The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-09-05

through the door OF the nlStln WORKS
an caught hold of the chains. His coat
and hat was gone, an he looked like an
angel -almost-as he swung over the
shaft in his white frilled shirt an his
long, yaller hair.
1t was Dandy Ferguson.
He didn't wait fur nobody, but jam
med big scantlin' thet two men
couldn't a lifted, down over the shaft.
Then he yelled fur rope, an told some
men near the door to fetch him the OF
win'lass thet was lyin' outside, near the
dummy.
You never see men work like they
did as soon as ther was head. The rope
an the win'lass was brought into the
works on the jump, an fastened to the
scantlin'. Down went the rope and Fer
guson shoutin' after it. Pm here, boys,
an I'll stay till Iroast.' Then he grab
bed the crank an spun the rope round
the bar'l Eastern it ever was rolled be-
fore. He used one hand first an when
she tightened he laid the other on.
"Si Holden wanted to help him, but
he wouldn't hev no interference. Time
enough says Ferguson, when DROP
1t wasn't long before half naked body
came up, an they got the rope off as
quick as they could, draggin' Harry
Miller out of the works more dead'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 exhausted he was, but
they found out afterwards thet he'd
=. 1 ~ ot
one man can play it on another at sich
time.
"You see there was five eff 'em in the
lower drift, an when the burnin' tim
bers of the upper works began to drop
down they all made rush for the main
shaft. The cage was on an they couldn't
get out till rope came down. They
could see flicker of light above, an
yelled till they was hoarse watchin'
thet glimmer growin' brighter'n brighter
ev'ry minute, an knowin' thet the
shaftin' timber'd blaze mighty soon an
cut off all hope of their ever gittin' out.
1t was terrible thought, an you
can't blame Bill Slocum fur grabbin' the
rope as soon as it dropped down to 'em.
Harry Miller jumped 'longside of him
yellin':
"Let-go, d-n ye, let gol They can't
lift two of u.s. Let go yourself, shouts
Slocum, turnin' round on him like a
"t My old mothers up there yelled
Slocum, pointin' up the shaft.
My wife's waitin' fur me- howls
Miller.
cam with thet he knocks Slocum
down in the drift an goes up the rope
hand over hand before the others could
stop him-they'd a. killed him ON the
spot eff he hedn't climbed the rope as he
did. Sarved him right. Kerrect, mister,
they'd a saived him mighty well an no
mistake, but he beat thet 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
dead weight, an Dandy Ferguson a
haulin' him out O the fiery jaws O.
death.
"Down went the rope agin, an Slocum
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 sweat poured off
him like sluice stream. Two Cornish
men stood by him tryin' to make him
let them roll up the rope while he rested,
but he cussed 'em and told 'em to dry
up; he said he was at the wheel, an he'd
stay there ef he died fur it. Wen Slo-
came up, the fire was all around an over
the win'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 strength enough to
make fur the door. The roof over the
biler and the pitch on the door-posts
was smokin'. Jist as the rope went
down fur the fourth time, an we loafn'
round on the outside watchin' every
minute to see him drop, an not man
of us with gumption enough to think
of what was wanted, woman rushes
into the fiery furnace an slings wet
blanket over the bravest, gamest man in
the State O. Californy.
"'Thet's the ticket shouts Ferguson
You're trump, whoever you are, my
girl, an i won't forget ye, live or die
CAN he didn't. 1t was Sam Hid
reth's sister, Maggie, an when she came
out O. the smoke and fame with hel
dress in blaze, she calls out sharp tt
the men:
wKeep tibet blanket wet. There
water in the tank. Pll marry the fus
man thet throws a bucket O waite
over Dandy Ferguson-Pll marry hin
eff he's Chinaman.'
4 81. L., cfa
The men didn't need no further orders
cause, you see, Maggie Hildreth was tn
han'somest girl in the country, an tn
best, an he'd ev'ry young buck fur mile
aroun' close at her heels all the time
handicappin' each other fur smiles. Blu
her brother Sam saved her from then
gaIoots-saved her fur better man, b,
victim the blanket himself.
About this time the heat was terri
BILE; one man in the drift an anothe
half way up, crawlin' slowly to tn
ragin' furnace on top, crawlin' fas
enough in ordinary circumstances, bu
hardly fast enough with death racir
down on his savior at a two-forty gait
Wen Jack Harmon came out O. th
shaft he stood minute on the scantlin
swayin' back an forth like drunke
man, blinded by smoke, an bewilderec
an ef Ferguson hedn't caught him he
, a gone back again.
/ "Two more of us he'd got in wit
} buckets O. WATERFRONT all ther was i
the tank; but it seemed to dry off s
: fast as we poured it on, fur the blankt
was smokin'. Wen the rope went dow
fur the last time, to haul upJoe Harpe
J the scantlin' was burnin' an the uppe
timbers was beginnin' to blaze. tt
: whirlin' smoke hid Ferguson from u
D but we knowed if he didn't come oil
s purity soon the whole sheebang ID giN
a way and bury him; the sides was in
n light blaze, an the place where tt
e win'lass stood was the only spot whe
IS even Dandy Ferguson could worke
is 1t must bin awful strain on him
e the last pull-but he never owned
It an bimeby up comes Joe, the brave
# man in the camp, 1 reckon, barri
# Dandy Ferguson, cause, you see,
wouldn't tech the rope till they'd :
: bin hauled up; he tied every man
,e except the coward, Miller, an then car
n. tbrouoh the h1azin' shaft himse