Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-06-16
BIG BEN OF CALIFORNIA.
lScnding the CrOwbRr that wns Made Espe.
cinlly 10 Defy Ills strength.

John w. Sutton, 49er, lectured be
fore the Manhattan Liberal Club in New
York about California when in tho de-
lirium of the gold fever. Among the
uncouth miners about him ut that time
he said, We're "Big Ben" and "Littlt
Dick" mates. "Big Ben" was fal
above any man in the mining region in
stature, burly and of wonderful strength,
his favorite pastime being bending crow.
bars. "Little Dick" was q curiosity
for the stalwart miners on account of
his smallness and meaner soul was
never in n man weighing eighty pounds.
"Littlo Dick" was quarrelsomc, but
cowardly, and "Big Ben" had to do
the hitting for him. So, although in
offensive and kindly naturally, "Big
Ben got the reputation of desperate.
In mining powders too heavy to be
handled by few men were often en-
countered, and when they were the pro-
prietors of adjacent claims were invited
to assist in removing them. "Big Ben"
was never forgotten, and he did the
work of half n dozen sturdy men. But
after the bowlder had been moved near-
ly far enough, he commonly thrust the
crowbar we'll under the bowlder, and,
pressing his shoulder against the crow.
bar, bent it nearly double. Finally Jim
Cook, n blacksmith, vowed that he would
weld u crowbar that "Big Ben could
not bend. He got ponderous bar of
cast steel from Frisco, and welded it
into crowbar that, sure enough, "Big
Ben" could not bend. The latter re-
membered this, his first defeat, to his
dying moment.
There came from the States, to re-
cuperate, the doctors wife and tiny
daughter, Birdie" She became very
fond Of "Big Ben," and he worshiped
her. Though he was panning or Grad
ling with glimmer of the yellow specks
at the bottom Frightening his eyes, he
would go when Birdie said: "Come,
Ben, I want some flowers, or pretty
stones" For years afterward the
miners used to say, between the puffs of
their evening pipes, that "Big Ben"
never weakened but once. 1t was
in front of saloon. "Little Dick"
was the aggressor, and pistols and bowie
knives cleaned. "Birdie said
=" Come, Ben. with me-, and, catching
her up in his arms, "Big Ben walked
away.
The mining camp was by the side of
the bed of dried up stream. Across
its high banks single fallen tree ex-
tended, the only connection between the
camp and the fowery slope beyond the
river. One afternoon, as suddenly
streams in that region do return to their
beds, q mighty flood poured down the
bed. The miners saw " Birdie" gather
ing flowers on the opposite slope. "Big
Ben," returning with "Little Dick"
saw her peril. He shouted: "Dick,
go across and get the child, and I'll hold
The bridge" He put his crowbar into
4 crevice beneath the tree, and braced
his massive shoulder against it. "Little
Dick" darted across the tree, about
which the waters were rising fast,
snatched up "Birdie," and ran and as
he darted across it and sprang to the
shore, the tree whirled down the cur
rent, and "Big Ben" fell PROSTATE.
Bloody foam was on his lips. He had
'uptured blood vessel. "Birdie's "
mother wiped away the foam, and look
ng up, "Big Ben" whispered "I
saved Birdie, and bent the bar" and
lied. He had bent the crowbar that
lin Cook had forged to overtax his
strength