Cloudy's Boulders

Gold fever struck the County again back in the '80s just as it had generations before. The price was rising rapidly in far-flung places like New York City and many sought the amber riches. Now about this time, the Minnesota Mineral & Gold Exploration Co. contacted Tower's City Hall. The mining concern wanted to lease the rights to explore for gold on the City's Mud Creek properties.

Mayor Biggie Bunn's was excited. He was dreaming of riches. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime," he told the townfolk gathered at the daily meetings of the Liar's Club at the Tower Hotel. "When I'm done negotiating this deal the sidewalks of our small town will be paved with gold!" Mayor Bunns exclaimed to anyone who would listen to his grandiose dreams.

Time passed and correspondence between the City and Minnesota Minerals & Gold Exploration continued. A public meeting was scheduled. Almost everyone in town was excited. It was all anyone could talk about. Representatives from the urban exploration concern were going to make the trip north to Tower and Mayor Bunn's and his Council of sychophants were quite sure they could best the company and provide quick riches for themselves and their cronies.

No one in town was concerned that reality might be quite different from their expectations. It had been 120 years since anyone last believed they could find gold in the northern Minnesota hills and all those adventures ended in failure.

Dreams of riches went through everyone in the City and even to many of those living out in the woods in the townships. Everyone, that is, except for Cloudy.

Cloudy had a hard-earned reputation as being something of a curmudgeon. He was comfortably well off and had never found any get-rich-quick scheme to profit anyone.

The night of the Great Meeting finally arrived. The City Council Chanbers was filled to capacity and the over-flow crowd gathered in the White House Bar downstairs to nurse their brandies and keep close to the excitement. The Mayor even bought a new shirt for the occasion.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, let us get started. This is a rare and important moment for our small City," Mayor Bunns stated, banging his Mayor's gavel on the table. The Minnesota Mineral men approached the podium and made their presentation. They were sure that the Tower hills were filled with gold! Charts and graphs were provided to prove their point. They then proposed that the City lease them the right to explore in exchange for a healthy peice of the action. 'Dreams do come true,' thought Mayor Bunns. The City banker was already counting the new deposits which would grace his vaults. Regular citizens dreamed of the new job opportunities which they could now avail themselves.

Cloudy, however, was skeptical. From way back in the room, behind the crowd of excited townsfolk, Cloudy's gravely voice stilled the room. "I don't know about all this," Cloudy stated, "I sure don't know if thar is any gold in dem hills, but sure-enough, I guar-an-tee you'll find plenty of boulders, har, har, har!"