe, as people usually do in
such cases. At length they drew to-
gether to exchange opinions as to
what should be done. The minister
at once gave it as his opinion that
they had better level up the well an |
let Barnes remain; "lor," he said, "hc
is now beyond the temptation OF sin,
and in the day Of Judgment il will
make no difference whether he is
buried five feet under the ground or
fifty, for he is bound to come forth
in either case. The coroner likewise
agreed that it would be a needless
expense to his family or the town to
disinter him when lie was efTcctually
buried, and, therefore, conceded with
the minister.


His wife thought that as che had
left his hat and lrock it would hardly
be worth while to dig him out for the
rest of his clothes," and so it was
decided to let him remain. But poor
old Barnes, who had no breakfast,
and was not at all pleased with the
result of the inquest, lay quiet until
the shades Of evening stole over the
landscape, when he departed to parts
unknown. After remaining incog-
nito for about three years, one morn
ing he suddenly appeared (hatless
and frockless as he went at the door
of the old farmer for whom he had
agreed to dig the unfortunate well.
To say that an avalanche of questions
were rained upon him as TO his mys.
terious reappearance, etc, would con
vey but feeble idea of the excite
ment which his bodily presence cro-
ated. But the old man bore it all
quietly, and at length informed them
that, finding himself buried, he wait.
ed to be dug out again, until his pa
tience was exhausted, when he set to
work to dig himself out, and only the
day before succeeded, for his ideas
being very much confused, he had
dug very much at random and instead
of coming directly to the surface, he
came out in the town OF Holden, six
miles east of the Penobscot river.


No further explanations were ask
ed Tor by those who were SO distress
ed and sorrowful over his supposed
final resting place.