The Wahpeton times., 1886-08-19

mo we'll Moras ana Hayden ana the othe
mem. excepting one. withdrew, and eat Oh
the green sward several rods away. The
man who renamed alone at the derrick was
9 famous character In the oil country. He
Mas known ~ the most cool-headed torpedo
snooter In allS that region. He completed
the work OF preparation by pouring still
more Of the inoffenkive-look whittsh
cred them with the aid Of ! real and line,
meath tho darn 6ne hundred qusrts 0,
most dangerous Explosive had thus bcsa
lowered eight or nine hundred feet into the
bowels Of the earth Heavy levers were
any chance Of its being blown out Several
barrels of water were poured into the we'll,
and all was ready.
The man who was famed for his bravery in
shooting wells quickly dropped the heav?
iron known to oil men as @go-devil" and
quietly walked away. The iron weight was
heard as 1t went rattling down through the
casing, and the silence Of death reigned fol
. second. Suddenly the earth gave slight
shudder, tho no!so as Of the booming of dis.
tant cannon was heard and all was still
again Only for an instant, however. A
snimmer OF gas was seen rising from the
well, followed by great white column OF
water, streakeu with yellow oil, which shot
Into the air hundreds Of feet with mighty
rush and roar, like the sound of escaping
steam The earth trembied. and pieces OF
iron and wood were hurled into the air frou,
the derrick and its fixtures. Amid the noise
ana the roar the piercing plaintive cry Of a
OF Tom Hayden. He had left his friends on
the greensward and moved few steps off to
obtain better view of the explosion.
large fragment of iron had been hurled from
the exploded we'll, striking him on the fore
mead He uttered one cry ana fell backward
tnrongh the dense spray of oil and water as
It fell to the earth and reached the side O.
his friend and partner. He seized Toms
hands and rubbed them. They were warm,
and the eyes of the injured man partly
opened. He recognized Moffat in an instant.
die Take good care OF Mary, Si-and-the-
child"
There wss rattle in his throat, his hands
quivered and his eyes closed again Motfat
placed his rough cheek against the body OF
his friend, but he could no longer hear the
beating of the heart. Tom Hayden was
dead The sweet-faced Mary was widow
The sunny haired child was fatherless.
The oil towns of Pennsylvania, many OF
them are like mushrooms They grow vi
In day and fade away in night. Fiv,
years later the town of Blgiey was lying
there in the woods as cold and still and silent
as though it's deserted buildings had never
resounded to the tramp of hurrying feet or
echoed the clang OF the hammer and anvil.
The oil had become exhausted, the hotel was
In ruins, and the huge, towering derricks
looked like so many skeletons as they
swayed to and fro in the wind, often falling
hon Iva H.
ruins of buildings were scattered every
Where. and tall grass and moss covered the
decayed timbers and the stone foundations
or once prosperous town. Wild animals
strayed from the surrounding forest through
the deserted streets. The silence Of the city
OF Inc dead prevailed throughout the town
that was.
One afternoon a stranger stepped from the
woodland into tho grass-grown street and
walked past the ruins of the hotel He car.
ried gun on his shoulder and game bag
on his arm. Two hunting dogs ran ahead OF
him. barking and causing the crumbline
walls to re-echo their cries. The stranger
saw a column of blue smoke curl from The
chimney OF small cottage near the out.
skirts OF the village hamlet man stood a,
the gateway in front of tho house with an al
on his shoulder.
The stranger approached him and opened
conversation.
VII Jeu ~ dW nv 4IOlu GuB UcSCECel
placer" he inquired of the man with the AK
shadow OF pain crossed his face, and fo1
few moments he was silent
Il could do better away" at length he said
but can't go. She wants me to stay"
And 'she's'-your wife,"
s0h, no, Mary. Toms wife-his widow,
mean"
sand Tom?"
3My partner, sir-that Is, he was my part.
ner until-until-but he is dead now, stran
ger, am I'm taking care of his widow ant
one child. promised him I'd do it and
will. He was a city chap, you see, and h,
came here with hot-house flower CT wifi,
an little money. He struck up partner
ship with me, for knew all about tho oil
business, an lie didn't He got killed at tbs
well. in the saddest way, and as he was dyin
promised to do the square thing by hi.
widow. That's his grave over yonder on ths
hill-the one with the flowers and the white
stone on it She wants to stay here becaus,
they lived here in the first days OF their mar
ried life. When she gets over it, We'll &C
away; but what she wants want, an 80 We
stay. Over by the blasted pine, yonder, ii
your way out Goodbye, sir"
Honest 81 Moffat was true to his trust
TOMS wife and the sunny-haired child wert
not without friend,