National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-10-21
MINES OF WEST VIRGINIA,
fConfinued from First Paoe. !


a bundle Of mlschiefintO the house fort How could
have contint an woman In the house? Dogs
and bears are bad enough; woman would raise
.sWhsre were you born, Tim ~ inquired.
'sIt would take a wiser man than me to answer
that, !" he replied. "Whin that event occurred
was not big enough to know anything about it. 1t
doesn't serve man much that he knows when he
was born"
'May inquire how old you are?''
"Old am I ~ he queried. ssOld enought to be
assuming a thoughtful mood "Do you see that
beard? do you see that hair ~ he resumed; "teils
the story Of my age-them do;' and he worked
his bony fingers through his hair and beard.
Then he pressed his hand on my knee saying
"a good many years older than you are. don't
know when n. was born, how ! come into the
never knowed 'em i'll had" The old man evidently
wanted to change the subject. Again he brought
forth the jug and invited Us to join him in another
social glass Of 'hOnest liquor, made without
pison,"
STRANGE STORY.
ibid YOU follow hunting when young mal?"
inquired. The old man hesitated for lew
misutes, poked the coal with long stick, and
scratched his head Tin was DT03gnt up lG Tb tne
he was disappointed in love, and has been going
to the dogs ever since, "interposed my companion,
sTiant word of 1t true" resumed Tim curtly-
slant q word of 1t true. Fust knOW'd Of myself
was a youngster tendin' horses near Baltimore.
coined on us. Well, i took a hand in that; got
no pay nor no pension; never wanted any. Then
Ijoined Party-a hard party 1t was, too5and we
down near old Bald Top. LEFT 'em and settled
by myself near Big Bend. Then the bears and
snakes got SO thick that there was no living there
and / lust pulled up and settled down here. Here
expect to die one Of these days. These folks
dggin' for coal down there make 1t noisy some
times" This was all could get out Of Tim con-
corning his early history, or why the party he
joined left Baltimore.
fire dedreplenishing. Tim disappeared through
. trap-doOr, out of which a strong sulphurous
smell came. Presently he threw up several large
chunks Of camel coal. Tim has got coal mine
of his own" said my companion; 'digs his own
fuel" This was something extremely novel to me.
sMy celler's gittin' too deep" said Tim, emery
ing from the trap with his arms full Of coal,
which he threw on the fire, and soon had It in q
bright blaze again. ''Coal's plenty. That's a
blessing every man don't enjoy said Tim, light
ing his pipe for last smoke. The fact was his
cabin stood only six feet above a fOurfoot vein of
fine camel coal, which Tim had been mining for
home consumption only for thirty years In short,
his cellar was an ineXhaustible coal mine, to
which this trap-dOOr was the opening. Indeed, I
found II was quite common with these mountain
have opening in the ground where they get their
fuel.
Skins on which, with our feet to the blazing fire,
we slept until nearly daylight, when the rafting
of q chain and the uneasy, twitching movement OF
some animal attracted my attention. Then old
stretched himself before the FIRE and, parading to
his masters cot, notified him that 1t was time to
get up. Some kind friend had given Tim Fri
bune Almanac {" but you could not always tell by
1t, he said, what time the would rise and set,
things were so up and down in this part Of the
world. The noise outside became more and moro
jerkey. Then foot or two of board that served
for admitting light during the day was pushed in,
and the ugly gray snout and fore paws of bear
protruded. This was q surprise had not pre-
pared for, and indeed expressed my desire to have
the beast kept at respectful distance. My CON-
panion had hearty laugh at my expense. I have
had many q bear hunt, and profess TO know some
thing Of the animals habits, but never had any
respect for his honesty desire for his company.
''Don't be feerd, mister" said Tim; sBen wouldn't
hurt nobody. Ben's Just the honestest animal o.
that ar kind yer ever did see anywhar. Child
could play with Ben, and he'd mover hurt him."
told Tim had no doubt his bear Ben was
honest, and q well-brought-up animal, for he
boosted that he had educated him himself, but as
TO making friends with him, would rather not
He brought the animal in, however, % fine year
anda-half cub,) and after fOndling him as he
would young puppy, let him go about the room
fast Ben took his place beside his master, and
then, on his launches and with grave counte
nance, took from his masters hand such morselS
as he had to spare. And he did this with remark
able good manners and apparent hankfulness
We had partaken Of Tins hospitality and enjoyed
his oddities. To have offered him money in return
my companion said, would have been regarded as
an insult. l bid him goodbye, promised TO send
him some newspapers and return at no distant
day with party Of friends and join him in a bear
hunt. F. q. A.