The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-12-21

OBJ 9ailg yonrnalI.
YANKEE In A COAL SCREEN


YANKEE IN A COAL SCREEN.
In order to load the coal boats on the Lehigh
Canal, short but steep inclined plane of about
one hundred and fifty feet in length, is made
at the chute which runs from a station on the
side, of the mountain to large circular revoly-
ing screen which has three large chambers,
through which coal Of as many sizes is shot,
by scuppers, into just as many boats, waiting
for different descriptions of the article
A few months since, a yankee, quite inquisi
tive but more verdant than a Yankee, should
be. gained the station house, and gazed with
wo.sder at the contriyances He particularly
admired the swiftness with which the loaded
car descended and emptied its lead, and the
velocity with which it returned to give place
to another.
Shortly his attention was attracted by sce-
ing a laborer mount on of the full cars about
to make the descent. lsz-- fis "a
"Going to slide?p inquired he. 6s
"Yes;'' going to chute; won't you go?" fo.
'Wall, guess Ill stop a bit, and see how
5oudo it.'' en..3 rsls.1s.
The car swiftly descended, and ere it reached
the hopper, the passenger jumped off safely.
do you do that often?" inquired he of one
of the laborers in the station house.
sOh, yes, continually" was the waggish an
Iswer. sYou knew most all the boatmen are
Isingle men, ard az they have orders for family
coal, we always send down married man
with every car of that kind, and to let them
know"
s'Wall. now, du tell" uttered the Eastern
man.
The more the Yankee looked at the appar-
atus the more did he become convinced that 1t
would be great thing to go down the steep
in that way, something that he could tell at
"hum" . t..r .5l-, fss e
! Plucking up courage, he approached the
superintendent.
THAT beats sliding down, don't it?"
81 'spose it does" as-iz
'You couldn't let a feller go down, could
you?''
"Why, do you think you can jump off in
time?' rf . -
| "Oh, yes, Pm reckoned considerable OF q
ljumper-jumping does me good. once jump
ed off a haymow thirty feet high, and it made
me so supple that am Civ en- in to be the besi
dancer in the hull township .s.,.os
"Well, get on, and take care of YOURSELF
SUDDENLY, the car moved off, and our friend
found the speed so fearful and the declivity SC
i great that he was forced to sstoop down anC
grasp the side of the vehicle for support. Th'
Iplace where the laborer had leaped of wa
reached, but the Yankee was not in apositioI
/ to jump, he had to hold on; and running dowI
la descent three times as steep as that which
lie had come, sudden clink shot the bolt, anC
!, with violent force, ont went the contents
Yankee included, into the hopper.
"Murderl get out. stop the consarn. shout
ed our hero, as he felt himself sliding dow
the hopper to the cylinder. Murder stop tn
Iconsarn I'll be killeds' But the motive powe
of the "consarn'' was water, which had n
D Dlsympathy with those who pursue knowledg
under difficulties and those who saw were to-
distant, and too much convulsed with laughte
to yield assistance Into the screen he slld
landing on the top, and as he felt himself re
volving with the Goa, he grasped the wires i
desperation, to prevent himself from bein
rolled to the bottom. Around the wheel b
went, and our friends sensibilities were touch
ed up by plentiful shower of the coal dust
riddled through from all the chambers.
He managed to get one eye open, and say
with delight that the cylinder was only abou
fifteen feet in length, and he forced his wa
forward to the opening with. desperation, bu
vas not altogether successful; another revolu
ton of the wheel had yet to be borne, and tn
E next he reached the bottom, he was not out @
n the scupper into the boat beneath. To tn
: screams of laughter with which his adven
d was hailed, our hero said not a word. but get
: ting out an old handkerchief ru5ed the dus
+ out of his eyes, and surveying his torn appar
= ell and bruised, battered, scratched and Gu
: limbs, he raised his vein." to know at wha
: Iquality of anthracite he had been delivered
when smashing his hat over his eyes, he stump
ed off, muttering broken and screened, by thun
der.' .4-
- =