Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-25
Christmas at cold Run.
BY MARINER j. KENT.


Up at Gold Run, the first day of Christ
mas was sad one. The timbers of
Dandy Toms shaft had given way, and he,
working in the slump, had been buried
under 80 feet of earth. Mrs. Tom, as the
men called her, In her des0ate cabin,
was crying her eyes out, while Dimples.
Toms baby girl, silently wondered, and
forgot to be merry. That there was no
possibility of Tom being alive, was the
general opinion Of the camp, and no ac-
tive steps were taken to recover his body;
the common impression prevailing that,
as an old miner sententiOusly put il, "the
shaft war ez good a place as anuther TO
be planted in"
A considerable number OF miners had
cOngregated in Old Sledge's place, and
were discussing poor Dandy Toms fate
/ Old Sledge was good natured sinner
and proprietor of the Miners Rest. Since
the accident he had been silent and
thoughtful, and had kept apart from the
men. That Old Sledge was 'planning out
something" the men well knew, aud were
not surprised when, finally, he called
them up TO the bar, and said: "Boys,
out. faint no use in wun sence, but
she wants ter see his face agin
Thets the woman Of ct, an yer
cad't wipe ct out, nohow. Ebs three
days aiOre Christmas, an Wen hev space
ter do ct in an make the little woman
happy, an be in time fur our regular
blowout. AFTER Christmas, am we'er Ia
per'd of, Well plant poor Tom rite. I'll
furnish free Ticker an grub while the
shaft ez clean'd out, an take a hand ct
dggin'," 'SO'il l." interrupted voice
1t came from old Bracey, camp PEN
sioner, who had never been known to do
days work within the memory of the
oldest miner. His announcement was
received with derisiOn; but he was in
earnest, and said: "Ef can't work, !
kin hold candle an kinder cheer yer up,
ez it wuP." lie was counted in.
An hGur later and the men were at
work at Dandy Toms shaft. The work
was continued Systematically by might as
we'll as by day. The men labored with
feverish energy. under the combined in
fluence of Mrs. Toms fearful thanks and
Old Sledge's best whisky.
On Christmas eve the shaft was open to
within few feet of the slump. In the
next shift, or in three or four hours,
Toms body would be uncovered. Old
Sledge and Bracey, after due prepare
ti0ns, went up TO Mrs. Toms cabin to
tell her of the progress made, and TO
be with her when the men
brought up their CHASTITY bur
ueu. DEdC6y WAS 10 De Tue BpOkeS-
man, but when in the presence OF Mrs.
Tom her grief-stricken face so affected
him that he could not breach the news he
had come to tell, and, after several vain
attempts, whispered TO Old Sledge:
''Pard, Pm beat; s4eel eZ fiat ez tho
war bein' run thro0 er forty-stamp mill"
Then a happy thought struck Bracey,
and he called Dimples to him and sat her
on his knee. ''Now, Dimples," he said,
''ef yer father war ter be kerried in here
tonight yer would't cry, would We? Eff
he war white, an still. an didn't say
nuthin', yer wouldn't cry? Wal, / reckon
he'll be long purity soOn."
Dlmples did not understand Bracey's
meaning, but Mrs. Tom had compre-
hended, but could not question him.
While Bracey was trying to still Dimples'
persistent inquiries concerning her papa,
the door of the cabin was flung open and
an exciting miner shouted: ''We've
found him, found him all rightV Mrs.
Tom covered her face with her hands and
moaned. Old Sledge had risen to his feet
with theintention ofthrowing thethOught-
less news bearer through the window.
At that moment Dandy Tom spraug
through the doorway and knelt before his
wife. When she had grown calm, and
Dimples had been petted and Rugged
until she was tired, Tom explained how
he had escaped death in the shaft.
On the morning of the day of the acci-
dent be had commenced DRIFT. aud had
just finished putting in the first set of tim
bers when the shaft caved in. The tim
bers Of the shaft fell across the drift, In
which he stood in such a way that they
kept out the dirt and stones, The tim
bers Of the shaft had also so fallen and
| interlocked that the earth about them
could not pack, and so he had air. Plenty
Of water seeped in, and he had the dinner
he had taken down, and his candles for
food.
Long after Dimples was abed and
asleep that night, dreaming of Santa
Claus and Of wonderful gifts in the morn
ing, Dandy Tom and his wife sat with
clasped hands, too thankful to sleep, and
too happy TO note the passing hours.
Down at the Miners Rest there were
hilarious doings. twas, indeed, "a glorious
Christmas night. Old Sledge was the
hero OF the camp, aud he bore his bonOrs
becOmingly. Only once did his beaminQ
face grow grave, and that was when, in
reply TO some remark, he said: "Ef we
he'd let Dandy Tom stay down in thet shaft
Of hisn an die, we might not hev knOwed
il now; but we'd hev knowed IL some
time and somewhat, an we'd haY bin
ashamed"