Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-01-19
From worne's London international Annnal.l
the SMARTHY MANS STORY.
BIZ FRANC B. wMKIE (PoLIUTo).

By FRANC b. W1Lh1E NPOIIUTO)s p
There was sitting in the shadow of the
stove, with his feet hoisted on barrel,
and displaying an immense pair of min
er's boots, man who seemed to be In
brown study. Either the stories did not
interest him, or else something had taken
possession of his mind. He was very
dark, like one who had been much ex-
posed to wind and sun. He had pulled
over his brow great SLOUGH hat, such as
is worn by frontiersmen; and SO immova-
BILE was he that he might have been
asleep or dead.
There was silence of some little dura-
tion after the last story was concluded.
Everybody except the dark man had told
something, and now they were waiting
for him to contribute his share to the
entertainment. He did not move. and
they began to show some signs of impa-
dence. There was some muttered re-
marks to the effect that lodgings must
be paid for In advance; and that man
who slept with so much feet out of bed
was very apt to take cold. Finally, the
young man, who seemed to be more au-
dacious than the others, went over,
slapped the apparent sleeper on the
shoulder, and asked him what time he
would like to be called for his breakfast,
and whether ne didn't think he had better
tuck in the bedclothes around his boots.
In reply, the other lifted his boots
down from the barrel, tipped his broad
hat back on his head, and turned so as
TO face the stove and the company. He
said:
have not been asleep, as you seem to
suppose. You wish for story. You
know that I have just come back from
the mines; and although l have heard all
that has been said, I have been living
over again a few moments of my life,
which were sufficiently exciting to war
rant my abstraction. You wish for
story. Perhaps the best thing can do
is to go over this experience.
In going from Denver to the Leadville
mining regions there are two routes, and
such Is their character that, whichever
one you take, you will be sure to wish
that you failed to take the other. One
of them is across the mountains by rail
to the Arkansas valley, and thence by
coach to the desired point. The other is
by coach all the way through the noun
Sains, and includes pass of several
thousand feet above the sea level For
same reason-perhaps that 1 had often
gone by the former-I selected the lat
Ser. This, as / afterward learned, was
The worst thing / could have done, for,
atrocious as are both of the routes, the
ait-cOaoh is infinitely the most danger
GUS one In any part of the Rocky noun
tains. But, you see, you never know
what should or should not be done till
you have done it; you can't tell what is
II vein till you have put down your
shaft.
We were all off at daylight. The coach
cord build, and nearly as large as Noah's
ark. 1t Is swung on leathern hinges so
arranged that it is capable of every con-
ceivable motion. It lurohes, pitches,
rolls like ship in the trough of the
waves, rears and kicks like horse, jolts
like a camel, and has the solid and
colossal shake-down connected with the
gait of an elephant. Like all the coaches
which are used for the carrying of pas
sengers through the mountains, it has a
mechanical appliance, within the easy
control of the driver, which enables him
at q moments notice, to detach the
horses from the vehicle. This is to be
used to save the team In case the coach
is thrown over a prec1pice. Of course,
the occupants count for nothing, so far
az this machine Is concened;., but it
preserves the horses, and, as general
thing, the driver, who can Jump from
his seat In time to avoid being carried
with the coach. In one sense it is
premium ON cowardice, for the reason
that there is row and then an instance
in which coachful of passengers is
dashed down among the rocks, where,
had the driver stuck 80 lis place, it is
believed they might have been saved.
There were three seats inside, on each of
which were three passengers, who were
so wedged In that In case of an overturn
there was no extrication, but all must go
as one person. Outside there were two
seats, OF which the front one is for the
driver, and behind this resting on the
roof Of the coach, is the other.
On each of these seats there we're
three persons. Every place was thus
occupied. There were nine inside and
Six outside inclusive or the driver; or, In
all, fifteen souls.
1t was not cold when we started out
the second morning. I had managed to
secure place directly behind the driver.
My two companions on this seat were no
matter who, as they ut no particular
figure In anything which occurred on the
trip. By the side of the driver was
seated young woman, who was quite