The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-07-28

was carrying the lantern 10 llSh
us down.
"1'he burly superintendent wa
used to his suit-and he SCENE,
another man than George Allel
and Mr.. Ashton did in theirs.
"I had heard of love tests, ant
/ thought if Minnie's could Ell
dure the doleful change wrough
in her handsome lover by tn,
black oil-skin cap tied with white
tape under his chin, coming low
over his forehead, and maxim.
his light-brown moustache lOol
like raveled calico, it must b,
strong as life itself.
"As for Georges feelings OF
beholding her graceful form bun
died up like an Esquimeaux,
had no time to guess at them.
"'Stand closep cried the super
intendent. 'We are a tight fit
and no room to spare
"The lower platform sank dowI
with an empty quart car on it
leaving the upper on the level o
the floor, for us to hustle close
together on, and then, with 6
lightning of the breath, we felt
ourselves sinking down, down
down!
"Past drifts marked one hun
dred feet below the earth, run
ming off obliquoly from us, and
lighted by minerr' candles, thai
showed us miners figures al
work in the distance, delving and
picking like gnomes; pac holes
through which the water hed
in a flume. and dashed upon us
with such force as it went that
despite our oilskins we found lit.
tie streams running down oul
necks; past more drifts marking
our descent, three hundred, five
hundred, even seven hundred
feet, lighted and full of weired.
figures; and then came
the warm air, rising to meet us
like the hot breath of a descent.
I'VE had a lantern with us, but
we were packed so closely that,
in the similarity of dress, no one
seemed to know who was who.
"a manly arm pressed mine
once, and Il fond voice whispered
in my ear:
"'Don't fear, Maud darling.
Your own Frank is with YOU
"But from the fact Of my Chris
tan name being Sarah, and Mr..
being Francis, did not
receive the remark personally.
''The bottom at-at last! Why
it was only a minute and three
quarters, | know; but then one
can stretch a little time a long
way under such circumstances,
and | confess it had seemed rath-
er tedious to me.
"Allighted, we stood on a
floor, in large space,
rom which various drifts or ave-
lues, cut in the rock and earth,
ed off in different directions.
Two fumes, with branches, tray
,rsed these earthly halls. One
carried fresh air into the heated
lepths, and the other bore the wa
;er that was constantly pumped
Up to the surface.
"Groups of men, in very spare
costumes, piled their picks in the
lifIerent drift, and down the main
venue ran a narrow tramway for
he ore cars.
"The superintendent explained
hat three mines, the Yellow
Jacket, in which we stood, the
which Immediately
oined it, and the Crow Point,
which lay beyond, all used the
anne hoisting works, and the cars
conveying the ore of all three,
an along the rails we had noticed.
Gas there was a,slight rise in
he avenue, and the drawing of
he ore cars was something of a
abor, t,co mules had heen introdu-
ed to the subterranean scene
bout six months previous to our
'isit, and were old residents at the
ime of speaking.
"Mules = cried Minnie, clasp
ng her hands in surprise--queer
ooking bundle that she was, /
would scarcely have known her
'ut for aer voice and eyes. 'Oh,
do so want to see them =
"'This way then, MISS said a
miner, leading down the main av-
nue. with q light in his cap, to
1here, in a stable cleft in the sol
/ rock, a pair Of plumb animals,
,ho had received the cognomens
espectively of Mary Ann Simp.
on and Hank Smith (from local
ssociation attached to the titles,
ed as composedly as if they were
n fields of dewy clover.
'The miner stuck his candle
'on in the rock, and thus lighted
he scene for contemplation; but
was too eager to see the cradle
f the vast fortunes that have
prting like golden giants from
he West, to linger long caring
Or the asses
Everywhere, above us and be-
Nv us, in all directions, ran the
rift with miners at work in them
nd cars laden with rich quartz,
their precious burden
own slides, where other cars
'aited to be loaded and sent
own the tramway to the hosting
N GO