Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-07
Bill BOWker's Triumph.

William descended to the pump in tho
back yard and had % wash in the half
light four o'clock, and Selma got ont of
bed and took sly peep ut him through
her tears. William, his ablutions over,
went out for II drcary stroll past the
billy piece over Stovenson's hill and
down Jacobs Ladder and Dead Mans
Lane, and ON to tho brookside again.
Meanwhile, Selma had gone back to
bed, and was finding some comfort in
running water also. And ut the moment
when William stood upon the Juno
bridge Abraham Cough, in a suit Of
flannels, was making his way to tho
day-slift in tho Strip-and-at-it.
Poor William regretted his holiday
and longed for tho hour when work
should begin again. Ho bcgniled tho
heavy hour Of tho day by the compost
ton of woe-bcgono verses, whereof for
| tune has preserved fragment, which !
here embalm
| That slln that shines 80 bright above
Knows naught about my wrongful love;
The birds that sing in Wigmore lane
| Bring nothing 10 my hcart but pain, We
II is very dismal thing,
That IN my ears the birds do sing,
| While my Selma has gone of ...H..
| 10 walk with Mr.. Abraham Cough"
William took his humble meal Of
bread and cheese and his pint or so of
beer ut little public house in the afore-
said lane, and then strolled home again,
still very miserable, but trihe soothed
by the verse making process. Looking
| through tho window he behold mon run
ming hatless and cOatless, nnbonneted,
unshawlcd women scurrying along as
fast as their feet could take them.
Everybody ran in ono direction, and in
the crowd he caught n glimpse of Selma
and hor father. The girls face was
white with some strong excitement, and
there was loook of the widest imagin-
able fear in her eye. Both hands were
pressed to her heart rs she ran. A black
country GOLFERS instinct in case like
this is pretty likely to he true. William
threw his window open, and cried to the
I hurrying crowd: aHa ~lba
Where is itP
AT the Strip-an'- some familiar
voice called out rs the struggling crowd
swept by.
SHAFT on fire. cried another voice, ir
answer, and in second the street wal
clear. William Bowkcr dashed dOwI
. the stairs and hurled himself along ths
street.
! Anybody DOWN. no gasped, as III
. turned the corner and passed the hind
: most figure in the mass.
i. Aye, the tale was true! There belchet
!. and vollcyed the rolling smoke! Their
4 were hundreds upon hundreds Of peopl
already crowded On the pit mound an'
. about the shaft, and from every quartz
men and women came streaming in
:. white faced and brcathloss. William
: pushed through to tho edge of the shaft
b There was water in the up-cast, and til
: engines were at work with full power
:. Up came the enormous bucket an
: splashed its 200 or 300 gallons down th
n burning shaft, and dropped like ston
down the up-cast, and after long, Ion
in pause came trembling and laboring u
o. again, and yomited its freight agai
: aud dropped like stone for more.
'Yo' might just as well stand in rir
: an spit an spit at it,, said Browke
:, with his face all pale and eyes on fir
ii Get the stinktOrs and lot man or tv
Is get down
1t, will yo' max one, Billy Bowker
N, said brawny, coal.slneared man besit
" him. E8 Hg3ss
." 'Yis, I wull, was the answer, give
Ikea bull dogs growl.
i'm 'rll make another, said the man.
II, aN An me, i'm me, an me, cried a doz
more.