Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-10-21

sort OF night it was for the wind was
right dead in my teeth, while the way in
which the snow cut into your eyes was
something terrible. But / fought my way
on, setting up an opposition whistle to the
wind, and thinking about the warm fire
side at home, with the snug suppertable;
and then thought of what blessing it
was in a hard winter to live close to the pits
mouth, and get plenty Of coal for next to
nothing. We could afford good fire
there, such as would cheer the heart of
some Of the London poor, while wages
were not so bad.
Every now and then | had to stop and
kick the snow off my boot-soles, for it
collected in hard balls, so as to make walk
ing harder; then, not having the town
lights to guide me, found I'd wandered
a bit out of the track, so that the ground
grew rougher and rougher, and more than
once | stumbled. The wind beat worse
than ever; the snow blinded So that |
could not look out for the lights Of the
village; and at last began to think that
I'd done a foolish thing in trying to make
a short cut. But then one is always slow
about owning to being in the wrong; so
| Numbered and stumbled on but at last,
after walking for some time, | was obliged
to own to myself that | was lost in the
snow
"Stuf and nonsensep | says the next
minute, and then | has look round to
try and make out where was, for knew
every foot OF it almost but nothing could
| see but snow falling almost like sheet
all round me, so that | could only see a
few feet each way, while the snow where
| stood was nearly up to my knees. |
listened, but there was nothing to be heard
but the whstling of the wind; | shouted,
but the cry sounded muflled and close, just
as | had been in a cupboard; then !
walked little one way, and then turned
and went another and at last TO my hor-
ror, | found that was regularly confused,
and could not make out in which direc-
ton lay town or village, while the snow
covered in every tootmark in very few
minutes.
Now, did not feel alarmed, only both
cred and confused for felt sure that if |
kept on walking, | must come to some
place or another which knew, unless |
walked right out on to the great waste,
where | might go for miles and miles with
out finding house but | was hardly
likely TO get there, and the thing most
cared for was my poor gal at home getting
upset about ne, and thinking that I'd
stopped in the town drinking with some
mates, being Christmas Eve, when I'd
promised her over and over again most
faithfully that I'd always have my drop of
beer at home.
"There's no danger, that's one comfort"
| said, "unless | run bang into the canal ;
and even then | shall know where am"
says, $50 that won't be such a serious
matter" and then | tried to make out
where | was but the snow came down
more than ever; and at last feeling wor
! ried and cross, | started off afresh as hard
as could go, when all at once let 90 of
my stick, for felt one foot slipping, and,
as l felt it go, fearful thought came
across my mind. With an agonzed cry,
) tried to recover myself; but, from leaning
, forward to face the wind, this was impos-
sibe and then shrieking out
My God it's the old pit!' | was fall
ing and rolling down--downi into the black
darkness.
! 1t was like being in some horrible
dream, and for u moment | tancied it
might be; but no, there was falling fast
{ er and faster for length of time that
seemed without end, as | waited for the
coming crash when | reached the bottom
Ito be found afterwards a mutilated
corpse.
thought all this and much more, as |
fell down the sloping shaft of the old pit F;
and then came tremendous splash as
was plunged down beneath the icy water
which roared and Numbered in my ears.
, had been down pit after pit in my time,
working in the shafts at the wood casing,
making new preparing the old, perhaps
; half way down, hanging in cage; or
; had been working at the traps and doors
in the most dangerous parts, where you
might hear the gas kissing through be-
} tween the seams of black saty shale but
, | never before knew SO hideous a sense Of
fear as came over ne, when, rising to the
: surface of the water, struck out, as if by
, instinct, for the side, and then, clingng to
: the roughened wall with one hand, and
! with the other thrust into sort of hole,
remained for few seconds painting and
half mad, up to my neck in the cold water,
while the darkness was terrible.
II is impossible to describe the horrible
thoughts that came hurrying through my
mind as If to unnerve me--thoughts of
foul choking gases, of fearful things swim
ming about in the black water, or of hor-
rid monsters lurking in its terrible depths
ready to drag me under and drown me ;
but, worse still, as began to recover my
self little, were the calmer thoughts of
the length of time could hold on there
without being numbed, and then slipping
off and drowning, | shouted, and the
sound went echoing the shaft with ahor-
rble unearthly tone that mademe trembe
cried again and again till was hoacse,
but knew all the while that it was useless
for there was not n cottage iorat least mile
and then terror seemed to get the better of
me, as felt that there, in the midst of that
fearful darkness, | must drown, and then
sink to the bottom of this old, old, worn
out cOal-pit; while no one not even my