November 30th.

A man and his wife came into the office today at about 10.

Nollis, Ebott, and Nora Ebott, originally from Virginia, later from Detroit.

He said he had just bought the old house on Sherry Road at auction from a firm in Bloomington

after it had gone past its claim date for relatives of Thomas Combs.

What a price this man got for it.

Very astute on his part.

He seems to know a lot about the area.

He kept insisting I check out the deed papers he had brought his proof that he was legitimate.

He had all sorts of other papers too.

I think he is one of these men who believes that documents mean order, and order is sacred.

Ebott owns a grinding mill in Faribault, small man, expensive suit, shining glasses with

gold rims, balled up top, smiled a great deal, but there was not much natural about it.

His wife is very quiet.

They have no children.

We talked mostly about where he would contract for the repairs that are so needed to the house,

the boiler for one thing.

I set the papers aside for Edith to transcribe when we get more ink and explain to the well

system to Mr. Ebott and how levies would be collected.

He seemed surprised when I told him I was also the town manager.

When he left, I got curious and looked in the files to see when the last new person had

come to Porto.

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