River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-09

A NOBLE SELF-SACRIFICE.
Who and what was her

me the day before. The extensive /
mining operation Of the last twelve |
or fifteen years had altered the little |
unpretending village materially; and !
though the quaint old church and some /
long and low buildings, suggestive of /
farms and homesteads, still retained !
an air of rustic simplicity, they were /
being gradually obscured and the !
place itself sophisticated by the |
formal rows of plain and ugly tene-
ments, built expressly for the mining !
population, which each year was be-
coming more numerous.
l had amused myself by decipher-
ing some of the inscriptions ON the
gravestones-w ell-nigh obliterated by
the weather-stains and the moss that
time had suffered to find root-hold in
the hollows of the lettering-when n !
man presumably miner, in the sun
day clothes peculiar to that class, car
rying IA little child of two or three |
and followed by another somewhat
older, seated himself ON fiat stone, |
and opened a conversation.
A civilly-spoken man enough, though !
with the uncouth accent of tho country.
| readily accepted the invitation he of
ferred, and we chatted pleasantly tie
had known the place many years, he
told me, aye, long before it had grown
into the town it now was, when II was
nothing but an humble village, and
when the long grass and rlpening corn
bowed its head to the wind on tbs spot
where the unsightIy cngine-house and
tall red chimney now stood, and where
the heaps of Stag and cinder marked
the busy life of the toilers in the earth
below.
That handsome marble monument,
he told me, denoted the last resting
place of the late rector, and this broad,
massive piece of granite was the tomb
of q certain local squire, popularity
known Us Squire jack who, 1t
seemed, was much given to horse-rsc-
ing, cooking and such kindred sports,
and who, being a sad ''ne'er-do-well, -
thoughtless, reckless fellow, but with
al good natured and easy-going, was, rs
such gentry not unfrequently are. the
most popular member of his family.
AS my new acquaintance pointed
out these objects and others which
he thought, | suppose, would interest
me. he had risen from his scat, and we
had stroled leisurly through the
church-vard. 1t was in corner, and
rather in a hollow, that, before hum
BILE mound of green turf, and decked
with pretty spring flowers, carefully
planted in the form of cross, we both,
as ofone accord, paused. 1t had not
any grave-stone, but only Il piece of
wood supported by two short uprights.
On this were roughly carved as if done
with pocket-knife, these two words;
Fighting joe"
That is strange inscription to put
over mans grave" | said; and then
added, "Who was he?"
The man seated himself on stone
near by, and was silent for a few see
onds He had set down the little child
he b., been carrying, and the two little
things, attracted by the bright flowers
had found their way to the mound, and
were about to gather them.
Here, you mustn't touch them How
ers, !" he said, and, Il taking hand of
each led them away.
"Wen, mate" he then went on to
say to me, in reply to my question,
II don't rightly know who or what he
was. He was Il stranger down here,
| and neither me nor my mates ever
| heard tell where ne came from or who
he was. When this here pit, Fenton's
pit we cali it was first worked we had
! but few hands hereabouts, and men rs
could work had no call to wait long for
a Job and got good wage as well.
! Most of the hands were Staffordshlrc,
but we never knowed where Joe came
from, and | don't know as we asked,
and p'raps he would't told us if we had
He was quiet and lonely-like, and said
but little-that is when he was all
right; but when he'd had
drop to drink, as maybe of Saturday
night, when he had gotten his wage of
all the hands | evee see to swear, spend
his money, wristle or fight, there wasn't
one like Fighting Joe
and hence his name, | suppose" !
asked "And Of course it is the old
story again-drink, a quarrel, fight
aud violent death; though ! cannot
understand, in that case, tn evident
| care that is bestowed on the poor fell
| lows tomb--such as it is"
no, SIR" the man said, gravely
after moments pause; mot quite all
that. violent death, yes; and such
death as | might pray God might ne CT
! happen to the worst Of Us: but 1t wasn't
drink, nor Il quarrel, nor fight with
another man, that brought him to 1t.
1t was more the other way, poor lad
more the other way"
The rough fellow beside me said this
with a gentleness Of tone and manner
that was sufficiently cut Of keeping
with his appearance to excite some de
gree of curiosity, and | told HIM
should like to learn more Of the story.
cts not much as such rs you might
care for" the man replied. Here, "
he said, turning to the little ones who
were .raying oward the green mound
again, "you mustn't touch them posies,
thou knows; 90 and get some Of them,
and he ierked a small piece of coal he
had in his hand toward where some
daisies and dandelions We're growing
among the rank grass.
"He worked in Fenton's pit along o
me, and though We never had angry
words, many and many a lay would
pass, and neither him nor me speak.
He was quiet, as | said, and when he
hadn't had drink would keep hisself to
hissclf. There was a lass living in these
parts then, and Fighting Joe was right
fond Of her. I don't know that he said
much to her, but we could see that he
was about as fond of that lass as a lad
could we'll he ] know that, for moth
er was living then, and this lass would
often be between her house and ours,
1t seems that one Sunday, rs it might
be this, Joe had met her and told her
how fond he had been of her, and asked
her to become his wife. She told moth
er of this that same night. Well ii
seems she said Joe mustn't look
for that, for she was already
promised, and was going to
be wed that Whitsuntide When
she told Joe this he said never a word
but grew very white in the face, and
turned quietly away Tie next day
he had to work by the SIDE uf the very
man who was promised TO the lass he
loved Wen, they had been to work
for some time, when Joe's mate, turn
ing round to get hold Of a shorter pick
that was laying near, sees him stand
ing behind him with his arm raised
and the pick in his hand, as if in doubt
whether to strike or not, and with
look in his eyes as he had never been
known to wear before. The two men
looked at each other for while with
out speaking, till Joe said, God for