The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-09-07
DANDY FERGUSON;
OR,
The Hero Of the Chaparrel Shaft.

The Hero OF the Chaparrel .Shaft.
do not believe that Quasmodo was more
pitiably dciormed creature, or Quilp more
hdeously mountaineering object, than was
Dandy Ferguson when | saw him for the first
time, that calm, summer afternoon, laughing
and Joking with a crowd Of bold companions
IN the cool shade Of an awning at Quartz
Mountain. His face was scanned and distorted
by peculiarly glossy scars-the ineradlcable
evidence Of close and long contact with that
shriveing element fire. His body was bent
and he walked with sliding movement. He
was Il sickcning spectacle at first sight sug
costing fearful suffering in the past, and my
curiosity in regard 10 him was thoroughly
aroused.
"Who Is that man :" | asked accostng a
tall, bluc-shircd miner who was standing in
front Of the postottice
Don't YOU know him Z" answered the man !;
why that's Dandy Ferguson ! thought ev'ry-
body knew Dandy Ferguson"
Why do you call him Dandy Ferguson"
BeCause-wcll, because he used to be dan
dy-a regular out-an out sport. When Dandy
Ferguson first came to this camp he was Il
giltedgcd gentleman, and no mistake. He
wore Il plug, an flashed II spark on his billed
shirt front IS big as peanut He put on
more pog'n a mine superintendent an most
All the boys was down on HIM from the start
Thai was about three years ago, al he came
lP here from the Bay to get Whit o fresh
air, an make nature and the pines give him
back what he'd lost spreein' round with them
stock sharks an young bloods o Frisco. No,
he don't look like he was more'n half human,
that's fact but I'd rather hev them scars o
his than wear the clothes of the richest man in
Calforna-that is, ef I'd gone through what
he has an suffered what he did Proud Of
EN-? Mister thar amt Il man IN this yer
Counlry-nO, sir, nor III this yer State-aS Is
prOudcr'n Dandy Ferguson of what other men
might gricve over AN sigh about, au no mans
got better right to be proud, either
When he fust came 10 Quart Mountain he
ls5d 70 parade the streets with his nose cooked
np-so; he'd hydraulic himself with pa,chouly
M smelWatcr I'll you couldn't get within II
mile OF INN. lie was Il delicate looking cuSs,
m his hands were rs soft as BARRIERS. The
boys used to bet that II big Bridget culllv@n-
our Washerwoman-wa to take 1t INTO her
head to Jump him, she'd knock spots out o.
him IN derned short order, That was our opin-
ION OF him when he played his small cards in
this yer camp-but he showed down both bow
crS and the ace before he quit the game, you
bet yer life.
Dye see thel quartz mill over thar on the
side bill: That's the Chapagrai minc ye
know an it's thar tibet Dandy Ferguson show.
ed us what sand was. One night, about a
month after Ferguson got TO our camp, some
body out there yelled Fire an the camp
burned out. The hislln works was in a light
blaze, an the ilames shoOtin high up in the
dark. We all rushed 10 the spot like a pack
o mad animals-you know how fire strs
men up an eXcltcs EN-. OF course nobody
knew what to do, an for minute we all stood
round lookn' at the fire creepn' along the
caves, an the burnin, shingles droppin' down
the shaft Purity soon some one says 'Whatn
kinder sharp an fierce like. Then there was
llttc movement in the crowd, an man
with face a. pale Is death springs away from
the mouth Of the shaft yellin frantic Water!
water! For the love o God, turn on the water
the night shattyX TN drift There was an
awful agony in that mans voice; he had list
remembered that his brother was down there,
an that the ire under the bi.cr of The engine
was banked, thet the cage was too heavy to
Work by hand, an the timbcrs in the shaft
pitch pine an dry us a bone with great sparks
drUppin' down like flakes in a snow storm.
You've heard how fast "a man thinks in times
OF danger. jim Slocum thought Of hi, brother.
the dry tmbcrs, the engine, the cage. and wa
ter, all IN q second but that was all lie did
not hcv time to think that there wasn't bar'l
OF water within u mile OF the mine Somebody
rushed to the tank-thcre Wa, about Il tubiul
OF water there The fire wa. playip' round
the biler, and the engineer uad turned the safe.
" cocks 90 let that out We all rushed every
which way yctin fur ropes, ladders ANYTHING
AS II ladders could reach down two hundred
lesl 10 Mheie ne men wa They was clean
go"c M!lA 'AciIeIleht an CIdh know what TO
w. an INC hIt DI"Hh an trackiin' Ike the
IS So, o" ,.,, iGai;