Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-06-24
e When the Roberts Comn,nv oa;nea

I6dl UT 1huCI0lis Wltn til6 COlA- pany, and the result was that the men quit entirely and went to moonlighting 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 be- fore those three fellows were blown sky ward. I wasn't a bit surprised, for when a man gets down so low as to go into moonlighting when he can make good wages at legitimate business, nat urally look to see his death announce,. before 8 great while in the papers.
 "Well, that just left two Tom Bailey and 1-of the original nine that went into the business only few years ago. One by one our boys have dropped of, until today helped to bury what remained of poor Tom. Poor old boy. know it wasn't his fault, for he was the most careful man 1 ever saw. There were nine of us when we started-an banded together to work for one anoth- CTS interests-and now they are all gone but me, and 1 anl-the-iast-of cine.
 His unsmoked cigar slipped from his uerveless fingers and fell to the ground. He trembled violently. as with ague, 8 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 go in. But stay-I -feel-so strangely. I never thought of 1t before, but if-my wife-should- should see me as saw Tom Bailey to- day it would-it would-wou1d kill her :" and the strong man sank into l. chair, completely overpowered with t5s awful thought.
 lord and the oil country the next day. and I did not return for some weeks. Having business at Smethport, the county seat of RcKean county, I passed through that village and started for Bradford, by the way of the Brad ford, Bordell and Kinzua railway. When within few miles of Bradford an acci- dent happened to the locomotive, which would delay the train several hours. Being anxious to reach the city as soon as possible, four of the passengers, in- cluding myself, started over the mount sins afoot, hoping to reach our destina- ton by 8 o'clock in the afternoon. We walked along quite briskly, and, while | following the ridge of mountain, were hailed by voice which I recognized as belonging to the torpedo superintendent having in charge the district adjoining that of John McWilliams.
 "Hallo l come over here !" the man shouted, accompanying his words with emphatic gestures.
 Curiously wondering what Smolley could want. we went toward him. Two # three men were leaning against the stump of tree and merely nodded as we approached. Smolley was searching 9n the ground for something at some dis lance from his companions.
 "What's the trouble, Snolley '" and as I spoke the glycerine man raised g pained- looking face and mutely pointed his finger in the direction of the men around the stump.
 I looked and saw strange sight. The wreck of an oil derrick and its machinery lay scattered over the ground in small pieces. In an instant 1t all came t6 me-there had been an explosion o nitro-glycerine. The derrick had beer blown to atems and scattered far anC wide; the ponderous bull-wheeis were dismantled and broken into thousand fragments. On every hand was ruiI such as only nitro glycerine can pro duce. The thought came, was anybod, hurt? I glanced inquiringiy at tn three men. One of them pointed silent ly at small baking powder box iyin! at their feet. Istepped forward.
 "My God! John-John McWlliams? :? and I would have fallen had not one o the men supported me.
 The last of nine I stood and lookei down into little wooden box filled wit ghastly flesh and blood and bones-al that was mortal of noble-hearted Joh! McWilliams. A side of the head an face remained as noble and handsome a in life, but what remained of the bod could have been placed in a ten-quar pail. Smolley came and leaned his arr against my shoulder in silent sympathy
 "How did 1t happen, Smolley ?" Thi after long period of silence.
 "The well made heavy flow of ga and oil as John was lowering the torpe do, and when the shell came to tine to of the hole John stood there and caugh it in his hands, and as he turned to tax the thing away 1t exploded in his hand with the result you see. There neve was a more careful man than John."
 For years and years John McWillian had laughed at nitro glycerine, and ha toyed with it as with shacklcd monste,
 but at last the monster, waiting patien " for years, had sprung upon him an
 avenged its wrongs. Sorrowfully VI
 lifted the Ettls box and carried 1t hom'
 ward. Along the mountain ridge N
 moved, 8 melancholy procession, ar
 when on the summit of Mount Raub V
 rested and looked down on the clustere
 buildings of Bradford. In the glory
 the afternoon sun even Bradford's hom
 ly buildings were beautiful, the city pr
 senting the very picture of the loveline
 of life, while over and beyond the hill | looking down in silent grandeur, we
 voiceiess witnesses of GoIs immortalit
 One of the passengers who had con
 with me from the tra. n produced 8 po'
 erful field-giass. Almost mechanical
 turned and looked at John McWi ;ams' hillside home A door was stan
 ing wide open, and lace curta
 streamedidly from window. In throus
 the open door could see the tea-tab
 set and waiting. On the lawn a han some, graceful woman romped with ty children, frequently shading her ey
 with her hands and looking down | street long and earnestly. It was Nil MoWilliams, and she was waiting al watching for the loving husband and
 ther who would not come again on Il earth, never, nevermore.
 Slowly the sun crept behind the wei : ern hills, and, with aching hearts, '
 took up our burden again and prepar to descend into the city, my ears ringi ) with the words of the ill-fated John , that night many weeks before: " If I } wife-should- should see me as s' } Tom Bailey to-day it would-it would l would kill her Philadelphia Tim
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