The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-05-05

n
M, SIR the man said, gravely, after
moments pause; mot quite all that
A viol mt death, yes; and such death
AS l might pray God might ne'er happen
to the worst of us; but it wasn't drink.
uor quarrel, nor fight with another
man, that brought him to it. II was
mUre the other way, poor lad-more the
other way" gFf,i r...-.yf . ....
The rough fellow beside me said this
Sith u gentleness of tone and manner
that was sufficiently ont Of keeping with
nis appearance to excite some degree oi
curiosity, ami told him l should like
to arp more of the story. f....f. .,
@Its not much as such as you might
care for" the man replied. Here" he
said, turning to the little ones who We're
straying toward tue green mound again.
you mustn't touch them pasies, thou
knows 80 aud get sume OF them" aid
he jerked IL small piece OF coal he had in
uls hand toward where some daisies and
dandelions eregrowing among the rank
grass, .aat,uJsI ...ff sT. g..
| ''He worked in Fenton's pit along o
me, and though We never had angry
words, many and mary a day would
pass, and neither him nor me speak. II
vas quiet, rs 1 said, and when he hadnt
had drink would keep his SELF to hissel.,
Tuere vas a lass living in these parts
then, aud Fighting Joe was right fond of
| her. l don't know that he said much
to her, hut we could see that he was
about as fond of that lass as lad could
| well be. know that, for mother was
living then, and this lad would often be
between her house aud ours. 1t seems
that one Sunday, as it might be this, Joe
bad met her and told her how fond be
had been of her, and asked her TO he.
come his wife. She told mother OF, this
that same night. Well, it sesms she said
that Joe mustn't look for TINT. for she
was ,ulready promised, and was going to
be wed that Whi,suutide. When she
told Joe this. he said never q word, but
he grew very white in the face, and
turned quietly away. The neat day he
had to work Ly the side OF the very man
who was promised to The lass he loved.
Well. they had been to work for some
tune, when Joes mate, turning round
to get hold OF II SHORTER pick that was
laying near, seos him standing behind
him with his arm raised aud the pick in
or not, and with look in Lis eyes as he
had lever been known to wear before.
| TIE two men looked at each other for II
while without speaking, TIL joe said,
| G ,d forgive ne! aud turned away, and
from that lime they Dcver worked side
10y side agaip. don't know how it was,
but we used to think Joe kept away on
purpose-I mean So as not to be in the
way to strike the other one. That wuuld
be Il matter of three or four months be-
fore the fire" -. .-..s ,.-...
What fire." I asked. a...
rWbat fire? the other repeated, in n
tone of as,o2ishment. "Why, Fenton's
pit. Did you never hear tell of the FIRE
in Fentols piI'" ...... ,....
M" 1 replied; you know l am n
stranger here" .t....... ........
"Ah. you must be, l should think, '"
the man said, somewhat roughly. 'if
you never heard of that"
He took small, blackened pipe from
The pocket of his vest, looking thought
lully before him, aud filling the bowl in
IA mechanical manner of one who pre-
occupied by an all.engrossing thought
is going through some familiar action,
Ior his thoughts we're evidently,far away.
and the pitman's face, rough aud strong
| ly marked as it was, became saddene'i
and almost tender in its expression un-
der their in1uence. He remained silent
80 long thai l at length said: .....
Il should like to hear about that fire
If you don't niiud telling"
Was you ever down 10 pit n,AteT
he asked. u .-....... ..... ,.....
told him no, but had often thought ]
should like to so see one.
Better stay where you are, mate,
the man answered. "AhI' he added.
after another pause, 'itS strange how
} we mining people die, but it's stranger
how we live"
"How do you mpan?' askel.
'I'Ve worked in the pit now for more
than twenty years" he replied, but
never go down in the cage now-that is,
; since the time speak of-but think
may be going to my grave. What Will
I the rising of the water, or the fall of th,
D coal. OF the choke-damp that mean:
death, the lives Of ouch as MS ain't worth
e much; but all these put together ain
= nothing TO pit on FIRE. When the Goa
/ is bursting with the heat, and the heavy
{ masses of earth fall down, crushing OF
. | ldInlnB thelI 'n"t O"h ~ "u' VI Wv
way when-the cry is, Every man fol
himself. aud God above for us all!-
when faintiug ana struggling they thinl
, Tor a momebt of vile and chillren. anC
then fall dow n and dit!
"Well, that was the sort of a fire
t, speak OF, and all Of those at work in tb,
!. PIT that day rushed TOR the lit that nigh
, carry them away from the place wher'
. the flames were roaring aud rushing will
n the noise of great wind, Well. Fight
8 ing Joe was the last man in the lift, al
!. they thought; but jnst as they were be
n siuning TO move, they heard loud CT,
a ter help, and they saw that other one
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