Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-10-25
Down In a Coal Mine.

4 walters at tue hVuu'diu iiVu'S,
op. became Imbued with a burning de-
sire 10 60 down in coal mine and ex'
plore the wonders and intricacies OF The
su bterranean world before they were
laid in 1t stiff and stark
The day for the vocation was ar
ranged, and clad IN plug hats, white
vests aud pants, in fact in their besi
bib and tucker,' they hied themselves
one hundred in number, to the mines at
Lil.,'s. On reaching their destination
they secured the services ola witty son
of Erin's green isle 10 escort them
through the pit Of darkness. lie lit bis
lamp and started with his sable visitors
and after winding through the numer-
Gus chambers and my stifying the sight
seers as much as possible, he thus ad'
dressed them
Il want livery wan av yez 10 pay me
a dollar and a half for me trouble, oil
out goes the light
The coons were dumbfounded, and
rolled their eyes IN great astonishneni
at the Standard deliver demand o.
their Celtic escort, each one afnrming
that he had not that amount OF the nj
thy stuff about his clothes.
Then, be Jabers, you nasurs Will
have TO find your way out av this mine
.be best yez cau,' and with this he pun
ed out the light and all was utler dark
ness.
Being thoroughly acquainted with the
various passages of the mine, the Irish
man could easily elude the colored gen.
uemen and make bis way out. The
waiters knew not which way TO turn
for deliverence. Finally they got on
all fours, grouping about IN the dark
noss and the water and the dirt oil the
mine 10 6pd the track leading cut oil
their prison. The coons were 10 mor'al
terror and fearfully excited. II one o.
them caught his fellow by the heel be
n,.de the hollow recesses OF the cavern
re,ound with his yells Of fright during
which hats were lost and garments
shattered with the black water ane
dirt of the horrible place. At lens'r
they reached daylight more scared snan
burt. batless, mired, .and amuslnglI
demoralized. In their haste to ge'
owav from the niue they left one ol
their number yet imprisoned in the cav
etn. After hours of trIbulatlon ano
GREAT CONSERVATION he too emerged in'
70 the LIGHT of day, the picture OF a man
thoroughly broken up. both in min(
and in personal charm. With ven
ooance in his eye he sat himself down
a, the mouth Of the mine to await ln'
comm. of the Irishman who had play,
cd the scurvy trick upon him. Presen'
" another son of the Emerald Isle pu
in an appearance, aud after Viewing '"'
forlorn.looking coon, inquired
'Phct are yez doing here "
.Watin, for dat Irshman to cum ou
oh dis ere NINE. III kill him pulwer
I've him ; chaw him up; Pll-'
90, be gonnies, yez had blst be ai'oS
rettin' out av this, or the IriShman Will
do that same to yez.'
The irate African dida't wait Tor
further warning to leave, aud be made
the best time possible from the a"Iu'
locality. reaching Cresson some 'w'
honrs later than the advance guard Q
mine-explorers. The vocation great
confused matters about supper-Ilme
the popular resort on the mountain TOP
hv reason of the delay necessary IN 'n
.yocators' getting themselves in'o .
respectable shape to wait on tn'
guests. H.
Mr.. John Russell, ofthe Logan HOu'
.eus this adventure of his dusky bre ID
eru with great gusto aud delight wit
o,o,oma,v variations thrown IA. ii
thinks ifhe had witnessed the return
the dilapldated coona he should hav
been done fur suaa,' and there woul'
baVo been no more Lord John Russell
to manlpulate Saratoeas at The Logan