The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1877-06-23
STRONG BIG HEN.
Bending the Crowbar that was made
Especially to Defy His Strength.

John W. Sutton, o '49er, lectured before the
Manhattan Liberal Club, last evening, about
California when in the delirium Of the gold
fever. Among the uncouth miners about him,
he said were "Big Ben" and "Litle Dick,
mates. "Big Ben" was far above any man
in the mining region in stature, and Of wonder
full strength his favorite psstime being bendin G
crowbArs. "Liitle Dick" was curiosity for the
stalwart miners on account of his smallness;
and q meaner soul was never In man weighing
eighty pounds. Little Dick" was quarrelsome
but cowardly, and "Big Ben" had to do the hit
ting for him. So, although inofensive and
kindly naturally, "Big Ben" got the reputation
Of desperate.
In the mining, powders too heavy to be hauled
by a few men were often encountered, and when
they were the proprietors of adjacent claims
were invited to assist In removing them. "Big
Ben was never forgotten, and he did the work
of half dozen sturdy men. But after the
bowlder had been moved nearly far enough, he
commonly thrust the crowbar we'll under the
bowlder, and pressing his shoulder against the
crowbar, bent it nearly double, Finally Jim
Cook, the blacksmith vowed that he would weld
a crowbar that "Big Ben" could not bend. He
got up ponderous bar Of cast steel in Frisco,
and welded 1t into crowbar, that, sure enough.
"Bg Ben" could not bend. The latter remem-
bered this, his first defeat, to his dying moment
There came from the States, to recuperate
the Doctors wife and tiny daughter, "Birdie"
She became very fond of "Big Ben" and he
worshipped her. Though he was psnning or
grading, with glimmer of the yellow specks
at the bottom Frightening his eye, 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 pulls 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
bowieknives 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 dred-up stream Across its high banks
single fallen tree extended, 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, mighty
flood poured down the bed. The miners saw
''Birdie," gathering flowers on the opposite
SLOPE "Big Ben" returning with 'Lttle Dick"
saw her peril. He shouted, "Dick, go across
and get the child, and I'll hold the bridge"
ne put his crowbar into crevice beneath the
tree. 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 1t and
sprang to the shore, the tree whirled down the
current, and "Big Ben" fell PROSTATE. Bloody
foam was on his lips. He had ruptured q blood
vessel. "Birdie's" mother wiped away the foam,
and, looking up, "Big Ben" whispered, ~ saved
Birdie and bent the bar" and died. He had
bent the crowbar that Jim Cook had forged to
evortax his strength.-[N. Y. Sun, June 1at.