The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-18


! How bright and dazzling all seemed after
| that subaqueous darkness! Redruth seemed
/ in brown study. Not until he had washed
himself and resumed his ordinary attire, did
/ he md his tongue. By this time, my uncle
/ had returned to his labors down below, and
/ we two were left alone.
! rs there anything else you wish to re-
/ portg' asked RedTath, sharply, as we stood
together at the Office door.
! Nothing more than have already report
/ ed in writing
We'll, what was that?''
The whole mine wants repair. Putting
! aside the outlying galleries, where the sea
/ may enter at any minute, the engines and
machinery need replacing, the ladders are
rotten; in fact, everything is in thetast stage
| of decay; and no wonder, seeing that scarce
/ ly penny has been spent on it within my
! memory
He frowned, and bit his lips; then he look
| ed at me contemptuously from head TO foot
| You are a pretty fellow, very pretty fell
| low. You want to ruin me, eh?''
mo, sir; but / want to insure the safety
! of the men,
| "Pshawi You are croaker, and know
| ing on his heel.
/ AT any rate sir" l returned, following
4 him, YOU will have the outer galleries filled
] up, at once? If you don't, I'll not answer
/ for the consequences"
/ "Who the devil asked your he cried.
| Your place is to report, not to advise. As
| to eeasing to work the outer ga leries, | sup
| pose you know that the richest lode of ore
runs there, and that the inner portion of the
| mine is almost barren?"
| Il know that but"
But you prefer mutiny and disaffection to
| study of your employers interests? | tell
| you fatty, l don't intend TO listen to such
nonsense. Thanks to you, the mine at pres
ent yields little or no profit and l am in a
/ fair way to become a beggar."
| He saw me smile incredulously, as / cried !:
| ''Then YOU will do nothing?'
Il will do nothing under your advice, for
don't trust you. a gentleman IN whom
have the utmost confidence will be here to-
morrow morning. You viii accompany him
down the mine, and you viii show him what
/ you have shown me. l shall then be guided
by his advice, not by yours
With these words he walked away.
/ Soon after sunrise the next morning, as
sat in the office at the mine head, was visit
ed by the person to whom young Redruth
had alluded. He was a thin, spare, sandy
haired young man of about thirty, with a
mean type of countenance, and an accent
which was curious compound of Cocknev-
isms and AmericaniSmS. He had indeed,
been born within the sound of Bow Bells;
but having spent portion of his manhood in
the United States, be affected the free and
easy manners of a Yankee citizen.
He gave me his card, on which was printed
the words:
EPnRAIf s. JOHNSON,
CiUiI Engineer,
Bethesda,
State of New York.
glanced at the name. and then took a
good look at the owner. He wore a snowy
tweed suit a glaring red necktie with a
horseshoe pin, and a light billycOck hat AL
together, his appearance was not prepossess-
ing.
He Informed me, in a high, shrill voice,
that he had been instructed by Mr.. George
| Redruth to go down the mine, and report on
its prospects and condition.
You'll find its condition bad enough,
said. quickly.
Maybe l shall, and may be I sha'n't," he
answered. Il don't want you to prejudice
my mind, young man; not that you could do
it if you tried. Guess [ haven't been three
years on the Shoshone territory for moth
ing"
He pronounced it 'nothink," +" but that is
neither here nor there. l saw at once from
his manner that he had come with a precon-
ceived opinion and that nothing he might
see would be likely to make him side with
the men against their master. However, l
treated him as civilIy as possible, and, when
he had assumed the necessary dress, we
made the tour of inspection together. When
we came to the outlying gallery. above which
the sea was laundering, he trembled good
deal and gave other signs of agitation, and
he did not recover himself until he had re-
gained the open air, which he did after a
very perfunctOIy visit indeed. Once or twice
on the way. as we assembled the ladders com
| municating with the abyss, he grew giddy,
and l had to watch him carefully fearing he
might fall. All this, it may be guessed did
not increase my respect for Mr. Ephraim s.
johnson.
He did not altogether recover his equanim-
| ity until he had sloughed his miners dress
and put on his own radiant apparel. Then,
curious to know what he would say to his
employer questioned him:
swell, Mr.. johnson? Did l exaggerate
when | said that the mine was unsafe?"
He answered me sharply and impudently,
but averting his sma keen eyes from mine:
Excuse me, young man, | shall report my
{ opibiOh " MI bCci5 ~ ANItAddir bOb " 8Uee'
! l don't mind saying, however, that | guess
/ you did exaggerate, on the whole"
| Angry at his answer, l could not forbear
| retolting:
| 'You didn't seem to express that opinion
/ when you were down below"
''What do you mean?" he cried, turning
! crimson.
Il mean that you seemed rather in a hurry
/ to get back to the terra firDld. up hereT y
| He Cd not reply. but gave me look full
of malignity and dislike, Then he walked
out of the office, but the next minute he put
! his head in again at the door.
You think yourself smart" he said; .'but
you'll have to get up early before you're as
smart as me. mean to do my duty, young
man, and so you'll lind afore very long"
! He left me with this curious valedction.
saw neither Redruth nor johnson for some
days. Then l heard casually that the latter
had gone back to London. About week
after his departure, saw it publicly an
nounced that arrangements had been made
with George Redruth Esq, the proprietor, to
turn the st. Gurlotts copper mine into a
joint stock company, the said George Red
ruth, Esq, receiving half the purchase money
! and retaining the other half in fully paid-up
shares. Nothing was said about the precise
amount of commission money which went
! into the pocket of Mr.. Z. S. johnson. but the
name of that worthy was down on the pros
pectus as surveyor and inspecting engineer,
| and | had no doubt whatever in my own
| mind that he had made very excellent bar
| gain.