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

I do not believe that Quasimodo was
n more pitiably deformed creature, or
Ouilp more hideously unnatural look
ing object, than was Dandy Ferguson
when I saw him for the first time, that
calm summer afternoon, laughing and
ioking with crowd of boon companions
in the cool shade of an awning at Quartz
Mountain. His face was scanned and
distorted by peculiarly glossy scars
the ineradicable evidence of close and
long contact with that shriveling ele-
ment, fire. His body was bent, and he
walked with siding movement. He
was sickening spectacle at first sight,
suggesting fearful suffering in the past,
and my curiosity in regard to him was
tn )roughly aroused.
"Who is that man ?" asked, accost-
ing tall, blue -shirted miner who was
standing in front of the post-oftice.
Don't you know him ?" answered
the man; "why, that's Dandy Ferguson.
I thought ev'rybody knew Dandy Fer
guson.
why do you call him Dandy Fer
guson p
"Because-well, because he used to
be dandy-a reguler out-an' out sport.
When Dandy Ferguson first came to
this camp he was gilt-edged gentle
man, an no mistake. He wore plug,
an flashed a spark in his billed shirt
front as big as peanut. He put OIL
more airs'n q mine superintendent, an
most all the boys was down on him from
the start. That was about three years
ago. an he came up here from the Bay
to git Whit O. fresh air, an make ma
ture an the pines give him back what
he'd lost spreein' round with them stock
sharps and young bloods O. Frisco. No,
he don't look like he was more'n hall
human, that's q fact; brit I'd rather
have them scars o. his than wear the
clothes of the richest man in Californy
tibet is, ef I'd gone through what hi
has an suffered what he did. Proud o.
'em Mister, thar amt man in thi'
yer country-no, sir, nor in this yel
State-as is prouder'n Dandy Ferguson
of what other men might grieve over an
sigh about, an no mans got bette
right to be proud, either. When b
fust came to Quartz Mountain he used t.
parade the streets with his nose cocket
up-so; he'd hydraulic himself wit
patchouly an smell-water till yo
couldn't git within mile of HIM.
"He was delicate-looking cuss, al
his hands were as soft as barber's. Th
boys used to bet that if big Bridget SUI
livan-our washerwoman-wasst to take
into her head to Jump him, she'd knoc
spots out O. him in short order. The
was our opinion of him when he playe
his small cards in this yer camp-but b
showed down both bowers an the &C
before he quit the game, you bet ye
life. Dye see thet quartz mill over tbs
on the side hill? Thet's the Chapar;
Mine, We know, an it's thar thet Dand
Ferguson showed us what sand was. Or
night, about month after Ferguson g
here, somebody out there yelled Fire
an the camp turned out. The h'isti
works was in light blaze, an the fam
shootin' high up in the dark. We o
rushed to the spot like pack O. mt
animals-you know how fire stirs me
ND an excites 'em. OF course, nobot
kno we'd what to do, an for minute '
all stood round lookin' at the fire cree
in long the caves, an the burning shi
giles droppin' down the shaft, Pur
soon some one says: What 7 kind
sharp an fierce like. Then there was
little movement in the crowd, an m
with face as pale as death sprang aw
from the mouth of the shaft yellin' frs
tic: water Water For the love
God. turn on the water-the night shift
in the lower drift There was an aw
agony in thet mans voice; he had ]
remembered thet his brother was do
there, an thet the fire under the biler
the engine was banked, thet the CO
was too heavy to work by hand, an
timb srs in the shaft pitch pine, an
as a bone with great sparks dropI
down like fakes in a snow storm. You
heard how fast man thinks in times
danger. jim Slocum thought of
brother, the dry timbers, the engine,
cage, an water, all in second, but t
was all. He didn't hev time to thinl
the fact thet thar wasn't a bar1 of ws
within mile of the mine. Someb'
rushed to the tank-ther was abol
tubful there. The fire was playin' ro'
the biler, an the engineer he'd tur
the safety cocks to let thet out. We
rushed ev'ry which way yellin' fur rol
ladders, anything-as ef ladder &C
reach down about two hundred fee
where the men was. They were cl
gone with excitement, an didn't kl
what to do, an the fire roarin' and cr
lin like the devils own blaze,
.'Some rushed one way an 81
another, while some of them 81
starin' into the hot, black smoke
waller fire, dazed, scared, help
Quicker'n it takes me to tell it