Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-23
Sleeping Miner Warned of Danger by Claws
ThatAre Usually Unkind.
From the.Montana Independent.1


From the Montana Independentl
Vincent Morgan lives up at the head
of Grizzly dulch, about six miles from
Helena. He keeps bach, and his only
household companions are O cat and a
dog. A few evenings ago he was down
to Unionville until after night, and while
there drank glass or two of beer, but
not enough to affect him. About s
o'clock Morgan went home, accompanied
by g friend, who stopped and took sup
per with him. After supper the
two friends smoked and talked awhile,
and then the guest continued his
way to bis own cabin, farther up
the gulch. Morgan washed his dishes
carefully, put the kitchen in order, and
then lay down on bis bunk to read. His
cabin consisted of two rooms. One of
these was used for a kitchen, and from
this door led into back room, which
was used as q sleeping chamber. From
the back room there was no outlet ex-
cept through the kitchen or else through,
small square window at one side of the
room. Into this inner room Morgan
went and, taking off his coat, lay down
upon his bunk to read. His dog and
cat went to sleep in their accustomed
places-the dog under the bunk and the
cat on pile of blankets. Morgan was
tired, the room was comfortable, and IN
few moments he read himself to sleep.
How long he had been sleeping he
does not know, when he was partially
awakened by the cat scratching gently
at his arm. Oblivious to everything
else except that he had been disturbed,
Morgan drowsily pushed the animal
away and slept on. Again the cat
scratched him and again he pushed her
away This was repeated several times.
Finally the cat became thoroughly in
earnest and, springing upon the sleep
er's breast began to claw him vigorous
ly. Morgan awoke with start ard ris-
ing up in his bunk, saw with conster-
nation that his cabin was on
fire and that he was almost sur
rounded by the flames. The parti-
tiOn between the two rooms was blazing
brightly, and the kitchen-as he could
see through the burned door-was red
dened with hot glow, which showed
that the fire had been IN progress there
some time. All chance of escape in
that direction was shut off, and the only
remaining outlet from the sleeping
room was through the little square win
dow mentioned above, and even this
was surrounded on all sides by flames,
which were spreading rapidly along
both sides of the room and beneath the
roof. A moment more and his bunk
would have been on fire. All this his
eye took in at glance, and knowing
that every moment lessened his chances
for escape he took the cat in bis arms,
and calling the old dog, which was
sleeping peacefully beneath the bunk,
he dashed through The flames and
sprang out of the window-not, how
ever, without being painfully burned
about the face, head, and neck. The
dog sprang out after him. The cabin,
with all its contents, was consumed.
Mr.. Morgan related the above circum-
stances to a reporter of the Independent
who met hin on the street. He looked
like a man who had been through a
fire. His hair and whiskers had been
singed, his face was blistered, and his
ears were almost crisped. He said he
had come down to replenish his ward
robe, for the fire had left him without
even coat. ''Yes," he said, "every-
thing [ had was burned except the dog
and the cat, and as for the cat I propose
to save up enough money to buy her a
gold collar, for Ii it hadn't been for her
| would not be here talking to YOU