Chapter 25- What’s Mine is Mine (1766)

As the following month passed, the lesions soon began again for both John and Eli in all academic matters, only in a more rigorous manner. Professors from the College of Pennsylvania are teaching the two boys lessons in philosophy and law even though the two of them are only 13 years old. This was done at Williams's insistence as he noticed how rapidly the two of them progressed in their studies. This was not lost on the other teachers they had and soon a small rumor began circulating in the academic circles of the city that the heir to the Carpenter fortune in a genius. This was not something unwanted by John so he did nothing to dissuade these perceptions and worked harder to impress this opinion onto his new teachers.

These lectures are ones that John found intriguing as while math and science came quite easily to him, the art of rhetoric and verbal finesse is one that he can improve much in. Reading books on philosophy that were imported from England John and Eli were educated in the Greek speakers of antiquity, in the teaching of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. But wanting to educate them in modern ideas his grandfather spent a good deal of money to get the writings of René Descartes and John Locke to better educate the two of them.

The study of the law was one that John missed, as in his old life he desired to become a lawyer. Not out of any kind of civic duty at the time, or a kind of reverence for the great lawyers of the past. No, in his old life, he wanted to become a lawyer because of the many legal sitcoms he watched during high school. This interest led to studies of the law for a year or two before he discarded it after learning the cost of attending and graduating from a law school and understanding the futility of that much of an investment for someone of his ability. 

But now John was a new man, one that took to the law like a fish takes to water and astounded his teacher, a lawyer his grandfather hired named John Dickinson. To have the penman of the revolution be his legal tutor was something John considered to be a great honor. The respect given to him combined with the sheer skill of young John in his ability to understand complex legal wording allowed for a very close mentor-mentee bond to form between the two men. 

The renewal of lessons combined with Johns's new hobby of writing about food combined with his playing with Eli has kept him bust enough for the surveyors in the Carolina's to return to the estate in late spring.

John heard of this and for a day or so after the men came and went he was held in suspense as a handful of other men came in and out of the estate. Now whether this was truly for examining the results of the expedition or simply as a jest at his own expense John could not tell. But then finally the time came when a servant came and called John to his grandfather's office for a meeting that he hoped could change history.

As he entered the room he saw in front of him two cups of coffee at the desk his grandfather sat at his usual spot. Wordlessly he was gestured over to the seat across from him and so he took it.

On the table, along with the drinks, there were a few scattered papers and one or two unopened letters, but most strangely there was a small object covered in a piece of cloth. Sitting there for a few seconds the silence was broken by his grandfather.

"How," he said looking down at his cup, "How did you know that there would be gold in the Carolina's?"

This is never something that happened to John before, most times he could conceal his ideas under the pretense of childhood fancy, or using his perceived genius. Not here though, now he had to come up with an excuse for being able to locate gold.

Taking a deep breath after an uncounted period of unpleasant silence he spoke, "I truly don't know," he said doing his best to lie convincingly. "I had this strange feeling after I slept one night, it was a feeling I could not shake. After a few days and contemplation, I brought it to you and then the rest was out of my control."

 Giving a light sigh William leans back in his chair, "How you found out is no longer a primary concern, not mine and not yours."

William then looks over to the windows, which until now John had not realized were shut, seemingly to make sure they were alone. With his curiosity seeming filled he reaches over and pickles up the object encased in cloth and slowly pulls away the flaps of the coverings. As the final piece is moved there in the room sits a nugget of gold. 

The candlelight flickers and reflects off its yellow surface and light shimmers upon it. John is dumbfounded, with memories of a time where things were simply painted with fake gold he seemingly did not realize how in a time before that, this one rock could be so valuable. 

"We need to work slowly, carefully, but most importantly, we need to be quiet." William said looking pensive, "If we allow for the king or parliament to learn that there could be gold in the colonies then we will be under further scrutiny and increased control will be forced upon us."

"That is true," John said, "But where are we to keep it, we don't have a vault of any kind, and there are no places to store such wealth not outside of British control."

William chuckles a bit, "I know a place only twenty miles west of here. There is some land that we own and on it, there is a hidden cave that has a very large dry empty cavern in it. As long as we keep it guarded by trusted men then we can store the bullion there."

Nodding along with his grandfather John mutters, "Maybe we should look to see if there are mines in Pennsylvania."

"There is gold in our colony," William asks seeming a bit startled by this possible revelation. 

Waking from his thoughts John corrects him, "No, there is no gold nearby. I was more thinking that we should look into the mining and smelting of iron."

Looking disappointed William nods, "Yes I suppose we should, but not now. Now we need to work on getting the gold north and secure and for that we need peanuts. A shipment will be sent here, once it arrives begin working with it."

John smiles and thinks to himself, 'Yes, things are coming together quite well.'

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Hey there guys, sorry for no chapter last week, I had 3 large exams and not enough time to write, so you will get another chapter this Wednesday.

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