Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-05
A NIGHT In A MINING SHAFT.
A California sketch.


the cup. Whoever has visited the mining re-
gions, and especially the quartz mining DOR.
tion Of California, will have observed the nm
merous prospecting shafts in the hills, which,
whether successful or not, are unavoidably left
open, making it q dangerous locality to travel
in after night, especially when there is no
moonlight, and more particularly when the
heavens are obscured by darkening clouds
nao friend, physician, who was often called
out at night, and not unfrequently his route
lay In the neighborhood Of this dangerous
ground; but trusting to his knowledge Of the
locality and his own caution, he never felt
afraid OF any danger by falling into these pits,
where life would be periled by a perpendicular
descent OF perhaps eighty or ninety feet into
twenty feet of water when, if he escaped
- broken limbs by the fall on the one hand, he
was sure OF drowning on the other. My friend
was an original genius, self-reliant and oour
ageous, ardent in the pursuit of his profession,
and naturally disposed to make light of irving
circumstances where he was individually in
terested, and who had, withal, seen many ms
and downs In life, and had had his full share
o. misfortune, against which he had manfulIy
struggled; and, to use his own expression, he
had never been in so tight place but that he
had oontrived to get out, if he WAS ever so
right.
1t was about ten o'clock, one dark night.
last spring, during the rainy season, that a
rap came TO the doctors door, and on obeyipp
the call, the voice Of an Irishman responded
.Dochter, the Mistress Maloney is taken sick
with the cramps, and, by me soul, and We wad
md her alive, ye must run till the breath is ont
ov yer body for doubt if st. Pathrick himself
can save the life ov herr
ltwas an awful night The rain poured down
IN torrents, the night was of inky darkness. but
1t was desperate case, and, ayailing himself
OF the messengers lantern, the doctor hurried
ly sailed out under the impression that be
would most likely be detained all night His
n aln a
Hill, where there several deep shafts, but with
caution and his knowledge of the locality. he
reached the house of the sick woman without
difficulty, and by proper restOratiyes, contriyed
10 kape the breath in her body" and after a
while made her so comfortable that his present
services were no longer needed.
The immediate danger over, the spiyItuaI
comfort OF those in health was looked after in a
flowing bowl Of "potheen." The night was
cold, the whiskey strong, the water in il warm,
and the hospitality of the honest Irshman, like
tne weather, was overhOwing The warm
drink wsd kape the cowld out Ov the BODY. and
was better nor dOcther's stuff and pIeasanter 70
take" My friend, convinced by such reasoning,
nothing 10th, took sup-s second, and third:
In fact, repeated the dose so often that he felt
himself proof against cold weather and cold
water, both.
As his patient was easy, and in no immedi-
ate danger, he resolved to return home. 1t was
now O'Clock; the storm continued unabated.
put, against the urgent solicitations of his
friends, be resolved to brave it,
Well, If you will go, dOcther, dear, I'll 20
wild ys wild the lanthern."
$50 to the devil with your lantern. !" ecboad
the doctor; " know the way perfectly we'll;
and as for the darkness, I can see through II
double now. The doctor and will keep each
other company, as we have always done, and
the punch will keep the rain out"
Then take another pull, if you will gon
ha,
much Of good thing on such night as this.
waugh. but the sluice-gates of heaven are bro
ken loose, sure, and all the dirt of the airth III
be washed out before morn"
L do not mean to say that the doctor was
drunk. Oh, no, that would be a serious accu
sation; besides, lawyers have not decided where
the turning point between being tight and
drunk is.
The doctor was just full enough to increase
his own reliance on himself He had a vague
perception, on going out, that knife would be
q convenient article TO cut q hole in the dark
ness to let little light through; but, without
any labor to himself, his eyes gave sparks of
hre, and he was satisfied that, if they did not
see their way through, why, he could feel his
way with his hands-and so he did
well, TINS Is dose, he solilOquized, as he
went on slowly while the rain pelted him in the
face Humph. bydropathy with a vengeance,
never did believe in the practice AlIopatby
forever if (hic) / amt the patient, and don't
nave to take the medicine myself. Hydropathy
In homeopathic doses is (hic)-yes it is-rain is
good Tor young sprOuts-but (hic) I'm an old
one-don twant to grow any more-say, cloud,
just (hic) screw down your tournequet a min.
ute-thlnk the (bic) flow too great for system
Ihlcl to-great country, this for water-cure es.
tabilshment-got into one myself, somehow
don DID, believe in the practice (hic)-too ID
wet
"'Oh, it's my delight, in a shiny night.
m he of IN
"'Ye banks and (hic) braes and streams around
III the rain Keeps on | think ye'n be drOtcnsd
"'Flow on, gentle river
Cgn J.. the rain makes me (hic) shiver''
"Open, sesame, and let me in . Hell" II
Is supposed the Doctor meantheIp, as he Wild |
~ shouted IN agony, for be had not time to fin
ish the word before his voice was lost TO thesur
rounding world-a sepulchral splash and al |
was silent amid the dreary darkness save the
rain, which still battered in torrents upon the |
earths surface and trickled in rills into the |
smart INTO which the Doctor had unmistakably |
fsLen- For moment there was q gurgIing-
desperate struggle for something but mo- |
ment served TO show the unfortunate SON Of |
Esculapius that be had fallen into one of the |
shai;s-which proved TO be only about fifteen |
feet deep-and he found himself standing on |
its bottom, immersed to his chin in the water
Even this may have been considered fortunate
tor, but few feet distant, was another shaft
nifty feet deep, with twenty feet of water in IT, |
Had be fallen into this there would have been
no possible chance of escape. His immersion
and his terrible position sobered him at once
He felt his awful situation keenly-there was
scarcely chance for escape. Itwas, perhaps,
two O'Clock, and day would not dawn till six
four weary hours. Cries would be unavaiIing,
for no one would be stirring in that dreary
weather till dawn, and could he endure the
cold immersion so long? Would his strength
hold out! The water came pouring in from
little nils formed by the rain, and was slowly,
but surely, rising-his head was barely above
tne nood' and although his physical strength
might possibly endure till morning. there was
strong probability that he would be complete
~ immersed IN short time, and he would be
drowned Death stared him in the face with
scarcely a possibility Of escape. His life then
passed in rapid view before him. his errors
stood In strong array, and he wished for life.
that he might atone, rs far as he could, before
1t was too late
He was to die, and bitterly he reproached
far hi.r nia1a IA,