Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-08-16


works an caught hold of the chains.
His coat an hat was gone, an he looked
like an angel-almost-a he swung over
the shaft in his white frilled shirt an
his long yallar hair. 1t was dandy Fer
guson. He didn't wait for nobody, but
jamed a big scantln' thet two men
couldn't alifted, down over the shaft.
Then he yelled fur a rope, an told some
near the door to fetch him the oil vim
lass thet was lyin' outside, near the dunn
my. You never see men work like they
did as soon as ther was a 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
Ferguson shouting after it. I'm here,
boys, an 1 stay till roast. Then he
grabbed the crank, an spun the r3pe
FSHgda FSH9d 5taAfsSre. 5taAfsS e"rA he used one hand frst
an when she frightened he laid the other
on. ST Holden wanted to help him but
he wouldn't hev no interference. thine
enough, 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 ont 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 played it |
down in thet shaft as mean as one man
can play it on another at sich time. |
You see there was five of '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 up above, an
yelled till they was hoarse watchin' thet
glimmer CROWN brighter ev'ry minute,
an KNOWN 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 grabbin' the rope as soon as 1t
dropped down to 'em. Harry Miller
jumped long side of him, yellin'-
"Let go, darn We, let go! They can't
lift two of Us. 'Let 60 yerself, shouts
Slocum, turnin' round on him like a
tiger.
"'My old mothers up there, yelled
Slocum, pointin' up the shaft.
"'My wife's waitin' fur me, howls
Miller.
Gan, 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 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 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
death. Down went the rope agin, an
Slocum was tied on an hauled up, Fer
guson workin' the win'lass like giant
The cords stood out on his neck like
black snake whips, an the sweat poured
off of him like sluice stream. Tw(
Cornishmen stood by him tryin' to make
: him let them roll up the rope while hi
rested, but he cussed 'em and told 'en
to dry up; he said he was at the wheel
: an he'd stay there ef he died fur it
Wen Slocum came up, the fire was al
around an over the win lass, an the twt
. Cornishmen grabbed Bill an carrie'
J him out-they couldn't stan the heat
. . Ferguson sent down the rope agin, an
u up come Sam Hildreth, with jist strengtl
. enough to make for the door.
ssThe roof over the biler and the pitcl
Il l, on the door-posts was smokin'. Jest q
the rope went down fur the fourth time
u an we loafn' round on the outsid
- watchin Dandy Ferguson standin' ther
y y lire a man at the stake, expectin' ever
!, minute to see him drop, an not ma
l. =, of us with gumption enough to thin
u what was wanted, woman rushes int
the fiery furnace an slings wet blankt
= - over the bravest, gamest man in tt
10 State O. Californy.
Il "'Thet's the ticket, shouts Ferguson
X You're trump, whoever you are, n
et girl, an I won't furget ye, live or die. ,
,d "An' he didn't. 1t was Sam Hildreth
"a sister Maggie, an wen she came out
no the smoke an fame with her dress in
or blaze, she calls out sharp to the men.
ar "'Keep thet blanket wet. There
al water in the tank. I'll marry the fu
" man thet throws bucket of water ov
NJ Dandy Ferguson-Tn marry him ef HI
Of Chinaman.'
= "Them's her identic1l words, mistt
m The men didn't need no further ordel
es cause Maggie Hildreth was the hal
ali soonest girl in the country, an the be
ad an he'd ev'ry young buck fur mil
en- aroun' close at her heels all the tin
dy handicappin' each other for smiles. b
MOI
% galoots-saved her for better man,
in wetting the blanket himself. Abe
rty this time the heat was terrible. one m
ler in the drift an another halfway l
a crawlin' fast enough in ordinary circu
AN stances, but hardly fast enough W
7ay death racin' down on his savior at tN
an forty gait. Wen Jack Harmon ca
O. out O. the shaft he stood minute on
fits scantlin' swayin' back an forth lik
full drunken man, blinded by smoke, an
list wildered, an eff Ferguson hedn't eau
'wn him he'd a gone back agin. Two m
of of us he'd got in with buckets O. waite
age bout all ther was in the tank; bu
the seemed to dry off rs fast as we poure
dry on. fur the blanket was smokin'. W
oin' the rope went down fur the last time
i've haul up Joe Harper, the scantlin'
8 of burnin' an the upper timbers was beg
his min to blaze. The whirlin' smoke
the Ferguson from us, but we knowed
that tf he didn't come out soon the wi
k of shebang d give way an bury him;
ater sides was in light blaze, an the p
ody where the win lass stood was the {
ut spot where even Dandy Ferguson cc
und "a worked. II must "a bin an az
ned strain on him-thet last .pull-but
3 all never owned it, an bimeby up co
pes. Joe, bravest man in the camp reel