Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-01-07
Saint Yarg's Beacon.
LEoNARDTowN. MARYLAND.
ONE DOLLAR PER YEAS IN ADVANCE
NEW YEAR Ar GOLD Rum.



way, and he, working in the slump,
had been buried under fifty feet of
earth. Mrs. Tom, as the men called
her, in her desolate cabin, was crying
her eyes out, while Dimples, Toms
baby girl, silently wondered and for
got to be merry. That there was no
possibility Of Tom being alive. was
the general opinion Of the camp. and
no active steps were taken to recover
bis body; the common impression pre-
vsiling that. as an old miner seLten-
tiousiy put it, "ths shaft war ez good
aplace as anuther to be planted in"
a considerable number Of miners
had congregated in Old Sledges place.
and were discussing poor Dandy Toms
fate. Old Sledge was a 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, and were not surprised
when, finally. he called them up to
the bar, and said: Boys, with yer
. say 20. we'll dig Dandy Tom out.
"Tain't no use in wun sence, but she
wants ter see his face agin. Thet's the
woman Of ct. an yer can't wipe ct out,
nohow. Els two days afore New
Year, an we'll hev space ter do ct in
an make the little woman happy, an
be in time fur our reg'lar blowout.
After New Year. an we er taper off,
we'll plant poor Tom rite. I'll fur
nish free Ticker an grub while the
shaft ez clean'd out, an take a hand
ct diggin'." "So'll T." interrupted
voice. 1t came from old Bracey, q
camp psnsioner, who had never been
known to do days work within the
memory Of the oldest miner. His an
nouncement was received with dsrision,
but he was in earnest, and said: "EfI
can't work I kin hold q candle an
kinder cheer yer up, ez it wur." He
was counted in.
An hour later and the men were at
work at Dandy Toms shaft. The
work was continued Systematically by
night as well as BY day. The men
labored with feverish energy upon the
combined influence of Mrs. Toms tear
full thanks and Old Sledgs's best whis-
KEY.
On New Years 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 Sledgs and Bracey. after due pre-
paration, went up to Mrs. Tom cabin
to tell her of the progress made, and
to be with her when the men brought
up their CHASTITY burden. Bracsy was
to be spokesman. but when in the pres
snce 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, whis.
pered to Old Sledge:
"Pard, I'm beat: I feel ez fiat ez
tho war bein' run throo err FORTY
stamp mill" Then happy thought
struck Bracey and he called Dimplss
to him and sat her on his knee. Now
Dlmplss, he said, "ef yer father war
to be kerrisd in here tonight yer
wouldn't cry, would We? Eff he war
white an still, an didn't say nuthin',
yer wouldn't cry? Wal, I reckon he'll
be long purity soon"
Dimplss did not understand Bra
eeys meaning, but Mrs. Tom had
eomprehended bat could not question
him. While Bracsy was trying 20
still D'mplss' persistent inquire, con.
Corning her papa, the door Of the
eao'n was flung open and and an excit.
ed miner shouted: We've found him
found him all right" Mrs. Tom COS.
cred her face with her hands and
moansd. Old sledgs had risen to hi.
ieet with the intention of throwing
the thouRhtlsss news-bsarer through
the window. At that moment Dandy
t0m sprang though the doorway and
knelt before his wife. When she had
grown calm. and Dimplss had been
petted and Rugged until she was TRAD
Tom explained how he had sscapas
death in the shaft.
on the morning Of the day of the |
accident he had commenced a drift.
and had Just finished putting in the
hFst set Of timbsrs when the shaft |
caved in. The timbsrs of tn. shaft |
Tell across the drift in which he stood in
such way that they KEEP. out the dir.
ana stones. The timbers of the shat,
had also 50 fallen and inssrlocked tia.
the earth above them could not pack
aud 50 he had plenty Of air. PLENTY