The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-08-20

| of our men was hnlOu WhiiN So
plycerine from wagon. This gave us
considerable of shock, but we lad the
blame on the mans carelessness, and
worked on as usual. Within year
three more of our men were blown to
FRAGMENTS at the same time through
nure recklessness. None of these men
drank LIQUOR to excess; so you couldn't
attribute their death to intoxlcatlon.
The rest of us were mighty careful after
that, and only staid in the business be-
cause we could make money faster than
at anything else. We didn't have any
more accidents while we were doing
business for ourselves, and we began to
take courage.
"When the Roberts Company gained
monopolistic control of the torpedo
business the remaining five of our crowd
went to work for them. Everything
went on swimmingly for some time, but
at last three of the crowd had some
trouble, real or fancied, with the Com
pany, and the result was that the men
quit entirely and went to moonlighting
shooting wells at night in defiance of
the law giving the Roberts Company the
monopoly. Moonlighting is just about
twice as dangerous as torpedoing in the
lawful way, and it wasn't long before
those three fellows were blown skyward.
wasn't bit surprised, for when a
man gets down so low as to go into
moonlighting when he can make good
wages at a legitimate business, natural
ly look to see his death announced be-
fore great while in the papers.
"Well, that left justtwo, Tom Bailey
and LOT the original nine that went into
the business only few years ago. One
by one our boys have dropped off, until
to-day l helped to bury what remained
of poor Tom. Poor old boy. know it
wasn't his fault, for he was the most
careful man | ever saw. There was
nine of us when we started-all banded
together to work for one another's in
terests-and now they are all gone but
me, and | am-the-last-of nine.'
His unsmoked cigar slipped from his
nerveless fiugers and fell to the ground.
He trembled violently, as with the ague,
nameless horror and fear looking out
of his eyes into vacancy.
"John, said I, gently touching his
arm, "come into the house; it is chilly
out here"
Yes, yes, let us 60 in. But stay-I
-feel-so strangely. | never thought
of it before, but if-my wife-should-
should see me as [ saw Tom Bailey to-
day it would-it would-would kill
her!" and the strong man sank into a
chair, completely overpewered with the
awful thought.
Business called me away from Brad
ford and the oil country the next day,
and did not return for some weeks.
Having business at Smethport, the
county-seat of Mexican County, l passed
through the village and started for
Bradford by way of the Bradford, Bor-
dell & Kinzua Railway. When within
few miles of Bradford an accident hap
pened to the locomotive, which would
delay the train several hours. Being
anxious TO reach the city as soon as pos
sible, four of the passengers, including
myself, started over the mountains
afoot, hoping to reach our destination
by three O'Clock in the afternoon. We
walked along quite briskly, and while
following the ridge of a mountain were
hailed by voice which l recognized as
belonging to the torpedo superlntend-
ent, havingin charge the district belong
ing to John McWilliams.
"Hallo! come over herep" the man
shouted, accompanying his words with
emphatic gestures.
Curiously wondering what Smollay
could want, we went toward him. Two
or three men were leaning against the
stump of tree and merely nodded as we
approached. Smollay was searching on
the ground for something at some dis
lance from his companions. e
whats the trouble, SmollayP" and
as l spoke the glycerine man raised a
pained-looking face and mutely pointed
his finger in the direction of the men
around the stump.
looked and saw strange sight. The
wreck of an oil derrick and its m Achine
ry lay scattered over the ground in small
pieces. In an instant it all came to me,
there had been an explosion of nitro
glycerince. The derrick had been blown
to atoms and scattered far and wide;
the ponderous bull-wheels were disman-
tied and broken into thousand frag-
ments. On every hand was ruin such
as only nitro-glycerine can produce.
The thought came, was anybody hurtp
| glanced inquiringly at the three men.
One of them pointed silently at a small
baking-powder box lying at their feet.
l stepped forward. ............ h..
"My God! John-John McWilliams!"
and would have fallen had not one of
the men supported me.
The last of nine! / stood and looked
down into little wooden box filed with
CHASTITY flesh and blood and bones-all
that was mortal of noble hearted John
McWilliams. A side of the head and
face remained as noble and handsome as
in life, but what remained of the BODY
could have been placed in ten-quart
pail. Smollay came and leaned his
arm against my shoulder in silent SYM
pathy.
"How did it happen, Smollay p"
This after long period of silence.
1.-The well made heavy flow of gas
and oil as John was lowering the torpe-
do, and when the she'll came to the top
OF the hole Joha stood there and caught
it in his hands, and as he turned to take
the thing away it exploded in his hands
with the result you see. There never
was more careful man than John"
For years and years John McWilliams