Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-17
Big Ben Bolton
IT KJN uED J HALL.

I remember big hon Bolton. and the little
Leoutinc,
He could carry Oh milestone, but she ruled
him like queen.
He stood seven feet In his stockings; she vas
hardly three foot high:
But she wound him round her Anger, and she
ruled him with her eye.
The women used to smoker, and tho hardy
miners smiled,
To zee the bravny sian. With the sentle little
And tho gamblers. up from Frisco. whom they
saw them. used 10 swear
That they looked - ntly mated a rabbit and
abear.
He would drop his pick and shovel whom she
came in working hours:
They would 20 among the guiches after gay
Bs would climb the dizzy lodges, he would
scale tho mountain-side,
Bearing her upon his shoulders, VT lie he called
her little BRIDE
He could bend an iron crovbar. he could lift
half a ton,
He could twist . wagon-tlre. or the barrel Of
With 81. fingers; bur +. often used to mako u.
laugh
When vo saw L-on.ine lead him As butcher
leads calf.
when the hard days work WAS over, when the
crescent silver moon
Arose above the mountain pines, We met at
"Dlood's saloon
of his skill
In bending iron crowbars or in twisting OF a
drill.
One day Ezekiel Parsons sent to Frisco on the
sly,
And bought bar Of tempered STEEL for brawny
Ben to try.
The boy. who understood the game came down
TO Blooi's one night
And stood sersncy round the bar and waiting
for the sight
Ben Bolton arsspcd the bar of steel, he brought
1t to his knee,
And like . locomotive pulled, the trick no
The sweat ran down his honest face, upon his
hands he spit,
He tugged aud worked with all his might, It
would not bulge bit.
Ezekiel Parsons shook his sides, the boys all
laughed aloud.
Ben lost his reputation and had to treat the
1t cut him so completely, and 1t made him feel
mean,
He quit the camp next morning with the little
Lrontine.
A storm comes up the valley, cloud bursts on
The stream hccomes = river, that sweeps away
the mills.
And downward through the hollow the mad-
DER rocks, through glens and guches, aud
mining camps it pours.
A cry comes from the hollow, and rushing
down the ridge
The miners see Ben Bolton like a giant at the
bridge.
The water settles about him, the bridge rocks
to and fro;
He holds 1t with a crowbar-in a minute 1t
must 60
Beneath the narrow ledge near by, with bright
dishcveled hair
They see the little Leontnc-her hands are
claspcd in prayer.
The structure quakes. the strong man shakes,
fAar 10 In 30 funa
"Ho!, save the child" he shouts aloud, "Tl
ho'd the bridge in place
Zekc Parsons bounds upon tho bridge, the
women wall with fear;
He lifts the child in his strong arms, the miners
loudly cheer:
He leaps upon the trembling logs, the waters
round him roar;
He slips, he falls. he creeps, he crawls, he
springs upon the shore.
The child Is saved, Ben Bolton, but who will
help you now?
The crowbar in your brawny hands breaks
like a rotten bough,
And down the glen goes bridge and man, with
broken logs and stones
mat rend and cash his stalwnrt form and crush
and break his bones.
Adown the hill the miners run, with outcries
of despair:
They find him wedged between the rocks, and
hanging helpless there.
They bear his mangled form away, without
the glen they pass
With words Of pity and of love, and lay him on
the grass.
The crimson blood runs down his face, he
shidiers and he signs;
His pale lips move, bc means, he gronns, then
TO a comrade cries:
"Fvc saved the little Leontine, be kind to her,
dear Joe,
I'm bent and broke Zcke Parsons, for I'm
ready now to go!'
His head drops limp and lifelcss down, his eyes
grow duh and dim,
His broad breast hcaves, Il shiyerruns through
every broken limb.
Then, with smile upon his lips, he sinks upon
the SOL,
And the suIl OF brave Ben Bolton is Mt peace
with mau and GoI.