New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-09-25

gone, an he looked like an angel almost
AS he sw ung over the shaft in his white
frilled shirt an his long yclIer hair. 1t
was dandy Ferguson. He didn't wait for
nobody, but jamed big scantlin' thet
two. men couldn't alifted, down over the
shaft. Then he yelled for rope, ar.
told some one near the door to fetch him
the OF win'lass tibet was lynn outside
near the dummy. You never saw men
work like they did as soon as thcr was a
head. The rope an the win'lass was
brought into the works on the jump an
fastened to tue scantlin'. Down went the
rope and Ferguson shouting after it. I'm
here, boys, an | stay till I roast Then
he grabbed the crank, an spun the rope
round the bar taster'n it ever was rolled
before. He used one hand first, an when
she frightened he laid the other On.
81 Holden wanted to help him but he
wouldn't hev no interference. Time
=nough,' says Ferguson, when DROP
1t wasn't long before half-naked body
came up. They got the rope off as quick
as they could, draggin' Harry Miller out
OF the works more uead'n alive, tremblin'
like leaf. They thought at the time
thet he was scared at the danger he'd
been in an didn't notice how much ex.
hausted he was, but they found out after
wards thet he'd played it down in thet
shaft as mean as one man can play it on
another at SIGH time. You see there
was five OF 'em in the lower drift, an
when the burnin' timbers of the upper
works began to drop down they all made
a rush for the main shaft. Toe cage was
on an they couldn't get out till rope
came down. They could see flicker of
light up above, an yelled till they was
hoarse watchin' tibet glimmer CROWN
brighter ev'ry minute, an knowin' thet
the shattin' timber'd blaze mighty soon
an cut off all hope of their ever gittin'
out. It was terrible thought an you
can't blame Bill Slocum fur grabbn' the
rope as soon as it dropped down to I'm.
Harry Miller jumped long side of him,
yellin'-
"'Let go, darn ye, let go! They cant
lit two of u.s. Let go yerself,' shouts
Slocum, turnin' round on him like IT,
ger.
"'My old mothers up there yelled
Slocum, pointin up the shaft.
g. My wife's waitin' fur me- bowls
Miller
car, with tibet he knocks Slocum
down in the drift an goes up the rope
hand over hand before he others could
stop him-they'd killed him on the spot
eff he hedn't climbed the rope as he did.
Served him right? Kerrect, mister,
they'd sarved him mighty we'll right an
no mistake, but he beat tibet game. He'd
jist strength enough to tie the slack
round his waist wen he give way all at
once an hung to the end of the rope like
a dead weight, an Dandy Ferguson a
haulln' him out o. death. Down went
the rope again, an Slccum was tied on
an hauled up, Ferguson workin' the
win'lass like giant. The cords stood
out on his neck like black-snake whips,
an the sweet poured off of him like a
sluice stream. Two Cornishmen stood
by him tryin' to make him let them roll
up the rope while he rested, but he cuss-
ed 'em and told 'em to dry up; he said
he was at the wheel. an he'd stay there
eff he died fur it. Wen Slocum came up,
the fire was all around an over the vim
lass, an the two Cornishmen grabbed
Bill an carried him out-they couldn't
stan the heat, Ferguson sent down the
rope agin, an up come Sam Hildreth,
with jist stredgth to make for the door.
"The roof over the biler and the pitch
on the door-posts was smokin'. Jest as
the rope went down fur the fourth time,
an we loafn' round on the outside
watchin' Dandy Ferguson standin' there
liky a man at tue stake, expectin every
minute to sec him drop, an not man OF
us with gumption enough to think what
furnace an sings wet blanket over the
bravest, gamest man in the State O. Cali
forny.
'Thet's the ticket shouts Ferguson.
You're trump, whoever you are, my
girl, an I won't furget ye, live or die.
An be didn't 1t was Sam Hildreth's
sister Maggie, an wen she came cut OF
the smoke en- fame with her dress in q
blaze. she calls out sharp to the men.
"'Keep thet blanket wet. There's
water in the tank. I'll marry the fust
man thet throws bucket of water owe,
Dandy Ferguson--I'll marry him ef he's
a Chinamen.'
''Them's her identical woros, mister
The men didn't need no further orders
} cause Maggie Hildreth wa, the hand
soonest girl ia the country, an the best
; an he'd ev'ry young buck fur miles aroun
close at her heels all the time, handicap
PIN each other for miles. Bur he
j brother Sam saved her from
, them galoots- saved her for a bette,
! man, by wetting the blanket himself
About this time the heat was terrible
L