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

more pitiably detornled creature, or Qullp
more hideously unnatural looking OBJ
ject than was Dandy Ferguson when I
saw him for the first time, that calm
summer afternoon, laughing and joking
with crowd Of boon companions in the
cool shade OF an awning at Quartz Noun
tain. His face was seemed and distorted
by peculiarly glossy scars-the ineradi-
cable evidence of close and long ccntac.
with that shriveling element, fire. His
body was bent. and he walked with
siding movement. He was a sickening
spectacle at first sight, suggesting fearful
suffering in the past, and my curiosity in
regard to him was thoroughly aroused.
'Whc is that man?' I asked, accosting
tall, blue-shirted minsr who was stand
ing in front OF the post-office.
"Doh't you know HING answered the
man: "why, that's Dandy Ferguson. I
thought EVERYBODY knew Dandy Fergu-
son.
"Why do you call him Dandy Fe-
guson?" ......
"Because-.well, because he used to be
dandy-a regular out-an'- out sport
When Dandy Ferguson first came to this
camp he was gilt-edged gentleman, an
no mistake. He wore a plug, an flashed
spark in his billed shirt-front as big as
a peanut. He put on more airs'n luine
superintendent, an most all the boys
was about three years ago, an be came
up here from the Bay to git Whit O.
resi- air, an make nature an the pines
give him back what he'd lost sprcein'
round with them stock sharps and young
bloods O. Frisco. No, lie don't look like
he was more'n halt human,7 that's fact;
but I'd rather have them scars O his then
wear the clothes of the richest man in
Californy--that is eff Id gone through
what he has an suffered what he did.
Proud Of 'em! Mister, thar ant a man III
this yer country-no, sir, nor in this yer
State-as is prouder'n Dandy Ferguson
of what other men might grieve over an
sigh about, an no mans got better
right to be proud, either. When he fust
came to Quartz Mountain he used 70 par
AIDE the streers with his nose cooked up
so; he'd hydraulic himself with patchouly
an smell-water till you couldn't git with
in mile of him.
'He was a eate-looking cuss, an his
hands were as soft as a BARRIERS. The
boys used to bet that if big Bridget Sui
]ivan-our washerwomrn-was to take it
into her head to jump HIM, she'd knock
spots out O. him in short order. That was
our opinion of him when he played his
small cards in this yer camp but he
showed down both bowers and the ace be.
fore he qui; the game, you bet yer life.
Dye see that quartz mill over thar Cd the
side hill? Thet's the Chaparal Mine, ye
know, an it's thar tibet Dandy Ferguson
showed us what sand was. One night,
about a month after Ferguson got here,
somebody out there yelled 'Firer an the
camp turned out. The h'istin' works was
in light blaze, an the flames shootin
high up IL the dark. We all rushed to
the spot like a pack O. mad animals-you
know how fire stirs men up an excites
'em. Of course, nobody knowed what to
do, an for minute we all stood round
lookin' at the fire creepin' long the caves,
an the burning shingles droppin' down
the ahaf1. Purity soon some one says
'Whatr kinder sharp an fierce like
, Then there was a little movement in the
crowd, an man with face as pale as
death sprang away from the mouth of the
shaft yellin' frantic: Water! Water! Fol
love o. God, turn on the water--the nigh
shifts in the lower drift. There was an
awful agony in tibet mans voice; he hac
jist remembered thet his brother Wa!
down there an tibet, the fire under the
biler of the engine was banked, thet the
cage was too heavy to work by hand, an
the timbers in the shaft, pitch pine an
dry as bone with great sparks droppin
down like flakes in snow storm. You've
heard how fast man thinks in time O
danger. Jim Slocum thought of hi!
brother, the dry timbers, the engine, The
cage, an water, all in second, but tina
was all. He didn't hev time to think O
the fact tibet thar wasn't bari of water
within mile Of the mine. Somebody
rushed to the tank-ther was about tub
full there. The fire was playin' rounG
the biler, an the engineer had turned the
safety cocks to let thet out. We al
rushed ev'ry which way yellin' for ropes
ladders, anything las eff ladder could
reach down about two hundred feet te
where the men was. They were clean
gone with excitement, an didn't know
what to do, an the fire roarin' and crack.
lin like the devils own blaze.
Some rushed one way an some
another, while some Of them stood starln
into the hot .lack smoke and yeller fire.
dazed, scared, helpless. Sc Quicker'n il