Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-10-16
NO. 245.
Gales ano Skcttbes.
From All The Year Round.
BILL BOWkER'S TRIUMPH.
The BLIsSruL End OF ColLIsR's
CouRTSHIP.

THE BLlSSrUL End OF CoIIIEH's
CoURTSHr.
William descended to the pump in the
back yard. and had wash in the half
light of o'clock. and Selma got out of
bed and took sly peeps at him through
her tears, William. his ablutions over.
went out for drcary stroll. past the lilly
peace, and over Stevenson's hills. and
down Jacobs ladder, and Dead Mans
lane. and on TO the brookside again.
There, on June bridge. he stood and
watched the eddies circle around the great
stones, and found that negative and be-
wildered comfort which trouble always
finds in running water, Meanwhile Sc
lima had gone back to bed. and had there
renewed her tears, and was finding some
comfort in running water also. And. at
the moment when William stood upon
June bridge. Abraham Cough. in a suit
of ilannels, was making his way to the
day-shift in the Strip-and-at-it. Lest you
should find yourself too much disturbed
by the phrase, let me explain that the
Strips p-and-at-it was a coal-mine, SO named
by its inmates, from the cant phrase of
some doggy" or ganger; Now. lads,
strip. and at it,"
| Poor William regretted his holiday. and
longed for the hour when work should be-
gin again. He beguilcd the heavy hours
of the day by the composition of woe-be-
| gone verses, whereof fortune has pre-
served a fragment, which | here en-
balm:
"The that shines so bright above;
| Knows naught about my wrongful love:
| The birds that sing in Wigmore lane,
Hriup
| II is very dismal thing,
| That in my the birds do sing,
While INV Selma has gone of
| To walk with Mr.. Abraham Cough"
Williams muse was in the right. II is
a very dismal thing to the wounded heart,
grown egotistic through its pain, that ma
ture should seem out of sympathy with il
that the sun should shine and the birds
shonld sing, Just rs brightly and rs mer-
rily as though Selma were still true and
gentle.
William took his humble meal of bread
and cheese and his pint or so of beer at n
little public-house in the aforesaid lane.
and then stroled home again, still very
miserable, but a trihe soothcd by the
verse-making process. He was due at
the mine at 6 o'clock. and an hour before
| that time he was upstairs exchanging his
Sunday costume for the work day coalv
nannels. when he became conscious of a
hustle in the street. Looking through the
window. he beheld men running hailcss
and coatless. and unbonnetcd, unshawled
women hurrying along as fast as their
feet could take them. Everybody ran i'm
one direction. and in the crowd he caught
a moments glimpse of Selma and her
father. The girls face was white with
some strong excitement. and there was
look of the widest ima2 Unable fear in her
eyes. Both hands were pressed to her
heart rs she ran. A Black country col
lier's instinct in case like this is pretty
likely to be true. William threw the
window open. and cried to the hurrying
crowd:
"Wheer is it?'
"At the Strip-and-at-it.n some familiar
voice called out as the Struggling crowd
swept by
What is ?" he cried again.
"Shaft on fire cried another voice,
in answer: and in second the street was
clear. William Bowker dashed down
stairs and hurled himself along the street.
Anybody down ?'' he gasped. as he
turned the corner and passed the hind
most figure in the hurting mass. The
woman knew him.
"For Gods sake. lend me thy hand,
Wilyyum.' she gaspel in answer. "My
Joe's in"
He caught the shriveled little figure in
his great arms as though the old woman
had been n baby. and dashed on again.
Ay. the tale was true q, There belched and
volleyed the rolling smoke There were
hundreds of peoply already crowded up
on the pit mound and about the shaft. and
|
streaming in, white faced and breathlcss,
William set his withered burden down.
and pushed through TO the edge of the
shaft There was water in the up-casf,
and the engines were at work full power.
Up came the enormous bucketand splashed
its 300 or 800 gallons down the burning
shaft. and dropped like stone down the
up-cast, and laboring mp again, and vom-
tied its freight again and dropped like n
stone for more.
"Ye' might Just as well stand in a ring
an spit at it, said Bowker. with his face
all pale and his eyes on fire. "Get the
stinctors up and let man or two 90
down"
"Will yo' make one, Bill Bowker ?''
said brawDy, coal-smeared man beside
him.
"Yis, / will was the answer, given
like bulldogs growl.
"I'll make another" said the man.
"And me-" "And me- "And me-
cried dozen more.
rig the bowk, somebody" said the
love-lorn vcrse-maker. taking at once and
as by right the place he was born for.
-Joe-Abel-Da with
me-"
The crowd divided. and the five made
for the offices, and found there in a row,
number Of barrel-shaped machines of
metal, each having a small hose and a
pumping apparatus attached to it. These
were new boon from the generous hand
of science-a French contrivance, as the
name affixed to each set forth-L'Extinc-
teur." Each of the men seized one of
these, and bore it to the edge Of the shaft,
the crowd ,nce more making way A
bucket, called "bowk, '.some two
feet deep and eighteen inches wide, was
affixed to the wire rope which swung
a burning shaft. The selfappointcd leader
asked for flannel clothing A dozen gar
ments were flung to him at once. He
wrapped himself up like mummy, and
bound cotton handkerchief over his