Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-11-14

He was a stout, compact, well built man.
apparently Of thirty, black eyed, black
bearded, q clear, ~Singularly white com
plexion, and an expression OF more than
ordinary refinement.
IN a tone very different from that Of the
reckless humor he had at first assumed, he
said: Il leg your pardon, but lost my bal
ance in trying 10 get this confounded boot
off, and, rs you see, the wall between us
proved fimSy; and, aS they say IN the play,
Here | am"
No oiTcuse under the circumstances, I'm
sure" was my reply.
Il bought these boots in the mines" said
he: paid two ounce for them, and they've
given me no end Of trouble. They object
seriously to going on in the morning, and
when once on object as strongly 10 going of
AT night
This was Mr.. William Broener. He was
from the mines, and mining was his business.
We drifted into sociahility that night. The
rent in the wall wa not repaired next day,
and remaining open soon developed a certain
companionship between Us, He seemed TO
like my company; certainly he was attractive
10 me. We went about much together, and
within the week our intercourse had grown
to something beyond that Of a mere pass
ing acquaintance"
There was much in Broener attractive 10
mon and women. Physically he was IA fine Il
specimen Of manhood as ever ! laid eyes on.
He was generous, and had an easy manner Of
daShing into peoples companionship and con
fdence, which to me was both "A source Of AL
miration and irritation, since ! lacked 1t Ell
tirely. Broener Seeined at home everywhere,
and on relatively familiar terms in any circle
To which five minutes previous he had been a
total stranger, while ! writhed in the bonds
and letters of a certain awkwardneSS and re-
serve which at times seemed Ia compel me 10
DO and say the very things most calculated
20 keep me outside that atmosphere Of socla-
bilitv which | desired To enter and breathe.
Yet this TO an extent constituted the bond
between myself and Broener. He, knowing
his power and keenly alive to its recognition
and appreciation by others, liked to have
about him an Gdmirer like myself, whom
in a sense he could take under his wing
and protection.
Come with me to the Mines he said. a
few days after our acquaintance had COM
mcnced. I've a bit Of a claim left and
we'll work partners.
| aSsented. To 90 to the diggings, direct
ed and befricnded by an experienced and
lucky miner, was an opportunity seldom
found in those days.
| lay more than usual stress on the phrase
lucky miner" Gold diggers We're com
PEELED to believe in luck. Lucky men
struck it rich wherever they vert The~,
were sometimes in character the extremes
Of recklessneas and dissipation. No mat
ter. Their steps seemed directed, and where
they went they turned up ~gold-often To
lc spent within a few hours. But the
spree over they went p~lodding, poking
about lar. fat or c~revice, turning up more
Of the yellow metal in dust or chiSpds
while regular habits and sobriety worked
hard and could barely make both ends
meet. So marked We're these phenomena
that the inquiry was not uncommon ON ths
uart of those who had ventures 10 make
regarding the leading prosPector: rs he a
lucky mann