| 338 "Oh, yes; I pulled sticks with Joe for a gallon of brandy once at a log-rolling; he was about my age. I was born in 1806. I lived about three miles from the Smiths. Was not very well acquainted with them; but knew them when I saw them. I knew young Joe, who claimed to have found the plates, and old Joe, his father."
"Did young Joe drink?"
"Everybody drank them times."
"Did you ever see young Joe drink?"
"No, I never did; it was customary in those early days for everybody to drink, more or less. They would have it at huskings, and in the harvest-field, and places of gathering; the Smiths did not drink more than others."
"What about Joe's learning?"
"I know that he was ignorant; and he knew no more about hieroglyphics than that stove," pointing to the stove in the room.
"Well; go on and state what kind of a family they were-all about them."
"They were poor, and got along by working by the day; the old man had a farm up there, and a log house upon it. The old man Smith and Hyrum were coopers; I never went to the same school that the boys did-they dug for money sometimes; young Joe, he had a stone that he could look through and see where the money was; there were a good many others who dug with them, and Joe used to play all kinds of tricks upon them."
"Who said they dug for money?"
"Oh, I have heard it lots of times. If my brother was living, he could tell you all about it."
"Others dug besides the Smiths, did they?"
"Yes; there were others who dug; but I always heard that the Smiths dug the most; one of the Chases, a young lady, had a stone which she claimed she could look through and see money buried."
"Did anybody dig for her?"
"Yes; I guess they did. They said so."
"Then young Joe had some opposition in the seeing money business?"
"That is what everybody said."
"Who was this Miss Chase? Where does she live?"
"She is dead now; she was a sister to Abel Chase, who lives upon the Palmyra Road. Have you seen him? He will know all about this. He has been in the cave with the Smiths where the sheep bones were found-people used to think they were making counterfeit money."
"Did you ever see any of it?"
"No."
"Did any of the neighbors?"
"No; I never heard any say they did."
"Did any one ever catch them trying to pass counterfeit money?"
"No; oh! I don't say they made any; it was only talked around."
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