Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-12-24
VOL. LXXlV.
A SHOVEL SAVES A MANS LIFE. The
Iitchtield lMinn Ledger SAYS: About two

Litchfeld MINI. Ledger says: About two
weeks ago Swede by the name of Torgierson
who resides in Swift county, was proceeding to
a neighbors, some three miles distant from
his own home, carrying shovel on his should
er, which he was returning to his neig ghbor,
from whom he had borrowed it. lie had ac-
complished about hall his journey and was
passing through small grove when he heard
a crashing in the underbrush, and, turning
rouod saw a stalwart deer, of the buck persua-
sion, making for him with every demouslrati ton
of hostile intentions.
There was but one course to pursue, and
that was to fight for his life. and, being a pow
erful man, he anticipated an easy conquest.
Mistaken man The deer charged with antlers
lowered even as an enfaged bull would lower
his head when dashing at his foes Nels
grasped his shovel and stood stoutly on the de-
fensve. As the enraged buck neared him he
aimed desperate blow with his shovel full at
his head.
1t struck one of his antlers with such force as
to break 1t, but the concusson was so strong
that it forced Nels. backward several feet, and
hurled him breathess against a tree. Just
how the fight went after that Nels, don't re-
member, but he knows that he fought with all
the strength OF desperation, and at last the
deer and himself both fell to the ground, aud
Nels. lost all consciousness for time.
When he came round to his soul again,
the deer was lying stark dead near by him, and
he.could barely crawl away Hisclothes were in
rags, bis left cheek toru open, cash on the
right side, where the deer had inserted one. of
the prongs of his anters, and three fingers of
his left hand jammed up. The shovel was u
total wreck, and the carcass of the deer was
pretty we'll hacked around the head and
shoulders.
The blow that caused the animals death was
inflicted by sharp corner OF the shovel re-
naming ON the handle after most Of the blade
had been broken off, The wounded man sue,
ceeded in crawling back to his home, which he
reached in terribly exhausted condition. l!
is thought that he will survive his wounds.
NEVADA is land of sjngularities, of perpet-
ual surprises. Of unexpected natural phenome-
ma. The last freak of this queer and astonish-
ing region is reported By the Enterprise of Vir-
ginia City. 1t occurred near the works of the
celebrated Ophir mines. The whole city, was
startled one night this month by observing a
an old shaft which had been abandoned 1t
was thought the timbers were on fire. Men
rushed to the opening. On reaching the shaft,
however, they found that there was no smell of
smoke. and also that the supposed fire was a
light unlike anything they had ever before
seen, in its wcired whiteness and the strange
coruscations of its component particles. ln the
light the faces of the men wore a look of corpse
like pallor. Two or three of those present were
miners returning from work with dinner pals
in their hands, aud it was observed that the
tin appeared of brilliant steelblue color. The
light came up the full size of the large square
shaft, and seen at distance as it rose up
through the falling snow, closely resembled one
of the shooting spires seen iD the aurora bore
aIis, and it seemed to have something of the
same waving and Inconsistent motion. AL
though the men felt creeping over them a sor,
of supers.itous awe, they still had sufficient
courage to approach the shaft and gaze into it.
A strange sight was there seen. The whole
interior of the shaft seemed to be at white
heat and glowed like furnace. The tinbers
on the sides were particularly brilliant and
each splinter, excresence, or bit of fungus
seemed darting dazzling rays that streamed
steadily out in all directions. A warm, steamy
current of air steadily asceoded from the swell
tering regions below, and there was observed a
sickening, musty SMELL The occurrence is at
tributed to an extensive cavng in in the interior
Of the mine, forcing out the confined gases.
j