North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-08-28
Down AMONG THE GOLFERS, !

AuSouoC ~ W.
+" Look alive, sir, step aboard quickly if
you wish to 60 down." said the Conductor.
/ had hesitated for a full minute, and he
had waited till he could wait no longer
The truth is / had keen desire to go !; to
explore the strange, dark world below, but
! felt squeamish about it. had heard too
much of the terrible gasses and explosions
and incayations which have entombed men
alive. was afraid but ashamed of my
fears, l stepped aboard. The wheel NOV
ed with loud creakings. The chain ratified
as link after link uncoiled from the reel,
sinking with a heavy thud into the bottom
of the one above. The car moved down
ward slowly at Observation-Disclosures
All around US was blackness, tangible but
impenetrable /; below was blackness pene-
trable but intangible--we were sinking in
to it. Above was the mouth Of the shaft,
and above that the heavens, whence the
light streamed down towards us, simmer
ing upon the sides of the shaft above us,
but could not reach us. We could see the
light, but not each other in that close car
and we were sinking further and farther,
and the air grew closer and the gases grew
stronger and the light above grew less and
less and less. The creaking of the wheel
was no longer heard, the heavy thud OF
the chain as link sank into link was only
heard by the aid Of another sensc-we felt
it-and so we heard it. 1t takes too long
to reach the bottom in this way. You are
impatient. Well, jump out then. One,
two, here we 60. Had you ever the night
mare, and did the jade leap with you over
precipice into some awful profound 1t
causes the blood to curdlc, the hair to rise
in horror, the eyes to start from their sock
cts, the tongue to be palsied. That is all.
1t does not hurt. And this leap down the
shaft is like tive are at the bottom. We
are all right. 1t is dark hut not black. 1t
seems like night scene. We fancy us in
a mountain gorge whence we look out as
well as up upon the stars, We even see
some below us. Surely we have not des-
cendcd into the bowels of the earth, we
have rather risen into the very armament.
Pshaw what mad fancies. Even Don
Quixote would laugh at us could he see us
thus magnifying golfers lamps into Gods
own stars, and the close embrace Of cir
cumbent darkness into heavens midnight
vault. Where's the shaft i? Let's leave
this strange miniature of Orcus. There it
is See that CLEAN clearer than its fell
lows ? We draw near. Ills collier
lamp. All, now can see it come hther.
We approach Golfers lamp. Again We
look around carefully, resting the eye up
on every light. We see but little differ
ence, yet choosing the brightest turn tow
ards--a golfers lamp. Ashamed, yet COM
PEELED, we confess that we are lost. We
must seek for guidance. "Sir, where shall
we find the shaft p There "Why, l
see no light therc.' ''The shaft is there"
We turn away with unmingled pity and
from a fellow SO witless and ask
another to direct US to the shaft. He points
to the same place, utters the same words.
Are they all dcmented ? We ask third
and again receive the same direction. We
will not follow it. We know that at the
shaft there is light. Where these idiots
point us there is none. We will guide our
selves and not he led by such. Let us go
yonder. see light-collier lamp
Far away we see one standing quite alone.
1t must be the shaft is GOLFERS lamp.
Shall we make children of ourselves and
look for light in the darkness q Tho light
shineth in darkness and they who are
wrapped in darkness see it not. We fol-
low the direction so often given us, and
find the shaft. 4 3gg7 saaza 30 sya1
There is a moral to this, but I've no
time to mornlizc. t' ,aaA d.
The ug1v 1--WE sneak in q mere material