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

/ do not believe that QuasomOdO was
q more pitiably deformed creature, or
Quilp more hideously unnatural look
ing object, than was Dandy Ferguson
when l saw him for the first time, that
calm summer afternoon, laughing and
iokings with crowd of boon compan-
ions in the cool shade of an awning at
Quartz Mountain.
His face was scanned and distorted by
peculiarly glossy scars-the ineradica-
Bile evidence of close and long contact
with that shriveling element, fire. His
body was bent, and he walked with a
Siding movement. He was a sickening
spectacle at first sight, suggesting fear
full suffering in the past, and my curios-
ity in regard to him was thoroughly
aroused.
Who is that man?'' asked, accost-
ing tall, blue shirted miner who was
standing in front of the post Office
Don't. you know himf' answered
the man; "why, that's Dandy Fergu-
son. I Thought everybody knowed Dandy
Ferguson"
"Why do you call him Dandy Fer
gusonp
Because because he used to
be a dandy-a regular out-an' out sport.
When Dandy Ferguson first came to
this camp he was a gilt-edged gentle
man, an no mistake. He wore a plug,
an flashed spark in his billed shirt
front as big as peanut. He put on
more dog'n mine superintendent, an
most of the boys was down on him from
the start. Thet was about three years
ago, an he come up here from the Bay
to get Whit o. fresh air, an, make ma
ture an the pines give him back what
he'd lost spreein' round with them
sharps an young bloodso' Frisco.
No, he don't look like hewas more'n
half human, that's a fact; but Pd
ruther have them scars O. his than wear
the clothes of the richest man in Cali
forny-that is, eff I'd gone through what
he has an suffered what he did. Proud
of 'eml Mister, thar amt a man in
this yer county-ne, 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 a better
right to be proud, either. When he first
came to Quartz Mountain he used to
parade the streets with his nose cooked
up so; he'd hydraulic himself with. pat
chouly an smell-water till you couldn't
get within mile of him. He was deli
cate looking cuss, an his hands were as
soft as barber's. The boys used to bet
that if big Bridget Sullivan-our wash
erwonian-was to take it into her head
to Jump him she'd knock spots out O.
him in derned short order. That was
our opinion of him when he played his
small cards in this yer camp-but he
showed down both bowers an the ace
before he quit the game, you bet yer
life. Dye see that quartz mill over
thar on the side hill7 That's the Chap.
parral mine, We know, an it's thar that
Dandy Ferguson showed us what sand
was.
Gone night, about a month after Fer
guson got here, somebody out there
yelled Firep an the camp turned out
The h'istin' works was in a light blaze
an the flames shootin' high up in the
dark. We all rushed to the spot like 6
pack O. mad animals-you know how s
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 burnin' shingles droppin' down tn,
shaft. Purity soon some one say
sWhatp kinder sharp an fierce like
Then there was little movement in tn,
crowd, an man as pale as dealt
springs away from the mouth O. tn
shaft yellin' frantic Waterl Water
For the love O. God, turn on the water
the night shifts in the lower drift
"There was an awful agony in the
mans voice; he had jist remembers,
thet his brother was down there, an
that the fire under the biler of the en-
gine was banked, that the cage was to
heavy to work by hand, an the timber
in the shaft pitch pine, an dry as
bone, with great sparks droppin' dow
like fakes in a snow-sJorm. You'v
heered how fast man thinks in tint
of danger. Jim Slocum thought of b
brother, the dry timbers, the engine, tt
cage, an water all in second, but tn,
was all. He didn't hev time to think {
the fact thet there wasn't a bar'l (
water within mile of the mine.
Somebody rushed up to the tank
ther was about tubful there. The fl
was playin' round the biler an the e
gineer he'd turned the safety cocks to |
thet out. They all rushed every whic
way yellin' fur ropes, ladders, anythil
as eff ladders could reach down ty
hundred feet to where the men ws
They was clean gone with excitemeI
an didn't know what to do, an the Fl
roarin' and dcracklin' like the devfl's oy
blaze.
Some rushed one way an sol
another, while some of them stood star